MADRID (AP) — New coach, same struggle for Sevilla.
Sevilla lost 1-0 at last-placed Oviedo on Sunday to stay just two points above the relegation zone in the Spanish league.
It dropped to 17th with the loss which saw the debut of coach Luis García Plaza, who replaced Argentine coach Matías Almeyda before the international break.
It was the third straight defeat for Sevilla, and its eighth match without a win in nine league rounds. The club was in 15th place when Almeyda was fired.
Federico Viñas scored in the 32nd minute for Oviedo, which has won two of its last three league matches to keep alive its hopes of not returning to the second division. Oviedo has 24 points, seven points behind Sevilla.
Sevilla played a man down from the 39th as defender Tanguy Nianzou was sent off with a straight red card for a hard foul.
“We didn’t expect to play with 10 men for so long. That made a difference,” Plaza said. “We are running out of time. We need to start winning points again.”
Sevilla, which had no attempts on target, hosts Atletico Madrid next weekend.
Boost for Getafe
Getafe boosted its chances of playing in Europe next season after beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at home for its sixth win in its last eight league matches.
Luis Vázquez scored in the 14th and Martín Satriano sealed the victory in the 90th to keep Getafe in eighth place with 41 points, level with seventh-placed Real Sociedad and three points ahead of ninth-placed Osasuna.
Under one scenario, Spain could end up with as many as 10 places in European competitions next season, depending on how Spanish teams finish this season in Europe.
Getafe’s only setbacks recently were 1-0 losses to Sevilla at home and to Atletico Madrid away.
Athletic, meanwhile, has lost four of its last five games in all competitions and has only one victory — 2-1 against Real Betis in the league before the international break — in its last six games.
One of its losses came in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Basque Country rival Real Sociedad last month.
Celta wins
Celta came from behind to beat Valencia 3-2 on the road.
The victory ended Celta’s three-game winless streak in the league and left the club in sixth place. The top four are guaranteed Champions League spots with the fifth team also set to qualify. Betis, currently sitting fifth, drew 0-0 with Espanyol at home on Saturday.
Ilaix Moriba, Fer López and Williot Swedberg scored for Celta in the second half after Guido Rodríguez had put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute. Rodríguez scored Valencia’s second goal in second-half stoppage time.
Valencia, which dropped to 13th place, had won four of its last six league games.
Also Sunday, Lucas Boyé converted a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time as Alaves salvaged a 2-2 draw with visiting Osasuna.
Barcelona increases its lead at the top
On Saturday, Barcelona rallied away from home to beat 10-man Atletico Madrid 2-1 and take a big step toward winning the title after Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Mallorca.
The Catalan club opened a seven-point lead over Madrid after 30 matches. Third-placed Villarreal visit Girona on Monday.
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