The lone Wednesday match on La Liga’s docket injected some drama back into the chase for Spain’s crown.
Real Madrid fell 2-1 at Valencia, unable to overcome conceding twice in the first 10 minutes.
The match was one of two matches-in-hand Real held on its rivals for La Liga’s title. Now Real’s one-point lead over Barcelona and three-point advantage over Sevilla seem a bit more manageable.
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Simone Zaza and Fabian Orellana netted for Los Che, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s 44th minute goal was the only answer the leaders could muster before full time.
Zaza’s goal was a stunner:
If you haven't seen it, then here is that ASTONISHING @SimoneZaza strike 👌🏻 #LaLiga https://t.co/1ZZcSqBoiS
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) February 22, 2017
Real could rebuild its lead over the weekend, with Barcelona off to Atletico Madrid on Sunday and Sevilla traveling to Betis on the heels of its UCL win over Leicester City.
But for now, life’s a bit more exciting in Spain. Real hosts Barcelona on April 23, and hosts Sevilla on the penultimate weekend of the season.
Standings |
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Real Madrid | 22 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 57 | 20 | 37 | 10-2-0 | 6-2-2 | 52 |
| Barcelona | 23 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 63 | 19 | 44 | 7-3-1 | 8-3-1 | 51 |
| Sevilla | 23 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 46 | 28 | 18 | 9-1-1 | 6-3-3 | 49 |
| Atlético Madrid | 23 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 43 | 19 | 24 | 8-2-1 | 5-4-3 | 45 |
| Real Sociedad | 23 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 7-2-3 | 6-0-5 | 41 |
| Villarreal | 23 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 7-3-2 | 3-6-2 | 39 |