Date:27/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/27/stories/2008092760712200.htm

Sport - Football

Valencia moves to top

Villa scores a brace

— PHOTO: AFP

David Villa.

Madrid: David Villa’s third and fourth goals of the season helped Valencia defeat Malaga 2-0 and reclaim the first place in the Spanish League football.

Meanwhile, Almeria spurned the chance to go to the top and lost its unbeaten record when it fell 2-0 at Valladolid on Thursday.

Valencia has 10 points and leads Villarreal on goal difference, while Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have nine. Sevilla follows with eight.

Also, it was Recreativo Huelva 1 Athletic Bilbao 1 and Mallorca 2 Numancia 0.

Villa headed the first goal from a scooped cross by midfielder Juanma Mata in the 71st minute.

The Spain striker, who top-scored in the European Championship in June, doubled his tally from an injury-time counter-attack to give unbeaten Valencia its third win in four matches.

Valencia also came close to scoring in the 16th minute when midfielder Manuel Fernandes’s deflected free kick hit the post, and it almost conceded in the 53rd minute, but defender Raul Albiol headed Nabil Baha’s shot off the line.

Malaga, 19th in the standings and yet to score on its return to the first division, lost Salva Ballesta to a red card in the 88th for a foul on Edu of Valencia.

The results: Malaga 0 lost to Valencia 2 (David Villa 71, 90); Valladolid 2 (Alvaro Rubio 65, Haris Medunjanin 90) bt Almeria 0; Recreativo Huelva 1 (Javi Guerrero 71) drew with Athletic Bilbao 1 (David Lopez 76); Mallorca 2 (Jose Manuel Jurado 12, Achille Webo 51) bt Numancia 0. — Agencies