MADRID — Atletico Madrid stayed eight points back of Barcelona with 10 games remaining as Fernando Torres came off the bench to score in a 3-1 win at Gary Neville’s Valencia Sunday.
Earlier Barca’s 11th consecutive league win, 4-0 over Eibar, stretched its record unbeaten run to 36 games.
Real Madrid remains 12 points adrift of Barca in third despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s four-goal show in a 7-1 demolition of Celta Vigo Saturday.
Atletico rounded off a perfect week after wins over Real Madrid and Real Sociedad to pile more pressure on Neville, who was met with a banner reading “Gary go home” from the home fans.
Atletico Madrid defeated Valencia with goals by French forward Antoine Griezmann in the 24th, substitute striker Fernando Torres in the 72nd and midfielder Yannick Carrasco in the 85th. Russian striker Denis Cheryshev scored Valencia’s goal in the 28th.
Gary Neville’s team was trying to win for the sixth time in seven games in all competitions. It was Valencia’s second consecutive home loss in the league, dropping it to 11th in the standings.
Earlier Sunday, 10-man Real Betis defeated visiting Granada 2-0 to move further from the relegation zone. Athletic Bilbao won 2-0 at Sporting Gijon to move to sixth place and leave its opponent second-to-last on the table, while 10th-place Real Sociedad drew last-place Levante 1-1 at home.
Inter keeps up Champs pressure
In Rome, Inter Milan kept pace with the pack in the race for Champions League qualification after easily seeing off flatlining Palermo 3-1 Sunday to win for just the fourth time in 2016.
Adem Ljajic’s low 11th minute strike, Mauro Icardi’s deft 12th of the season 12 minutes later and a diving header from Ivan Perisic nine minutes after the break saw Inter stay fifth on 51 points, two behind Fiorentina and five behind third-placed Roma, which walloped Paulo Sousa’s Viola 4-1 Friday.
The win for Inter also sees it extend its lead on AC Milan to four points after its local rival fell 2-0 at Sassuolo.
Hamburg beats Hertha
Nicolai Mueller scored twice as Hamburger SV eased its Bundesliga relegation fears with a 2-0 home win over third-place Hertha Berlin Sunday.
Mueller broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he stopped Lewis Holtby’s deflected cross and rifled the ball inside the right post. The 28-year-old midfielder sealed the result with 15 minutes remaining with a fine strike to the top corner on another assist from Holtby.
Earlier, Darmstadt held high-flying Mainz to a scoreless draw that denied the home side the chance to go fourth. — Agencies
