Madrid beats Valencia 2-0 to keep pace with leader Atlético

Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos scored first-half goals as Real Madrid comfortably beat Valencia 2-0 on Sunday to keep pace with Spanish league leader Atlético Madrid.

Madrid's third straight league victory left Zinedine Zidane’s team five points behind Atlético, which won 2-1 at Granada on Saturday and has two games in hand.

The victory against Valencia moved Madrid three points in front of third-place Barcelona, which routed Alavés 5-1 at home on Saturday. The Catalan club has played one less game than Madrid.

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Madrid’s recent good run —- with four wins in five matches —- comes after it won only two of its previous seven games in all competitions.

Valencia has won only two of its last 14 league matches and sits 12th in the standings, three points from the relegation zone. It had handed Madrid its worst loss of the season in November, winning 4-1 at Mestalla Stadium.

The result extended Madrid’s unbeaten streak against Valencia at home to 13 league matches, since a 3-2 defeat in 2008.

Real Madrid's Toni Kroos shoots to score his team second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Benzema put Madrid ahead in the 12th minute with a low shot from outside the area after a pass from Kroos, who added to the lead in the 42nd with a strike from inside the box after a setup by Lucas Vázquez.

Vázquez had come on in the 28th to replace right back Dani Carvajal, who left injured in what had been his return to action after being sidelined for seven matches.

Other Madrid players who couldn't play on Sunday because of injuries included captain Sergio Ramos.

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Ferland Mendy, who scored in Madrid's league win against Getafe on Tuesday, had a goal disallowed for offside in the 61st.

SOCIEDAD EDGES GETAFE

Alexander Isak scored a 30th-minute winner as Real Sociedad won 1-0 at Getafe to move past Villarreal into fifth place.

Real Madrid celebrate after scoring their second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Sociedad has won two in a row and is unbeaten in four league matches.

Getafe, sitting in 13th place, has lost three straight and is winless in five matches, with four losses and a draw while being outscored 11-1.

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Real Madrid's Karim Benzema shoots to score the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

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Valencia's Yunus Musah, left, kicks the ball next to Real Madrid's Casemiro during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Casemiro, center, is tackled by Valencia's Ferro during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Casemiro, left, is tackled by Valencia's Ferro during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema shoots to score the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema heads the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP PhotoManu Fernandez)

Barcelona defeated Real Sociedad 1-0 on Thursday to make sure Real Madrid will have to wait at least another week to celebrate the Spanish league title.

Barcelona's away victory reduced its gap to Madrid to 15 points, and it can further cut it to 12 points on Sunday if it defeats Rayo Vallecano at home in a game it has in hand.

Barcelona and Madrid, which won 3-1 at Osasuna on Wednesday, will have five games left. Madrid, trying to clinch its second title in three seasons, doesn’t play this weekend.

Barcelona's plaers celebrate after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)

“Madrid was lucky that it took a while for us to join the fight,” Barcelona defender Dani Alves said.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored with a close-range header in the 11th minute to give Barcelona its first win after consecutive home losses against Cádiz in the league and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League. The Catalan club had not lost two straight home games since 2003.

The victory against Sociedad left Barcelona tied on points with Sevilla, which defeated Levante earlier Thursday to stay in position to secure a Champions League place next season. Second place also is important as it guarantees a spot in the Spanish Super Cup.

Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)

“We suffered a lot but in the end we got three golden points and stayed in second place,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said. “It was an important victory even though we didn’t play too well.”

Defending champion Atlético Madrid, which was held to a 0-0 home draw against relegation-threatened Granada on Wednesday, stayed two points behind Barcelona and Sevilla. Fifth-place Real Betis trailed Atlético by four points and was two ahead of Sociedad.

Sociedad has not beaten Barcelona in 12 straight league matches. The Basque Country club hadn't lost in seven consecutive league games at home, all of them with clean sheets.

Barcelona's Dani Alves, left, fights for the ball with Real Sociedad's Diego Rico during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)

Barcelona extended its unbeaten streak on the road to 13 league matches, having won five in a row.

Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo left injured early in the second half, and the team's other central defender, Gerard Piqué, appeared to get injured in the first half but stayed until being substituted in the 82nd while being loudly jeered by the Sociedad fans.

Piqué, who also heard some boos every time he touched the ball during the game, has been in the spotlight in recent days after stolen audio leaked to the media exposed a series of conversations between him and Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales talking about behind-the-scenes negotiations on several issues.

Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, left, vies for the ball with Real Sociedad's Igor Zubeldia during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)

SEVILLA RECOVERS

Sevilla improved its chances of making it to the Champions League with a 3-2 win at second-to-last-place Levante.

Jesús “Tecatito” Corona scored two first-half goals and Jules Koundé added another after halftime.

Barcelona's Dani Alves reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)

Levante captain José Luis Morales had to be comforted by teammates and opponents after the match because of a missed penalty kick that could have equalized the game at 2-2 in the second half. Koundé gave Sevilla a 3-1 lead about 10 minutes later before Roberto Soldado pulled the hosts closer again.

Levante stayed tied with last-place Alavés, six points from safety.

CÁDIZ FALLS AGAIN

Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, left, tries to score next to Real Sociedad's goalkeeper Alex Remiro during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)

Cádiz followed up its stunning 1-0 win against Barcelona at the Camp Nou Stadium with a 3-2 home loss against Athletic Bilbao.

The result left Cádiz just outside the relegation zone.

Eighth-place Athletic was up 3-0 by the 33rd. It played a man down from the 71st after Mikel Vesga was sent off.

Barcelona's head coach Xavi Hernandez gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)

RELIEF FOR RAYO

Rayo won 1-0 at Espanyol to end a 13-match winless streak in the league and move closer to salvation.

Sergi Guardiola scored in the 42nd to leave the southern Madrid club seven points from the relegation zone in 14th place. Espanyol, sitting in 12th-place, was two points ahead of Rayo.

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