Espanyol survive - just
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ByEurosport
Published 13/05/2006 at 21:58 GMT
Espanyol pulled off a miraculous escape from relegation on Saturday as a last minute winner ensured they retain their Primera Liga status for another season at least. Substitute Ferran Corominas netted in the 90th minute to break the deadlock and send the
FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Espanyol-Real Sociedad Coro Moisés
Image credit: EFE
But whilst the champagne flowed in Barcelona, it was heartbreak in the Basque country for Alaves who were relegated by Coro's last gasp antics.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Espanyol-Real Sociedad Eduardo Costa Stevanovic
Image credit: EFE
It looked like Rodolfo Bodipo's strike eleven minutes from time was going to be enough to keep Dimitry Piterman's team in the top flight, but events elsewhere proved such thinking to be wrong.
The results mean that Alaves will be joining already relegated Malaga and Cadiz in the Spanish second division next season, whilst Espanyol live to fight another day.
Elsewhere, UEFA Cup winners Sevilla completed a week to remember with a 3-2 victory over Barcelona that saw them draw level on points with Osasuna as the race for the last Champions League place hotted up.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Sevilla-Barcelona pasillo
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Barcelona fielded a much-weakened side in Sevilla, in anticipation of Wednesday's Champions League final against Arsenal, and fell behind from two early goals from Daniel Alves and Aitor Ocio.
But Frank Rijkaard's side fought back and levelled at 2-2 thanks to goals from Santiago Ezquerro and Sylvinho, only to see Kepa net the winner fifteen minutes from time.
Sevilla play their one remaining game of the season against Real Madrid on Tuesday, whilst Osasuna play Valencia in two matches that will decide who joins Barcelona, Real and Valencia in next season's Champions League.
VILLARREAL 2-0 RACING SANTANDER
Villarreal made the most of Deportivo's slip-up against Alaves with a home win that allowed them to leapfrog the Galicians and earn a place in the Intertoto Cup.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Villarreal-Santander Juan Román riquelme
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Argentine playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme went some way to erasing the memory of his missed penalty against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final when he smashed home from the spot in the 31st minute after Jose Mari had gone down in the area.
Substitute Xisco Nadal made sure of the victory when he nodded in after great work by Santi Cazorla just after the hour.
ATLETICO MADRID 1-1 REAL BETIS
Earlier in the day, an appropriately disappointing match ended the season for two teams that have failed to live up to expectations.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Atl. Madrid-Betis celebracion gol
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Serbia & Montenegro striker Mateja Kezman ended his recent barren run when he put Atletico in front with a point-blank header after Martin Petrov had slammed a free kick on to the bar.
Betis midfielder Arzu equalised 13 minutes from the end when he drilled in after jinking his way through the Atletico defence from the edge of the area.
CADIZ 5-0 MALAGA
Cadiz bid farewell to the Primera Liga in style with this crushing victory over fellow Andalucians Malaga who will also be playing in the second division next season.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Cádiz-Málaga Vella saúl Fernández
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Argentine forward Matias Pavoni put Cadiz in front when he fired home in the first half and midfielder Jonathan Sesma scored twice in the space of a little over a minute to make it 3-0 midway through the second.
Uruguay winger Fabian Estoyanoff scored the fourth when he drilled in on the turn and substitute Nenad Mirosavljevic completed the rout with a neat dinked finish four minutes from time.
CELTA VIGO 1-0 GETAFE
Celta were already assured of a place in next season's UEFA Cup, but they completed an impressive campaign with this efficient win over Bernd Schuster's men.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Celta-Getafe Despedida Giovanella
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Chilean defender Pablo Contreras powered a header low inside the far post after a corner midway through the first half.
Getafe, who are guaranteed a creditable ninth-place finish in only their second season in the top flight, were reduced to 10 men when left back Mariano Pernia was sent off in the dying minutes.
REAL MALLORCA 3-0 REAL ZARAGOZA
Mallorca celebrated top flight survival with this comfortable win. Venezuela striker Juan Arango took advantage of some hesitant defending to put the islanders in front after 20 minutes.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 La Liga Mallorca-Zaragoza Arango Jornada 38
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Brazilian forward Savio scored in his farewell match for Zaragoza when he fired home from just outside the area to make it 1-1 eight minutes from the break.
But midfielder Francisco Farinos restored Mallorca's lead with a powerful angled shot and substitute Yordi made it 3-1, heading in unopposed after Arango had dinked a pass across the face of the goal.
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