When Barcelona plays, eyes tend to turn to them but there were three other matches in La Liga that had implications on the league table. Here's a recap.
La Liga Saturday: Malaga stays in fourth, Osasuna and Getafe win
Malaga scored early and rode a hot goalkeeper to a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Osasuna downed Zaragoza in a battle of the team just outside the drop zone, while Celta Vigo remains in 18th after a loss to Getafe.
Getafe 3-1 Celta Vigo
Getafe remains comfortably perched in the mid-table with a 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo. Celta couldn’t have pulled themselves out of the drop zone with a win but instead of being one point from safety, they remain four points back. All four goals were scored in the first half with Adrián Colunga doing the damage after a turnover in the midfield by Gustavo Cabral.
Augusto Fernández pulled Celta even in the 20th minute but the resurgence was short-lived. In the 34th minute, Colunga’s bid for a second goal was cleared off the line by Celta, but Diego Castro was in the right spot and put in the rebound, giving Getafe back the lead. Federico Fernandez scored the final goal of the match in the 42nd minute, heading in a cross after being left unmarked at the near post.
Malaga 1-0 Atheltic Bilbao
Javier Saviola’s 18th minute goal was all Malaga needed to earn a 1-0 win over Athletic. The victory is also a nice boost ahead of Malaga’s Round of 16 Champions League match against Porto in the mid-week. The low score line wasn’t indicative of the free flowing and open play from both sides, but it is a testament to Malaga goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero who was outstanding, making several excellent saves to keep the clean sheet.
19-year-old Lucas Piazon, on-loan from Chelsea, made his first start for Malaga and generated an assist on the lone goal. The midfielder made a wonderful run into the Athletic box before pulling the ball back across the box into Saviola's path. The striker wasted no time placing his shot high in to the net.
Osasuna won the battle of the teams just outside of the relegation zone, opening a five point cushion for themselves over 18th place Celta Vigo. Zaragoza slipped to 17th but they remain 4 points clear of the drop zone.
Osasuna took the lead in the 4th minute when Kike Sola rose above the defense and headed home a Abella Damia cross. Osasuna then sat back and defended their lead for 86 minutes. Considering they are tied for the fourth best defense in the league, it was a good move as Zaragoza were frustrated and unable to break Osasuna down.
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