Levante climbs to 4th, Racing relegated in Spain

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Levante again defied the label of modest minnow by reclaiming Spain's last Champions League spot through a 3-1 win over Granada on Saturday, while Racing Santander was relegated after losing 3-0 at Real Sociedad.

Forward Valdo Lopes set up second-half goals by Arouna Kone and Xavi Torres before heading in late to guarantee Levante's 10th victory at Ciutat de Valencia Stadium.

Kone put Levante in front just seconds after halftime with a header off a pass by Valdo for his 15th league goal of the season.

Odion Ighalo pushed in a rebound to level for Granada in the 67th against the run of play, but Valdo laid off for Torres to volley home in the 73rd before adding a third goal in the 84th.

"The team showed that it knew how to respond after we received the tough blow of giving up the equalizer," Torres said. "These are three important points for us to keep dreaming, another small step toward Europe."

After an unprecedented rise to the top of the league standings to start the season, Levante — with the league's smallest budget and an aging squad — was widely expected to fall out of contention for European competition by season end.

But with three rounds to play, Levante provisionally sits in fourth place, just three points out of third and four points clear of sixth place, which provides Spain's last Europa League berth.

Malaga can move back ahead of Levante with a win over third-place Valencia on Sunday.

In San Sebastian, Antoine Griezmann scored twice and assisted Imanol Agirretxe to give Sociedad victory over Racing.

Racing, one of the Spanish league's founding clubs, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in the second division next year after spending the past 10 seasons in the top flight.

"Of course we are crushed," Racing coach Alvaro Cervera said. "But we have to try our best in the remaining three games out of respect to ourselves and this club which has so much history behind it."

Also, relegation-threatened Sporting Gijon routed Espanyol 3-0, while Mallorca beat Getafe 3-1 as both teams stayed mid-table.

Forwards Adrian Colunga, Oscar Trejo and Mate Bilic all netted in the second half at Cornella-El Prat Stadium to earn Sporting's first win in 11 away games.

"Whoever needs it more gets the win at the end," said veteran Sporting manager Javier Clemente.

In Saturday's late game, Raul Garcia's exquisite goal and Andres Fernandez's goalkeeping secured Osasuna a 1-1 draw at Villarreal that kept the Pamplona-based team in the hunt for a place in European competition next autumn.

After Bruno Soriano put the hosts ahead a minute before halftime, Garcia netted his 10th goal of the season in the 72nd, lifting a pass up with one touch before unleashing a dipping shot into the far side of the net.

The draw left Villarreal clinging to safety just four points clear of Sporting with the two set to meet on Tuesday in a crunch game.

On Sunday, Madrid can clinch its record 32nd league title if it beats Sevilla and Barcelona loses at Rayo Vallecano. Zaragoza hosts Athletic Bilbao needing a win to keep alive its chances of avoiding the drop, and Atletico Madrid visits Real Betis.