Malaga, Spain – Carlos Vela scored in the opening minute and Xabi Prieto added the match-winner in the 59th minute, as Real Sociedad edged Malaga, 2-1, on Saturday at the Estadio La Rosaleda in La Liga.
Malaga punched its ticket to the knockout stage of the Champions League with a 1-1 tie against AC Milan on Tuesday, but failed to carry the momentum into the league as its winless streak reached three matches.
Over its last five matches domestically, Malaga has just one win and one draw, and has lost the other three fixtures. The home loss to Sociedad leaves Malaga 10 points off the pace of first-place Barcelona, which still plays Sunday.
Vela surprised Malaga with the quick goal and, after Javier Saviola pulled the goal back in the 37th minute for Malaga, Prieto scored his first goal this season in the 59th minute to restore the lead for Sociedad.
Sociedad ended a four-game winless streak that included three losses as it was able to climb three points clear of the relegation zone.
Real Zaragoza 5, Deportivo 3
Aragon, Spain - Real Zaragoza scored four times after Deportivo had a player sent off, including a brace from Helder Postiga, to defeat Deportivo, 5-3, on Saturday at the Estadio La Romareda in La Liga.
Bruno Gama and Riki scored inside 21 minutes as Deportivo grabbed a quick lead on the road, but a penalty from Apono pulled one goal back for Zaragoza and a red card to Pizzi in the 49th left Deportivo with 10 men.
Francisco Montanes and Alvaro scored the first two second-half goals for Real Zaragoza, and Postiga added the final two in a five-minute stretch to seal the win.
Bodipo added a stoppage-time goal for Deportivo, which lost for the third time in its last five to remain in the bottom three on just 10 points.
Zaragoza won for the third time in its last four and climbed to eighth on 15 points.
Rayo Vallecano 3, Celta Vigo 2
Madrid, Spain - Leo, Tito and Piti scored in the second half as Rayo Vallecano rallied from a two-goal deficit against 10-man Celta Vigo for a 3-2 win at the Teresa Rivero on Saturday in La Liga.
Iago Aspas fired a first-half brace for Celta Vigo, but Gustavo Cabral was red carded six minutes before halftime.
Rayo Vallecano took advantage, as Leo scored inside the hour, Tito followed in the 72nd and Piti won it from the spot in the 82nd.
Vallecano won its second straight and climbed to eighth on 15 points. Celta is 16th, as it lost for the third time during a four-game winless run.
Osasuna 3, Espanyol 0
Barcelona, Spain - Alvaro Cejudo, Kike Sola and Manuel Omwu scored as Osasuna rolled to a 3-0 win over Espanyol at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat on Saturday in La Liga for just its second in of the season.
With just one win through its first 10 matches, Osasuna was the better side in a battle of bottom two clubs, as Cejudo scored midway through the second half and Sola and Omwu added goals after halftime.
Osasuna is still at the foot on the table on eight points, now just one behind Espanyol.
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