05/03/26 05:11:00
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05/03 17:10 CDT Vincius scores twice as Real Madrid's victory keeps Barcelona
waiting for Spanish league title
Vincius scores twice as Real Madrid's victory keeps Barcelona waiting for
Spanish league title
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) --- Vincius Jnior scored two second-half goals and Real Madrid
beat Espanyol 2-0 to keep Barcelona from clinching its second straight Spanish
league title on Sunday.
Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-1 on Saturday to open a 14-point gap over Madrid
entering Sunday's matches. Anything but a win by Madrid against Barcelona's
city rival would have allowed the Catalan club to celebrate its 29th league
title this weekend.
Barcelona will have a chance to clinch the title next weekend when it hosts
Madrid in a "clsico" at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona's lead stayed at 11 points heading into the final four rounds of La
Liga.
"We have a big game against a great rival and they have been playing well,"
Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said. "It's a special game for the fans, for us. We
are going to rest and prepare well for it."
Sunday's result kept Espanyol winless in 17 consecutive games this year, with
10 losses. It sits in 13th place, five points from the relegation zone.
It was a hard-fought match until Vincius broke the deadlock in the 55th minute
after a nice fake move to get past a couple of Espanyol defenders inside the
area. The Brazil forward added to the lead in the 66th with a shot into the top
corner after a beautiful back-heel set up by Jude Bellingham.
Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali was shown a straight red card for a foul on
Vincius in the first half but the call was changed to a yellow card after
video review.
Madrid lost left back Ferland Mendy 10 minutes into the match because of an
apparent muscle injury.
Other games
Rayo Vallecano prepared for its Conference League semifinal against Strasbourg
with a 2-0 win at Getafe.
Rayo coach Iigo Prez was able to rest many of his first-choice players with
the Conference League semifinal second leg on Thursday in mind. Rayo won the
first leg 1-0 at home.
Sergio Camello and Randy Nteka scored in each half for the visitors, while Rayo
goalkeeper Augusto Batalla also saved a penalty, to lift the team from the
Madrid district of Vallecas to 11th ahead of the rest of the round.
Celta Viga boosted its hopes of European qualification with a 3-1 win at home
over Elche that left the promoted team among a host of clubs still in danger of
relegation.
Celta moved above Getafe into sixth.
Also Sunday, Cucho Hernndez opened and concluded the scoring for fifth-place
Real Betis in a 3-0 win at home over last-place Oviedo, a result that left the
visitors on the verge of relegation.
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AP Sports Writer Ciarn Fahey contributed to this report.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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