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Almeria’s winless streak in the Spanish league is finally over.
MADRID: Almeria’s winless streak in the Spanish league is finally over.
The last-place team from southern Spain beat Las Palmas 1-0 on Sunday to pick up its first win after going 28 consecutive games without a victory in the league this season, the most ever by any team.
Almeria now has one win, 10 draws and 18 defeats.
Léo Baptistão scored in the 14th minute to give Almeria the win in the debut of coach Pepe Mel.
“We snapped a historic streak,” said Mel, who was hired this week to replace Gaizka Garitano. “This is the path we must stay on for these last nine finals.”
Almeria is 14 points from safety with nine matches remaining. The Saudi-owned club had drawn four of its last five league matches.
Baptistão scored from close range after a pass from Largie Ramazani following a breakaway. The goal was only one of the two shots on target by Almeria.
“It’s a relief,” Baptistão said. “We deserved to have won by now. We have to keep believing.”
Las Palmas, winless in five consecutive league matches, stayed in 11th place.
Third-place Barcelona visited fifth-place Atletico Madrid later Sunday.
CELTA RALLIES
Celta Vigo, the first team outside the relegation zone, rallied late to win 2-1 at Sevilla and opened a five-point gap on 18th-place Cadiz.
Carles Pérez scored for Celta in the 72nd and Jorgen Strand Larsen in the 78th after the hosts had taken the lead with an 18th-minute goal by Youssef En-Nesyri.
Sevilla, winless in four of its last five league matches, stayed 16th. It’s one point ahead of Celta.
VILLARREAL TOPS VALENCIA
Villareal beat Valencia 1-0 for its fourth straight league win following a three-match losing run.
Jorge Cuenca scored a 54th-minute winner for ninth-place Villarreal, which moved two points behind eighth-place Valencia.
Valencia has only one win in its last five league games.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
