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Espanyol reclaims second place
Updated: 2004-12-19 17:41:21
Soria, Spain (Sports Network) - Espanyol moved back into second place in the La Liga table after a scoreless draw Sunday at Numancia.
Espanyol now has 30 points from 16 matches as the winter break approaches. Each of the Spanish clubs will now play a midweek match before they head home for the holidays.
Sevilla claimed a 2-1 derby victory over Real Betis Sunday to continue its torrid play at home. Francisco Javi Navarro scored the game-winner early in the second half as Sevilla won for the eighth time in nine tries at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Deportivo La Coruna's offense failed again during a 1-0 loss at Atletico Madrid. Antonio Lopez scored the match's lone goal in the 27th minute. The win allowed Atletico to remain unbeaten at home this season and move into sixth place.
Deportivo is now a disappointing ninth in the league table.
In other La Liga action, Villareal crushed Malaga, 3-0, as Juan Pena, Juan Riquelme and Diego Tristan scored.
Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao both produced road victories. Osasuna won 2-1 at Mallorca while Bilbao defeated Real Zaragoza 2-0. Santiago Ezquerro, who recorded a hat trick earlier in the week during UEFA Cup play, scored both goals for Bilbao to cap off a successful week.
Real Sociedad and Getafe played to a 1-1 draw in Sunday's final match.
