La Liga Update: Villarreal Keep Pressure on Atletico, Valencia Secure Crucial Win
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Villarreal maintained their pursuit of third place in La Liga, drawing level with Atletico Madrid on 54 points, after a 2-1 win over Elche on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Valencia came from behind to beat Alaves 3-2 in a crucial match that could impact their relegation battle.
Villarreal's Nicolas Pepe and Georges Mikautadze had chances in the first half, but Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro made several key saves to keep the hosts at bay.
Elche's Andre Silva pulled one back late on, but Villarreal's Santiago Mourino said the team 'relaxed a bit' and suffered until the end.
Valencia's Hugo Duro netted a penalty in the 99th minute to secure a thrilling 3-2 win over Alaves, climbing to 12th in the table.
Alaves are now 16th, just two points clear of the relegation zone, after a disappointing debut for new coach Quique Sanchez Flores.
Real Betis fell further behind in the Champions League race with a 2-0 defeat at Getafe, while Barcelona restored their four-point gap to Real Madrid at the top of the table with a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao.
