In a high-stakes La Liga clash, Athletic Bilbao tightened its hold on fourth position by narrowly defeating Sevilla 1-0 in an away fixture on Sunday.
The decisive moment came in the 84th minute when Yeray Álvarez found the back of the net with a powerful header, sealing an important victory for the visitors. This win extends Athletic’s advantage over fifth-placed Villarreal to eight points.
Villarreal, which still has a game in hand, faced a setback as they were defeated 2-1 by league leaders Real Madrid, courtesy of Kylian Mbappé’s double strike on Saturday.
For Athletic Bilbao, this result marks their second consecutive triumph, coming after a spell of three matches without a win across all competitions. Their recent run of form includes a notable 3-1 victory against Roma, which secured their spot in the Europa League quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Sevilla remains anchored in ninth position.
Elsewhere, Real Betis produced an impressive comeback to maintain their momentum in the league, overturning a two-goal deficit at halftime to claim a 3-2 win against Leganes.
The crucial goal came in the 82nd minute, with Cucho Hernández delivering the final blow to the relegation-threatened hosts. Dani Raba had put Leganes ahead with goals in the 29th and 44th minutes. However, Betis hit back with goals from Isco in the 64th and Cédric Bakambu in the 78th, before Hernández sealed the win.
This victory marks Betis’s third consecutive success across all competitions and compounds the woes for 18th-placed Leganes, who suffered their second straight defeat.
In another vital match scheduled for later on Sunday, second-placed Barcelona will face third-placed Atletico Madrid, promising further excitement in the Spanish league.
