Rate it!

0 votes

Fredi Kanoute scored a hat-trick as Sevilla and Villarreal bagged home wins over Athletic Bilbao and Valladolid respectively to cement top-four places in La Liga.

Villarreal scored second-half goals to beat Athletic 2-0 at El Madrigal, while Kanoute's stunning performance helped Sevilla maintain their 6-point lead over El Submarino Amarillo with a 4-1 victory.

Sevilla 4-1 Valladolid

A brilliant hat-trick by Kanoute helped Sevilla to a 4-1 win at home to Valladolid.

The Mali striker sent low efforts into the bottom-left corner at each end of the first half to put the hosts ahead after Henok Goitom equalised with a towering header.

Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano added a third in the second half, while Kanoute hit a 70th-minute header to cap off a comfortable win for the Andalusia side.

The win puts keeps Sevilla in third spot, six points ahead of fourth-placed Villarreal - who beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 earlier in the evening - but six behind second-placed Real Madrid, who play on Sunday.

The first real chance came on five minutes, when Valladolid playmaker Fabian Canobbio forced Sevilla shot-stopper Andres Palop into a good save with a curling free-kick from the edge of the box.

Kanoute opened the scoring two minutes later after a surging run from Koffi Ndri Romaric allowed him to turn past Marcos and fire a sweet low drive past Justo Villar in the visitors' goal.

Swedish striker Goitom levelled a quarter of an hour later when he rose unmarked to head a Canobbio set piece past Palop, his ninth goal of the season.

Sevilla went close soon afterwards but Villar did well to block at Kanoute's feet after Romaric's lofted ball sent him through.

The edged ahead just before the break, with a superb individual goal by Kanoute that bettered his first.

Jesus Navas went on a trademark run down the right wing before delivering a pinpoint cross that Kanoute volleyed first-time past the helpless Villar.

The hosts extended their lead when a Luis Fabiano capped off a solo run by rounding Villar and sliding the ball into the bottom corner on 57 minutes.

The Brazilian should have added to his tally but sent one point-blank header against the woodwork and lofted another effort over the bar, while Navas hit the side netting after a solo run down the left.

Kanoute took the match ball home when he powered a header past Villar with 20 minutes left as he took his season tally to 15 and Sevilla edged closer to Champions League qualification.

Villarreal 2-0 Athletic Bilbao

Second-half strikes from Santi Cazorla and Matias Fernandez gave Villarreal a 2-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao.

Spain midfielder Cazorla rifled a rising drive past Athletic keeper Gorka Iraizoz after he was found unmarked on the right-hand side of the box by Giuseppe Rossi's through ball.

Chilean Fernandez, on as a late substitute, sealed the win in the last minute with a superb solo goal that saw him glide past Aitor Ocio and finish low past Iraizoz.

In a tight game at El Madrigal, the hosts just about deserved to win on the balance of play, although the Basque side did create some good chances.

In the first half, Javi Martinez forced one superb stop from new Spain call-up Diego Lopez, while Fernando Llorente did likewise in the second period.

Visiting striker Gaizka Toquero has spent most of his career to date in the lower leagues, has not scored in nine Liga matches for Athletic but started anyway, and he shot straight at Lopez when put clean through on 18 minutes.

Otherwise it was Villarreal who had most of the opportunities.

Nihat was denied by Iraizoz when put through on the left, and he shot into the side-netting from a similar position on the right.

Marcos Senna almost exploited some hesitant goalkeeping by Iraizoz but his finish was blocked wide, while Cazorla's low, drilled ball across the face of the goal deserved a finish.

Sebastian Eguren fired straight at Iraizoz when the Athletic defence opened up, while assister Rossi missed two gilt-edged chances to score himself.

The first came when he raced clear of the back four but opted to lob Iraizoz instead of taking the ball on.

The second glaring miss came after a brilliant piece of skill by the Italian-American forward sent him one-on-one.

But he somehow fired over, with Ariel Ibagaza perfectly placed for a tap-in.

In between those two chances he made amends, when his run and pass wide found Cazorla, who made no mistake with a thunderous finish.

Joseba Llorente, on as a sub for Villarreal, almost doubled the lead for the hosts but shot inches wide after a flowing, passing move sent him clear.

Markel Susaeta was shown a second yellow card on 79 minutes and the hosts exploited Athletic's tiring legs to double the lead when Fernandez wowed the home crowd with his cheeky dummy and expert finish.

Villarreal stay fourth in La Liga, three points behind Sevilla who play later, while Athletic Bilbao slip to 13th on goal difference.

Reda Maher / Eurosport