Granero fires Getafe away from relegation zone

Getafe did their survival chances the world of good beating relegation rivals Osasuna 3-0 on Sunday to move three points clear of the drop zone.

Esteban Granero scored a brace and Kalu Uche added another as Michel savoured his first win in charge of Getafe and Osasuna now hover two points above the drop zone.

Michel and Osasuna coach Jose Antonio Camacho were good friends after playing together at Real Madrid in the 1980s but that friendship had to be put aside with both sides staring relegation in the face.

Another Real old boy Granero, who joined Getafe permanently from Real in the summer of 2008, decided a heated match in which both sides were reduced to ten men.

Granero converted a 25th minute penalty but the turning point in the match was his second goal shortly after time with goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez spilling his speculative shot.

Fortunately for Osasuna both Sporting Gijon and Recreativo Huelva also lost to stay below them in the standings.

Sporting lost 3-1 at Almeria and lie third from bottom, two points below Osasuna, while Recre fell to a 2-1 defeat against Deportivo La Coruna and are a point behind Sporting.

Depor are still in with a shout of a Champions League spot with the win taking them three points behind Valencia.

Numancia prop up the table after a 0-0 draw with Valladolid and are four points from safety with three games left.

Later on Sunday Barcelona have the chance to clinch their 19th league title with a home victory over Villarreal.

Real Madrid’s 3-0 defeat to Valencia means Barca maintain their seven-point cushion at the summit and the title looks a formality with just three points needed from the remaining four games.

A home win over Villarreal at Camp Nou would seal their first title after two years without any silverware and coach Pep Guardiola does not want to prolong the wait.

“I want to win the league right now, as soon as possible,” said Guardiola. “It’s time to start wrapping things up. The league title is the nicest because it?s the one that tells you who?s been the best.”

Real have certainly been second best this season and coach Juande Ramos, whose future looks increasingly bleak, cut a forlorn figure following the embarrassing Valencia defeat.

“We were a solid team up until the last two matches (6-2 against Barcelona and 3-0 at Valencia) We didn’t concede goals and we put together a good streak,” said Ramos. “There is no explanation for the number of goals we have conceded recently.”

Valencia’s surprise drubbing of Real puts pressure on Champions League rivals Villarreal who lie four points behind and need to become the first team to win at Camp Nou this season.

Atletico Madrid are also four points behind fourh-placed Valencia and have a tough match against in-form Espanyol on Sunday.

Espanyol have won five out of their last six games to surge out of the relegation zone, although they are still not safe, and hope to enhance their survival chances against an inconsistent Atletico side.

“This year we have dropped too many points at home,” said Atletico winger Simao. “We have to start winning home and away because it is the time to to start playing well and stop talking.”