Home specialists Espanyol go fifth with Levante win

Espanyol continued their promising start to the season maintaining their 100 percent home record with a 2-1 home victory over 10-man promoted Levante at the Cornella El-Prat stadium on Sunday.

Espanyol made it four wins from four at home with Argentine winger Jesus Datalo, on loan from Italian side Napoli, scoring a 12th minute opener before Jose Callejon added what proved a vital second goal ten minutes from time as they climbed up to fifth.

Levante had Xisco Nadal sent off on 55 minutes for a late tackle from behind to aid Espanyol’s cause and the Barcelona-based club are now just a point behind fourth-placed Valencia.

“We are not going to get carried away by being in the top part of the table,” said Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino. “We are a young team that is maturing and in every match we go for the win.”

Sevilla moved a point behind Espanyol in sixth with a nervy 4-3 home win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Brazilian international forward Luis Fabiano scored a brace for his first goals of the season and Mali veteran Frederic Kanoute converted two spot-kicks in a thrilling game.

Fabiano had said he wanted out of the club in January but the forward has been given a new lease of life under new coach Gregorio Manzano and repaid the faith with a goal in each half.

Sevilla had defender Fernando Navarro sent off just after the hour mark for a second booking but held a comfortable 3-0 lead at the time.

However, two goals in three minutes from Spanish international Fernando Llorente (73 min, 77) gave Sevilla a fright before Kanoute scored his second penalty on 80 minutes to kill off the game.

Elsewhere Getafe moved level on 13 points with derby rivals Atletico Madrid with a 3-0 home win over Sporting Gijon on Sunday.

Ghanaian midfielder Derek Boateng shot Getafe ahead on eight minutes and Adrian Colunga converted a 50th minute penalty before Ivan Marcano wrapped up the points nine minutes later.

In other matches, Osasuna recorded only their second win of the season with a 3-0 win over Malaga in Pamplona on Sunday.

Deportivo La Coruna travel to promoted Real Sociedad on Monday looking for their first win of the season.

Third-placed Villarreal are at home to Atletico Madrid later on Sunday knowing a victory will move them to within one point of leaders Real Madrid.

Atletico are in seventh and coach Quique Sanchez Flores admitted a point would be a good result at El Madrigal.

“Not losing at Villarreal would be a good result,” said Sanchez Flores. “However, we always go out to win at every ground and that will be the target again.”

At the summit unbeaten Real Madrid are a point ahead of Barcelona with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a first ever quadruple in Saturday’s 4-1 thrashing of Racing Santander at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“They are a balanced team in defence and attack,” said defeated Racing boss Miguel Angel Portugal. “It is worth using them on videos to see how Cristiano (Ronaldo), (Mesut) Ozil and (Angel) di Maria pressurise and defend.”

Barcelona won 2-0 at bottom side Real Zaragoza on Saturday thanks to a brace from Lionel Messi and lie second a point behind arch rivals Real.