Madrid, March 16 (IANS) Raphinha scored a hat-trick as FC Barcelona maintained its four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with a 5-2 home win over Sevilla on Sunday afternoon

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick rested Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez ahead of next Wednesday’s Champions League tie at home to Newcastle United, but his side quickly took control thanks to two penalties from Raphinha.

The first came after Joao Cancelo had his shirt pulled in the Sevilla penalty area after seven minutes, while the second followed a handball after another Cancelo run into the box.

Dani Olmo made it 3-0 in the 38th minute after an assist from Marc Bernal, before Oso pulled a goal back for the visitors in injury time.

Raphinha completed his hat-trick with a shot that took a big deflection early in the second half, and Cancelo got the goal his display deserved after cutting inside his marker and scoring with an accurate shot with half an hour still to play.

Djibril Sow scored Sevilla’s second with a header in virtually the last action of the game.

Betis and Celta Vigo, Spain’s two representatives in this season’s Europa League, drew 1-1 in Seville. Ferran Jutgla opened the scoring for Celta in the fourth minute with a long-range shot that Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles should have kept out.

Betis full-back Hector Bellerin equalized three minutes into the second half with a finish from a narrow angle after a good pass from Aitor Ruibal.

Real Sociedad won its local derby 3-1 at home to Osasuna, with Mikel Oyarzabal opening the scoring from the penalty spot after 24 minutes, before Benat Turrientes and Goncalo Guedes combined twice for Guedes to make it 3-0.

Victor Munoz scored a consolation goal for Osasuna in the 77th minute.

Mallorca climbed out of the bottom three after coming from behind to beat Espanyol 2-1.

Charles Pickel put Espanyol ahead in the 35th minute, but was then sent off for a bad foul in the 53rd minute. Pablo Torre equalized for Mallorca in the 64th minute, with Espanyol appealing for what looked like a clear foul by Samu Costa in the build-up. Costa then scored the winner in the 87th minute.

On Saturday, Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa gave minutes to some B-team players and was rewarded with a comfortable 4-1 home win over a poor Elche side.

Antonio Rudiger and Fede Valverde put Real Madrid 2-0 up before halftime, with Dean Huijsen scoring a 66th-minute header.

Although youngster Manuel Angel scored an own goal, Arda Guler then netted the goal of the game from inside his own half to make it 4-1. Elche replaced Mallorca in the relegation zone, with the two sides due to play each other next weekend, reported Xinhua.

Atletico Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 thanks to Nahuel Molina’s stunning seventh-minute strike in a match that also saw Getafe defender Abdel Abqar sent off for touching Atletico striker Alexander Sorloth in the genitals.

David Costas’s powerful shot was enough to give Oviedo a 1-0 home win over Valencia, while Girona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 with Hugo Rincon, who is on loan at Girona from Athletic, Azz-Eddine Ounahi and Claudio Echeverri all scoring.

On Friday night, Nicolas Pepe’s 98th-minute strike saved a point for Villarreal in a 1-1 draw away to Alaves, which had led through Rafa Marin’s own goal.

–IANS

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