Sevilla and Valencia were expected to challenge La Liga heavyweights Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid this season but it is surprise packages Celta Vigo and Villarreal which are hot on their heels. Fourth-placed Celta stayed two points behind Real, which is third, thanks to a 2-0 win at Granada Sunday while Villarreal is a point adrift of the Galicians in fifth after it won by the same scoreline at Real Sociedad. By contrast Europa League champion Sevilla and Valencia, backed by the huge wealth of Singapore owner Peter Lim, are trailing eighth and ninth respectively after they drew Saturday and in danger of missing out on a berth in Europe. Deportivo La Coruna, 2-0 winner at home to Eibar Saturday, occupies the sixth and final European qualification place ahead of Athletic Bilbao in seventh after the Basques beat bottom club Levante 2-0 Sunday. Barcelona stayed ahead with 35 points even though it had the weekend off because it was playing the Club World Cup in Japan, a tournament it won Sunday. Atletico, also with 35 points but behind on goal difference, missed a chance to take sole possession of the lead after a 1-0 loss at Malaga. Striker Charles Dias scored in the 86th to give the host a 1-0 win over second-place Atletico Madrid, which played with 10 men after Gabi Fernandez was sent off in the 56th minute. The result ended Atletico's 15-game unbeaten streak. It had won nine straight matches before travelling to Andalucia. Lyon loses at Gazelec Ajaccio Lyon lost 2-1 away to Gazelec Ajaccio Sunday, heaping the pressure on beleaguered coach Hubert Fournier after a fifth defeat in six league matches. Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas recently said he was considering whether to replace Fournier, and this latest loss could spell the end of his reign after he guided Lyon to second place last season. Despite doing so well in his first season in charge, Fournier accepts the performances have been way below par this term amid dressing room frictions. Although an early injury to key playmaker Nabil Fekir has not helped Fournier's cause. Seven-time champion Lyon is in ninth place, one place above Marseille — which is also struggling for consistency and drew 1-1 away to Bordeaux in Sunday's night game. Marseille's last win away to Bordeaux was in 1977, and it has lost 30 and drawn 11 since then. Earlier, Saint-Etienne beat third-place Angers 1-0 to move up to sixth place, with winger Benjamin Corgnet grabbing his first league goal of the season. — Agencies
