Substitute striker Alvaro Negredo scored in second-half injury time to give Valencia a dramatic 2-1 win over Sevilla in the Spanish league Sunday, helping his team move farther away from the relegation zone. Negredo's winner came five minutes after Sevilla striker Kevin Gameiro equalized at Mestalla Stadium to offset midfielder Dani Parejo's opening goal for the host from a free kick in the 41st minute. The result snapped Valencia's four-game losing streak and moved the team to 13th place, nine points from the relegation zone. Barcelona's lead continued to dwindle after a 1-0 loss Saturday at Real Sociedad. Second-place Atletico Madrid got to within three points with a 3-1 win at Espanyol while third-place Real Madrid moved four points behind with an easy 4-0 home win over Eibar Saturday. It was the first win for Valencia since coach Pako Ayestaran replaced Gary Neville, who was fired last month. The former assistant had lost his debut game at Las Palmas last week. Sevilla is also in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, a game that will be played in Madrid on May 22. Also Sunday, fourth-place Villarreal defeated 19th-place Getafe 2-0 at home, while sixth-place Athletic Bilbao beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in Bilbao. Earlier, fifth-place Celta Vigo won 1-0 at struggling Sporting Gijon with a 64th-minute goal by striker Manuel "Nolito" Agudo. The result kept Sporting in the relegation zone. Lille beats Monaco Monaco fell behind Lyon on goal difference in a tight race for second place in the French league after a crushing 4-1 loss at improving Lille. The defeat Sunday hands Lyon the initiative in the race for an automatic spot in next season's Champions League with five games left as it hosts Monaco in the penultimate round. Monaco is now also looking over its shoulder with fourth-place Nice only two points behind after beating Rennes 3-0 thanks to a hat trick from winger Hatem Ben Arfa. In Sunday's late game, Marseille again failed to win at home as it drew 0-0 with Bordeaux in a dull and tense match. — Agencies Udoh lifts Enyimba In Johannesburg, Mfon Udoh scored a hat trick as Enyimba of Nigeria trounced Etoile Sahel of Tunisia 3-0 Sunday in a high-profile CAF Champions League last 16 first leg. The treble raised the goal tally of the 24-year-old sharpshooter to seven from three CAF home games this season. Victory put twice African champion Enyimba on the brink of qualifying for the lucrative group phase of the premier African club competition. Etoile hosts the return match on April 19 or 20 in Mediterranean resort Sousse, needing to score three unanswered goals just to force a penalty shootout. Kule Mbombo scored in stoppage time to give 2014 Champions League runner-up V Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo a 1-0 home win over Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa. He pounced on a rebound after Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango parried a shot from impressive Ghanaian Bernard Morrison. — Agencies
