Hernan Perez grabbed a dramatic added-time winner to earn Villarreal a 2-1 comeback win over Malaga that boosted its chances of avoiding relegation from La Liga Thursday. The team known as ‘the yellow submarine', which is 17th, moved seven points clear of the bottom three on to 35 points with six left to play. Villarreal finished fourth last term and started the campaign in the Champions League, but suffered a dramatic loss of form and is now on its third coach this season in Miguel Angel Lotina as it seeks to avoid the drop. Its Paraguayan midfielder Perez struck a dipping volley from outside the area in the 94th-minute to secure the points, as it made the most of the sending off of Malaga keeper Carlos Kameni in the 81st minute. The Cameroon stopper was shown a straight red card after he brought down Perez in the area, and Marcos Senna netted the equalizer from the spot. Spanish international Santi Cazorla, a central figure at Villarreal when it secured a top-four finish last year, had opened the scoring for Malaga in the 65th minute and refused to celebrate his goal out of respect for his former supporters. “It's a very important win for us, it removes a great weight,” Lotina told reporters. “It was a win against one of the most in-form teams, in the Champions League places, and the heroic manner of the victory helps get the fans behind us more.” Malaga, which is owned by a member of the Qatari royal family, stayed fourth with 50 points and missed out on the chance to reclaim third place from Valencia on 52. Valencia hammered Rayo Vallecano 4-1 Wednesday. Leader Real Madrid edged closer to its first league title in four years with a 4-1 derby victory at Atletico Madrid Wednesday which put it on to 82 points, four ahead of Barcelona in second. Sevilla climbed to seventh with 45 points after a 3-0 win over Real Zaragoza. Two players on the fringes of the Spain squad, Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas, put in performances which would have boosted their chances of making Vicente del Bosque's team for Euro 2012. Federico Fazio headed Sevilla's opener from a corner and striker Negredo burst through the middle to score the second after 29 minutes. Winger Navas was a constant threat down the right flank and crossed for Negredo to stoop and head his second, to complete the scoring just before halftime. Racing Santander's plummet towards the second division continued when they lost 3-0 at home to Real Mallorca, conceding the first goal to Emilio Nsue after around 20 seconds. It has got only one point from its last eight games. The north-coast club, which is in administration, stayed bottom with 25 points, three behind Sporting Gijon in 19th and Zaragoza in 18th.
