May 29, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 12, 1428

MADRID, May 28: Treble-chasing Sevilla kept themselves in the title race with an exciting 3-1 home victory over Real Zaragoza in the Primera Liga on Sunday. The UEFA Cup winners and King's Cup finalists led through Luis Fabiano's first-half goal but were pegged back when Andres D'Alessandro's inswinging corner skimmed off Daniel Alves's head into his own net.

Further goals from Alexander Kerzhakov and Frederic Kanoute sealed the win at the end, however, and kept third-placed Sevilla two points behind Real Madrid and Barcelona with two games to play.

Leaders Real and Barca are still neck-and-neck at the top with 72 points after both won at home on Saturday.

Real, who beat Deportivo Coruna 3-1, are first with a superior head-to-head record. Ten-man Barca kept the pressure on their arch-rivals by earning a nervy 1-0 win over King's Cup finalists Getafe.

Fourth-placed Valencia (65) effectively dropped out of the title race after losing 3-2 at home to local rivals Villarreal on Saturday. Zaragoza are fifth with 58.

Bottom club Gimnastic Tarragona (25) had their relegation mathematically confirmed even before they lost at home to Atletico Madrid. Spain striker Fernando Torres scored both goals in their 2-0 defeat.

Atletico are sixth with 57, one ahead of Villarreal.

Sevilla and Zaragoza are two of the more positive sides in La Liga and there was a high-tempo opening in the Sanchez Pizjuan that saw chances fall for both sides.

Fabiano opened the scoring with a great individual effort in the 27th minute, turning his marker and racing into the area.

Cesar saved his first shot but the Brazilian put away the rebound.

Zaragoza rocked under the pace and aggression of Sevilla but were given a reprieve when Mali striker Kanoute blasted a penalty over the bar in the 51st.

Cesar's saves kept the visitors in the game and D'Alessandro's goal from a corner threatened a Zaragoza revival in the 74th.

However, substitute Kerzhakov broke free to fire past Cesar in the 83rd and supplied the cross for Kanoute to atone for his earlier penalty miss at the end, after Zaragoza's Carlos Diogo had been sent off in a frantic finale.

At the foot of the table, Celta Vigo scored an injury-time penalty to beat Real Betis 2-1 at home and keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation.

Brazilian striker Fernando Baiano kept his nerve to score from the spot and put 19th-placed Celta level on 33 points with Real Sociedad, who lost 2-0 at Osasuna to remain 18th.

Celta and Sociedad are four points from the safety zone.

Athletic Bilbao moved on to 37 points, the same as Betis, after beating visitors Real Mallorca 1-0, but remain 17th due to an inferior head-to-head record.

Levante's 3-2 win at Racing Santander all but secured their top-flight status as they climbed to 15th on 39 points.

Results:

Played on Sunday:

Athletic Bilbao 1 Real Mallorca 0

Celta Vigo 2 Real Betis 1

Gimnastic 0 Atletico Madrid 2

Osasuna 2 Real Sociedad 0

Racing Santander 2 Levante 3

Recreativo Huelva 0 Espanyol 1

Sevilla 3 Real Zaragoza 1

Played on Saturday:

Barcelona 1 Getafe 0

Real Madrid 3 Deportivo Coruna 1

Valencia 2 Villarreal 3

—Reuters