MADRID: Young South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in scored in the 89th minute to help Valencia end a four-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Real Valladolid in La Liga on Tuesday.

Lee, 19, clinched his side’s first victory since Albert Celades was sacked earlier this month and sent his outfit up to eighth, just behind Real Sociedad in the spot for the qualifying rounds for next season’s Europa League.

Uruguay’s Maxi Gomez opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, finishing tidily at the back post from a low Kevin Gameiro cross.

Victor Garcia, making his maiden first-team appearance of the season having spent the campaign with the reserves, equalised for Valladolid just after the break.

Midfielder Garcia half-volleyed home a deflected shot after 100 seconds of the second half.

Lee claimed his second goal of the campaign with less than two minutes of normal time remaining. His whipped shot from outside the box beat Antonito to end up in the bottom corner.

Valladolid, who have two wins since the break, stayed in 13th place.

CELTA DRAW LEAVES ATLETI WAITING

Atletico Madrid were held by relegation-threatened Celta Vigo to a 1-1 draw, missing a chance to clinch a place in next season’s Champions League.

Diego Simeone’s team are three points in front of fourth-placed Sevilla, and nine ahead of fifth-placed Villarreal with three games remaining.

It was the second straight draw for Celta, which opened a seven-point gap to the relegation zone but could lose some ground depending on other results.

Alvaro Morata put Atletico ahead in the first minute at the Balaidos Stadium, completing a cross from Angel Correa, but Fran Beltran equalised for the hosts with a neat volley in the 49th, hitting the top corner with a shot that lobbed over Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2020