MADRID: Wissam Ben Yedder scored three minutes after entering the game to give Sevilla a late 2-1 win over 10-man Celta Vigo in La Liga on Thursday.

The victory moved Sevilla even on 68 points with third-placed Atletico Madrid with four matches left. Third place guarantees an automatic spot in the Champions League next season, while the fourth-placed team has to go through a playoff.

Sevilla and Atletico are level on points, but the Madrid club are ahead on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Joaquin Correa rounded off a superb run with a tidy top-corner finish to give Sevilla the lead shortly after half-time at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Iago Aspas replied with a penalty on 53 minutes, but Celta soon found themselves a man down after Pablo Hernandez was dismissed for a second yellow card.

Ben Yedder netted the winner from close range after a low cross by Samir Nasri in the 79th minute, beating a defender to the ball and hitting the top of the net with a right-footed shot.

On Wednesday, Real Madrid made light of the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo as they crushed Deportivo La Coruna 6-2 to stay level with Barcelona at the top after Lionel Messi helped the Catalans trounce Osasuna 7-1, condemning the minnows to relegation.

Real, seeking their first league title since 2012, have 78 points from 33 games, while two-time defending champions Barca have the same tally from one game more. Barca remain top thanks to their better head-to-head record.

Osasuna, rooted in 20th place, were relegated after 17th-placed Leganes beat Las Palmas 3-0 to move 12 points clear of the bottom club, an insurmountable total with four games to go because of their inferior head-to-head record.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2017