Valencia keep Barcelona on their toes

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Bengaluru, November 20: Valencia stayed in touch with Barcelona ahead of next week's showdown against the Liga leaders with a 2-0 win against Espanyol in a match which saw coach Marcelino being sent off from the dugout for dissent.

Geoffrey Kondogbia put Valencia on their way to victory midway through the second half soon after Marcelino received his marching orders and Santi Mina sealed the victory late in the game.

After Marcelino's sending off, which means he will be absent from the dugout for the visit of Barca, French midfielder Kondogbia broke the deadlock against the run of play with a deadly shot from the edge of the area in the 66th minute, his third goal of the season.

Mina then pounced on a defensive clanger from Espanyol's Victor Sanchez in the 82nd minute to seal a club record eighth league win in a row for Valencia, who have emerged as unlikely candidates to jostle Barcelona for the Liga title.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid fell 10 points behind the Catalans following goalless local derby.

Barca lead the standings on 34 points from 12 games, Valencia are second in 30, while Real are third and Atletico fourth, both on 24.

Valencia host Barca next Sunday at Mestalla.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao's veteran striker Aritz Aduriz scored a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Villarreal to save the Basque side from a fourth straight defeat while Las Palmas suffered an eighth consecutive loss, 2-0 at home to Levante.

Las Palmas prop up the table on six points with their embattled coach Pako Ayestaran now having now lost a league record 13 consecutive games across three seasons with two clubs.

Malaga earned a second straight home win by beating Deportivo La Coruna 3-2 to ease pressure on coach Michel although his side are still in the relegation zone, 18th on seven points.

They are a place ahead of Alaves, who are alongside Las Palmas on six.

(With Agency inputs).