Celta Vigo beats Valencia 3-1 for second straight win to start La Liga season
MADRID (AP) — Celta Vigo marked the 101st anniversary of the club's founding with a 3-1 win over Valencia on Friday for a second straight league win to start the season.
It marked the first time since 2015 the Galician club has won its first two matches of the season and handed Valencia a second straight loss.
Celta's captain and talismanic striker Iago Aspas was again at the heart of events. He scored for the second game in a row and then missed a penalty shortly before halftime.
Diego Lopez had put Valencia ahead after 14 minutes when he converted from close range after a goalmouth scramble, but Celta equalized midway through the first half when Oscar Mingueza volleyed home to complete a neat team move.
Aspas’ goal came five minutes later when the 37-year-old forward took a weighted throughball from Mingueza and finished perfectly into the bottom corner.
Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili then saved Aspas’ spot kick in first-half injury time but Fran Beltrán added the third goal on the hour mark with a classy strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Valencia's run of nine games without a win — dating back to last season — is its worst under one coach since Gary Neville led the club in 2016 and it faces a difficult third match next week at Athletic Bilbao’s San Mamés arena.
“The team is hurting,” said Valencia midfielder Pepelu. “We don’t want to look at the fixture list. It’s up to us to go to the San Mamés and compete.”
Villarreal beats Sevilla
Ayoze Pérez slotted home a volley in the fifth minute of injury time to give Villarreal a 2-1 away win over Sevilla.
The visitors had taken the lead with its first attack of the match after just one minute as Arnaut Danjuma — who also scored early against Atletico Madrid in the opening round — netted with a poised finish from 15 yards out.
Sevilla’s equalizer came in first-half stoppage time, as Dodi Lukebakio controlled a long pass and volleyed home.
Both sides had goals disallowed after video reviews before Pérez’s late winner for Villarreal.
The result Villarreal four points from two games, while Sevilla has one point.
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