Athletic keeps momentum, beats Huesca 1-0 in Spanish league
HUESCA, Spain (AP) — Athletic Bilbao defeated last-place Huesca 1-0 on Monday to keep momentum from a draw against leader Barcelona and open a comfortable gap to the relegation zone in the Spanish league.
The away victory, coming a week after a 0-0 draw against Barcelona at home, moved Athletic into 11th place, seven points from safety.
Raul Garcia scored the winner by converting a 19th-minute penalty kick at El Alcoraz Stadium.
"We knew we had to win to keep a good distance from the bottom of the standings," Garcia said.
Huesca had won two in a row and had not conceded in three straight league matches. It has 18 points from 24 matches and is six points from Celta Vigo, the first team outside the relegation zone.
The match was briefly interrupted in stoppage time when the remote cam over the field was hit by a punt from Athletic goalkeeper Iago Herrerin, who did the same thing in a match against Espanyol last year.
Defending champion Barcelona has a seven-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of the standings with Real Madrid two points behind its city rival.
