La Liga: Valencia holds on to final Champions League spot with win

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Valencia eased to a 3-1 win at home over Eibar on Sunday to strengthen its hold on Spain's last Champions League berth. Granada striker

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Valencia eased to a 3-1 win at home over Eibar on Sunday to strengthen its hold on Spain's last Champions League berth.

Granada striker Youssef El Arabi also scored twice to secure a 2-1 win at Getafe, as the struggling club tried to mount a late-season surge to avoid relegation from the Spanish league.

Valencia's 10th win in its last 11 matches at Mestalla Stadium kept it in fourth place, three points above Sevilla as the two vie for a top-four finish.

Center back Nicolas Otamendi was left unmarked to thump in Jose Gaya's cross to put Valencia on its way in the 25th minute.

Seconds after teammate Rodrigo de Paul hit the crossbar, Dani Parejo's deflected strike found the net to make it 2-0 in the 56th. Parejo was next to be hit the woodwork with a free kick in the 71st, but the rebound fell for Paco Alcacer to tap in and secure the three points.

Mikel Arruabarrena scored Eibar's goal six minutes from time. Eibar's ninth away game without a win left it one point above the drop zone.

Granada's much-needed win came in the debut of coach Jose Sandoval, Granada's third manager of the season, who was hired on Friday to replace the fired Abel Resino.

El Arabi converted a penalty in the 14th after Naldo used his arm to block Francisco "Piti" Medina's cross.

Pedro Leon leveled for the hosts just before halftime, but El Arabi headed home Piti's precise pass for the 59th-minute winner.

Granada's first win in nine rounds left it three points from safety with another three rounds to play.

Earlier, Espanyol salvaged a point in an ill-tempered 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano to keep both sides in the middle of the standings.

Espanyol almost scored in the 15th when Anaitz Arbilla's free kick struck the bar but went behind when Rayo left back Emiliano Insua netted for the visitors in the 29th after a one-two exchange with Alberto Bueno.

The second half started with Espanyol striker Felipe Caicedo needing to be carried off after receiving a knock on the head.

More scuffles and fouls followed until Espanyol defender Hector Moreno equalized in the 80th when his cross landed in the net.

Espanyol lost midfielder Jose Canas to back-to-back yellow cards for continued protests in stoppage time.

Malaga hosts Elche later.

Barcelona leads Real Madrid by two points at the top of table after both won on Saturday.