MADRID (AP) - Sevilla fans enjoyed the last laugh over Sergio Ramos.
Sevilla twice scored late - including an 85th-minute own goal by Ramos - to end Real Madrid’s 40-game unbeaten streak and move within one point of its rival atop the Spanish league with a 2-1 victory on Sunday.
It was a tough result for Ramos, who three days ago had angered Sevilla fans after converting a penalty kick “Panenka” style in a Copa del Rey match. Ramos said he was insulted by some supporters of his former team.
On Sunday, the Seville native was jeered nearly every time he touched the ball, and heard even more from the crowd at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan when he found his own net with a header while trying to clear a cross.
“The goal was a normal game situation. I had one of my best games with Real Madrid playing here,” Ramos said. “I wished I could be welcomed differently, but I can’t change that, it is what it is.”
Steven Jovetic scored Sevilla’s winner two minutes into injury time to give Madrid its first defeat since a 2-0 loss at Wolfsburg in April in the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season.
Karim Benzema’s injury-time equalizer in a 3-3 draw against Sevilla on Thursday had allowed Madrid to break the unbeaten Spanish record that it shared with Barcelona.
“We played a great match but we needed another five minutes there at the end,” said Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, who has lost only three times since taking over the club about a year ago. “We knew that one day this would happen, and it did today.”
Madrid had beaten Sevilla 3-0 at home in the first leg of the last 16 of the Copa del Rey two weeks ago.
Cristiano Ronaldo gave Madrid the lead on Sunday by converting a penalty kick in the 67th after Dani Carvajal was fouled inside the area by Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
It was the fourth straight league win for Sevilla, which has thrived in second-tier European competitions but hasn’t won the Spanish league title since its lone triumph in 1946.
“This is a huge victory for us,” Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli said. “It will give us a huge boost going forward.”
Madrid had won eight of its last nine games, with its only setback a 1-1 draw at Barcelona earned with a 90th-minute goal by Ramos.
Barcelona stayed third, two points behind Madrid, after beating Las Palmas 5-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday. Fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, which edged Real Betis 1-0 at home for its third win in a row, is six points behind the leader.
Madrid still has a game in hand.
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VALENCIA 2, ESPANYOL 1
Valencia finally won again by beating Espanyol 2-1 to end a three-month drought in the league and move further from the relegation zone.
Martin Montoya scored from close range in the 17th minute and Santi Mina sealed the victory in the 73rd at Mestalla Stadium as Valencia snapped its eight-game winless streak to open a four-point gap to the relegation teams.
David Lopez netted for Espanyol in the 85th but Valencia held on to earn the elusive victory.
“This result will give us a lot of confidence to keep on working,” Valencia coach Salvador “Voro” Gonzalez said “To improve, we needed to win, and we are very happy.”
Valencia hadn’t won in the league since beating Sporting Gijon 2-1 in October, in what was the first match in charge for Cesare Prandelli, the former Italy coach who resigned during the winter break because of the team’s struggles.
“I think it was our best game of the season,” Santi Mina said. “We have played well in some other games but we didn’t pick up three points.”
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CELTA VIGO 1, ALAVES 0
Serbian midfielder Nemanja Radoja scored an 89th-minute winner as Celta Vigo salvaged a 1-0 home win over 10-man Alaves.
It was the second consecutive win for Celta, which moved to eighth place.
Alaves, 12th in the table, played a man down from the first minute of the second half as Moroccan defender Zouhair Feddal was shown a second yellow card.
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SPORTING GIJON 2, EIBAR 3
Eibar scored three times in the first 23 minutes and held on to snap a four-game winless streak.
It hadn’t won an away match since a third-round game at Granada.
It was the seventh loss in the last eight matches for Sporting, which remains in the relegation zone.
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GRANADA 1, OSASUNA 1
Last-placed Osasuna saw its winless streak reach 10 games after a draw against second-to-last Granada, which played with 10 men from the 73rd and also had a player sent off in injury time.
Promoted Osasuna hasn’t won since beating Eibar 3-2 in October. It has lost seven of its 10 games since then.
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