Madrid, April 24: La Liga witnessed a dramatic midweek round of fixtures as Villarreal settled for a 1-1 stalemate against relegation-threatened Oviedo, while Levante delivered a commanding 2-0 victory over Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano claimed a narrow but vital 1-0 win against Espanyol on April 24, 2026. The results have significant implications across both the top-four race and the relegation battle at the bottom of the Spanish top flight.

Villarreal Drop Points Against Struggling Oviedo

Villarreal arrived at Oviedo as heavy favourites but were made to work hard by the bottom-placed side. Nicolas Pepe opened the scoring from the penalty spot — though only after his initial effort was saved by Oviedo goalkeeper Aaron Escandell, forcing a retake under the rules.

However, Oviedo refused to capitulate. Ilyas Chaira restored parity in the 68th minute, converting smartly after a well-timed assist from Alberto Reina. Ayoze Perez struck the woodwork for Villarreal in the dying minutes, but the equaliser stood.

Despite the dropped points, Villarreal remain firmly in third place, now five points ahead of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid. Oviedo, meanwhile, remain in dire straits — still six points adrift of safety with their survival hopes fading rapidly.

Levante Crush Sevilla in Relegation Six-Pointer

In one of the most significant matches of the round, Levante produced a dominant performance to defeat Sevilla 2-0 at home in a direct relegation clash. Ivan Romero was the hero, netting both goals to hand his side a crucial three points.

Romero's opener was a thunderous strike, while his second — a composed finish on the counter-attack deep into injury time — sealed the result and extinguished any hope of a Sevilla comeback. Remarkably, Sevilla failed to register a single shot on target throughout the entire match, a damning indictment of their attacking form this season.

The result puts Levante in a stronger position in the fight to avoid the drop, while Sevilla's situation grows increasingly precarious. This is a particularly striking fall from grace for a club that won six UEFA Europa League titles in the modern era.

Rayo Vallecano Edge Espanyol Thanks to Cardenas Heroics

Rayo Vallecano secured three vital points at home against Espanyol, with Sergio Camello scoring the only goal in the 86th minute. The win was made possible in part by a crucial penalty save from Rayo goalkeeper Sergio Cardenas, who denied Kike Garcia's powerful spot kick in the 72nd minute.

That save proved decisive. Espanyol, the Barcelona-based club, have now gone the entire 2026 calendar year without a single league victory — a staggering run that places them in serious danger of an immediate return to the second division.

Earlier This Week: Barcelona Lead, Atletico Stumble

Earlier in the week, Real Madrid defeated Deportivo Alaves 2-1, Athletic Club edged Osasuna 1-0, Real Betis triumphed 3-2 at Girona, and Mallorca and Valencia shared a 1-1 draw on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, FC Barcelona maintained their commanding lead at the summit with a 1-0 home win over Celta Vigo, keeping them nine points clear at the top. Elche caused a major upset by defeating Atletico Madrid 3-2, while Getafe capitalised on Real Sociedad's Copa del Rey fatigue to claim a 1-0 win in San Sebastian — a result decided by an own goal, with Getafe failing to register a single shot on target.

Title Race and Relegation Battle: What Comes Next

With Barcelona nine points clear, the title race appears all but settled barring a dramatic collapse. The real drama now lies at the bottom, where Oviedo, Sevilla, and Espanyol are all fighting desperately to avoid the drop.

The coming fixtures will be decisive — any team that fails to pick up points in their next two or three outings could find themselves mathematically doomed. For Levante and Rayo Vallecano, these wins could prove season-defining, potentially the difference between top-flight survival and relegation.