Murcia relegated, Celta and Espanyol keep hopes alive

Primera Liga basement side Murcia were relegated on Sunday after a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis.

Brazilian free kick expert Marcos Assuncao scored the only goal when he firedan unstoppable 22-metre curler over the wall and into the far corner in the third minute.

With five games to go until the end of the season, John Toshack's side are now 16 points behind Real Mallorca, who sit just above the relegation zone.

Fellow strugglers Espanyol and Celta Vigo both kept alive their hopes of survival with away wins.

Espanyol beat Osasuna 3-1 with goals from Raul Tamudo, Alex Fernandez and Maxi Rodriguez, while Celta won 2-0 at Albacete.

Celta remain in 19th place in the table on 33 points, Espanyol are 18th with 34, just two point behind Mallorca who have been dragged into the relegation dogfight after their 2-1 defeat at home to UEFA Cup semi-finalists Villarreal.

The performance of the day came from Sevilla forward Julio Baptista who grabbed four goals in their 5-2 win at home to Racing Santander.

The Brazilian striker scored two well-taken headed goals in the opening seven minutes, added a third early in the second half and a fourth from the penalty spot before the hour was up.

Valencia host Real Sociedad later on Sunday knowing a draw will see them reclaim the Primera Liga leadership from Real Madrid, who beat local rivals Atletico 2-1 on Saturday.