Sevilla crash in Zaragoza, allow Mallorca to stay fourth (1st Lead)

Feb 7, 2010, 21:08 GMT

Madrid - Sevilla surprisingly crashed 2-1 Sunday at lowly Zaragoza in an ugly match that saw three red cards.

The shock defeat leaves Manolo Jimenez' team in fifth place, one point behind Mallorca, who kept up their perfect home record by beating Villarreal 1-0 earlier Sunday.

Sevilla are one point above fifth-placed Deportivo Coruna, who were held 0-0 in Malaga.

Italian defender Matteo Contini took advantage of defensive confusion to shoot Zaragoza ahead after 31 minutes.

Three minutes later, Frederic Kanoute levelled for Sevilla after taking a centre from Diego Capel, but four minutes before half-time Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo clumsily turned a centre into his own goal to make it 2-1.

In an ill-tempered finale, Negredo was sent off for kicking Contini, then Sevilla defender Marius Stankevicius and Zaragoza's Adrian Colunga also earned themselves red cards.

Earlier Sunday, Mallorca had broken the resistance of Villarreal with a goal eight minutes from time from Portuguese veteran Jose Carlos Nunes.

'We knew at the beginning of the season,' said Nunes, 'that we would have to be strong at home if we wanted to achieve anything important.'

A tight game of few chances seemed to be heading for a goalless draw. In the 82nd minute, though, Julio Alvarez swung over a perfect centre, and Nunes headed in the vital goal.

It was a poor start on the Villarreal bench for Juan Carlos Garrido, who took over on February 1 from Ernesto Valverde.

Athletic Bilbao, meanwhile, were moving up to seventh with a 3-2 comeback defeat of luckless bottom team Xerez.

With 25 minutes left, Xerez were winning 2-1 in old San Mames, but the hosts turned the tables on them with two late goals from Spain striker Fernando Llorente.

In Sunday's other early games, Almeria beat Sporting Gijon 3-1, Osasuna overcame Tenerife 1-0, and Deportivo Coruna were held to a 0- 0 draw in Malaga.

Xerez are bottom with just 11 points. Then come Tenerife on 17, Valladolid on 18, Zaragoza on 20 and Malaga on 21.