Celta held by Betis, stays near relegation zone in Spain

MADRID (AP) — Celta Vigo missed a chance to move further away from the relegation zone after a 1-1 home draw against Real Betis in the Spanish league on Saturday.

It was the third straight winless match for Celta, which stayed just outside the drop zone with four matches left.

Celta took the lead with a clever free kick converted by forward Nolito in the 22nd minute, curling a low shot around the wall, but the hosts conceded in the 79th after the defense failed to clear a cross inside the area and Betis defender Zou Feddal picked up the loose ball to score easily.

“It’s a shame that they equalized in the end,” Nolito said. “The three points would have made a big difference. But we got one point and we have to keep fighting. We have four matches left and we only depend on ourselves.”

It has been an up-and-down run for Celta since the league resumed following the coronavirus break, with two losses, two wins and three draws.

Its recent results included a 6-0 rout of Alavés, a 5-1 loss at Mallorca and a 2-2 draw against title contender Barcelona.

Celta stayed in 17th place after Saturday’s draw. It has a six-point cushion over Mallorca, the first team inside the relegation zone. Mallorca lost 3-0 at third-place Atlético Madrid on Friday. Celta hosts Atlético on Tuesday.

Betis, which has four losses and only one victory in seven matches since the league resumed, stayed in 13th place, nine points from danger.

Real Madrid defends its four-point lead at the top over Barcelona when it visits eighth-place Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Barcelona plays at fifth-place Villarreal.