Sevilla tops Rayo to stay in fight for Champions League spot

MADRID (AP) — Sevilla routed last-place Rayo Vallecano 5-0 in the Spanish league on Thursday to stay in contention for the final Champions League spot.

The home victory moved Sevilla to fourth place, in the final qualification spot for the European competition. It is one point in front of Getafe, which hosts third-place Real Madrid later Thursday.

Sixth-place Valencia lost 3-2 at second-place Atletico Madrid on Wednesday to drop three points behind Sevilla.

Rayo, which has won only one of its last 13 matches, is now seven points from Valladolid, the first team outside the relegation zone.

Sevilla scored all five goals after halftime, with four coming in the first 25 minutes of the second half. Quincy Promes found the net in the 55th minute, Munir El Haddadi scored in the 57th and 62nd, Wissam Ben Yedder added to the lead in the 69th and 18-year-old Bryan Gil closed out the victory in the 86th.

“It’s getting close to the end and we are right in the middle of the fight (for the final Champions League place),” El Haddadi said.

Sevilla has won five of its seven matches under coach Joaquin Caparros, who recently announced he is fighting chronic leukemia.