THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MADRID, Spain — Luis Fabiano added to his Spanish league-leading goal total with two first-half scores in spearheading Sevilla past Zaragoza 5-0 on Saturday.
Frederic Kanoute, Seydou Keita and an own-goal from Zaragoza defender Carlos Diogo completed the rout for Sevilla, which moved up to fifth with 39 points — two points behind Atletico Madrid for the final Champions League qualifying spot.
Earlier, Carlos Martins scored in the 53rd minute for Recreativo Huelva to draw 1-1 at Valencia.
On Sunday, Real Madrid will look to rebound from consecutive defeats when it returns to Santiago Bernabeu Stadium — where it is a perfect 11-0 in the league — to play Getafe, while FC Barcelona faces last-place Levante.
Madrid leads with 56 points, five ahead of Barcelona. Villarreal follows with 43 and Atletico 41.
In the rest of Sunday’s 25th round of games, it’s: Athletic Bilbao versus Villarreal; Osasuna versus Atletico Madrid; Deportivo La Coruna versus Espanyol; Racing Santander versus Almeria; Murcia versus Valladolid; and Mallorca versus Real Betis.
Fabiano turned in Daniel Alves’ cross from the right with a low volley in the 20th minute to open.
The Brazil striker played a neat one-two with Alves five minutes later to move through the defence and send a soft chip over goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez for his league-high 19th goal. Fabiano has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season.
Kanoute redirected in his 10th goal in the 43rd after lunging to reach the ball after finishing a run into the box.
Diogo, who would be sent off with a red card in the 55th, scored five minutes earlier as he tried to fend off Fabiano, who was moving in on Aquivaldo Mosquera’s cross in search of a hat trick.
Keita scored Sevilla’s 12th goal in its last three games with a header in the 68th.
At Valencia, Juan Manuel Mata sent the ball past Recreativo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino inside the far post from a tight angle in the 39th to give Valencia a 1-0 lead.
Valencia had the better chances. Sorrentino stuck his hand out in the 38th to deny Nicolas Zigic from point-blank range, and he then stopped Joaquin Sanchez’s volley from a sharp angle in the 44th.
David Silva looked to have scored in the 56th with a header but the referee ruled the ball had previously gone out, while Zigic shot wide in the 73rd and 85th minutes.
Sorrentino denied Ruben Baraja’s point-blank shot in the 90th to preserve Recreativo’s point.
No. 9 Valencia has 35 points, while Recreativo moved up to 14th in the standings with 29 points.
Zaragoza dropped to 13th with 29 points.