Levante took a huge stride towards beating the drop from the Primera Liga by claiming a vital 2-1 victory at fellow strugglers Celta Vigo on Sunday to move six points clear of the relegation zone.
Gustavo Reggi fired the visitors ahead from the penalty spot late in the first half, before Mustapha Riga doubled the advantage shortly after the restart.
Fernando Baiano pulled one back for the home team on the hour mark, but it came too little too late as Celta's worries increased.
With just three games four games remaining, Hristo Stoichkov's men are second bottom on 30 points, four behind Athletic Bilbao, who hold the last safety spot.
The Galician side made a poor start to the game at the Estadio Balaidos with Riga almost breaking the deadlock after two minutes - his 18-yard effort nearly catching out home goalkeeper Suarez Esteban, who managed to recover and avert the danger.
In the 15th minute, another Riga shot - this time a 20-yard free-kick - was pushed away by Esteban, before Levante goalkeeper Jose Molina was drawn into action for the first time to parry Oubina Borja's 12-yard shot.
Anderson Nene and Laurent Courtois both then wasted equally good opportunities for their sides, before Reggi's 39th-minute opener.
Another floating Riga free-kick into the penalty area saw Maior de Aquino Alvaro fouled by Gabriel Tamas with the referee awarding a penalty, which the Argentinian converted.
Borja almost instantly responded when he fired in an ambitious 25-yard strike, which Molina was equal to, before Reggi's header from a corner was blocked on the line by Pablo Contreras.
After the break, Riga extended the lead with his 49th-minute strike, latching onto a Reggi pass on the edge of the penalty area before hitting an unstoppable shot beyond Esteban.
The hosts hit back immediately and were handed a lifeline when Baiano found himself unmarked in the penalty area and converted Borja's cross from the right.
That goal seemed to give the home team a huge boost and Habib Bamogo came close to an equaliser five minutes later, only to be denied by a flying save from Molina - the Levante custodian heaving full stretch to his right to tip away the Frenchman's shot.
Courtois and and Diego Camacho had further chances to extend the visitors' lead, before a final onslaught almost handed a point to Celta.
Gustavo Lopez was the main threat, first side-footing the ball wide from 12 yards with the goal at his mercy before picking out Bamogo in the centre of the penalty area, only for the striker to find the crossbar as Abel Resino's Levante held out.
Fernando Baiano pulled one back for the home team on the hour mark, but it came too little too late as Celta's worries increased.
With just three games four games remaining, Hristo Stoichkov's men are second bottom on 30 points, four behind Athletic Bilbao, who hold the last safety spot.
The Galician side made a poor start to the game at the Estadio Balaidos with Riga almost breaking the deadlock after two minutes - his 18-yard effort nearly catching out home goalkeeper Suarez Esteban, who managed to recover and avert the danger.
In the 15th minute, another Riga shot - this time a 20-yard free-kick - was pushed away by Esteban, before Levante goalkeeper Jose Molina was drawn into action for the first time to parry Oubina Borja's 12-yard shot.
Anderson Nene and Laurent Courtois both then wasted equally good opportunities for their sides, before Reggi's 39th-minute opener.
Another floating Riga free-kick into the penalty area saw Maior de Aquino Alvaro fouled by Gabriel Tamas with the referee awarding a penalty, which the Argentinian converted.
Borja almost instantly responded when he fired in an ambitious 25-yard strike, which Molina was equal to, before Reggi's header from a corner was blocked on the line by Pablo Contreras.
After the break, Riga extended the lead with his 49th-minute strike, latching onto a Reggi pass on the edge of the penalty area before hitting an unstoppable shot beyond Esteban.
The hosts hit back immediately and were handed a lifeline when Baiano found himself unmarked in the penalty area and converted Borja's cross from the right.
That goal seemed to give the home team a huge boost and Habib Bamogo came close to an equaliser five minutes later, only to be denied by a flying save from Molina - the Levante custodian heaving full stretch to his right to tip away the Frenchman's shot.
Courtois and and Diego Camacho had further chances to extend the visitors' lead, before a final onslaught almost handed a point to Celta.
Gustavo Lopez was the main threat, first side-footing the ball wide from 12 yards with the goal at his mercy before picking out Bamogo in the centre of the penalty area, only for the striker to find the crossbar as Abel Resino's Levante held out.
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