Luis Fabiano added to his Spanish league-leading goal total with two first-half scores in spearheading Sevilla past Zaragoza 5-0.
Seydou Keita’s score and own-goals from Zaragoza’s Roberto Ayala and Carlos Diogo completed the rout for Sevilla on Saturday, 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.
Real Madrid lead the table with 56 points, five ahead of Barcelona. Villarreal follows with 43 and Atletico 41.
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.
Diogo, who would be sent off with a red card in the 55th, scored in the 38th as he tried to fend off Fabiano, who was moving in on Aquivaldo Mosquera’s cross in search of a hat-trick.
Five minutes later Kanoute was dispossessed by the goalkeeper but the rebound went in off Ayala.
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.
Sharp angle
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.