Valencia reclaim top spot after easy 3-0 win
Simon Baskett
Defending champions Valencia returned to the top of the Spanish first division after they strolled to a comfortable 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano at the Mestalla on Sunday.
Striker Mista opened the scoring for Valencia on 35 minutes after Spanish international winger Vicente had checked in from the left and fired a perfect pass into the heart of the area.
Ruben Baraja added a second from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime after Mista was brought down as he raced free into the area.
Valencia eased up after the break, but midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo wrapped up the easy win with a fine curling free kick four minutes before time.
Previous leaders Celta Vigo lost their 100 percent record and moved down to second place after an exciting 2-2 draw with unbeaten Malaga at the Balaidos stadium on Sunday.
Free-scoring Real Sociedad continued their impressive start to the season and moved up to third after Russian midfielder Dimitri Khokhlov headed in a late winner to give his side a 3-2 win away to Osasuna.
Valencia, Celta and Sociedad all have 10 points from four games, but last season's champions lead the table by virtue of their superior goal difference.
Deportivo Coruna, who won 2-1 at Alaves on Saturday, lie in fourth place on nine points and Malaga are fifth a further point behind.
Real Madrid and Real Betis, who both also played on Saturday, have seven points but a game in hand on their immediate rivals.
The reigning European champions were held 1-1 at Valladolid, while Betis claimed a sparkling 3-0 win over Barcelona in a match played at Huelva because of the Andalucian club's two-match stadium closure.
Celta went a goal down in front of their home fans after just 15 minutes when the in-form midfielder Kizito Musampa cracked home his fifth goal of the season with a first time shot after a neat cut-back pass from defender Vicente Valcarce.
But former Malaga striker Catanha levelled from the penalty spot 11 minutes later after Josemi had handled a Gustavo Lopez cross just inside the area.
GLANCING HEADER
Argentine defender Eduardo Berizzo netted with a fine glancing header to give the home side a 2-1 lead in the 39th minute. But Celta's celebrations were cut short when Malaga equalised just two minutes later.
Uruguayan international Dario Silva broke free on the right and fired a pass towards fellow striker Dely Valdes, but defender Fernando Caceres turned the ball into his own net before the Panamanian could reach it.
Russian midfielder Alexander Mostovoi missed the chance to put Celta back in the lead eight minutes after the break when his penalty was saved by Pedro Contreras and, despite some exciting goalmouth incidents, neither side was able to grab a winner.
Recreativo Huelva, Espanyol and Real Mallorca, who began the weekend in the bottom three places of the table, all gained their first points of the season.
Espanyol drew 0-0 with Sevilla, Mallorca won 2-0 away at Athletic Bilbao and Huelva drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid at the Calderon in a game in which both sides missed penalties and had a man sent off.
