LA LIGA:Athletic Bilbao books CL place

Athletic Bilbao convincingly booked their
place in next season's Champions League
courtesy of a 3-0 win at Rayo Vallecano on
Friday night.
Mikel San Jose, Oscar De Marcos and Ander
Herrera were on target as fourth-placed
Athletic moved nine points clear of nearest
challengers Sevilla, who have just three
games left to play and an inferior head-to-
head record this season.
Defeat for Rayo brought a juddering halt their
bid for a third-straight victory that would have
taken them up to eighth place in the Primera
Division standings.
Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde said his side
needed three more points to ensure they
would finish the season in fourth after their
3-1 win over Sevilla last week, and they were
soon on the offensive in hot pursuit of those
points with Mikel Rico and Herrera going close
in the opening exchanges.
It took just 21 minutes for the breakthrough to
come, Markel Susaeta's corner turned home
from close range by the alert San Jose.
Another set-piece was sufficient to unlock the
home defence a second time with half an hour
played, a Susaeta corner again the key as
Rayo's backline failed to clear and De Marcos
lashed home.
A listless Rayo briefly sparked into life in the
35th minute when Nacho's hit from Ruben
Rochina's centre was punched away Gorka
Iraizoz, but that was as much threat as the
hosts posed to the visiting goalkeeper in the
contest.
The three points targeted by Valverde were
wrapped up in with 17 minutes remaining,
Herrera dispatching a free-kick into the right
corner of Ruben's goal after Ze Castro had
hauled down Aritz Aduriz on the edge of the
18-yard box.