Aaron escandell

La Liga: Villarreal strengthened its hold on third place in La Liga with a 1-1 draw away to bottom side Oviedo, which produced another battling display but remains six points from safety.

Nicolas Pepe put Villarreal ahead with a retaken penalty after Oviedo goalkeeper Aaron Escandell had saved his first effort, but Ilyas Chaira leveled in the 68th minute after a smart assist from Alberto Reina.

Ayoze Perez hit the woodwork for Villarreal in the closing minutes, but the draw still left the east-coast side five points ahead of fourth-place Atletico Madrid, reports Xinhua.