Rubén García scores against old club to give Osasuna 2-0 win over fellow La Liga struggler Levante

Rubén García made one goal and scored another as Osasuna beat Levante 2-0 to ease the club’s relegation worries and condemn its rival to a fifth consecutive Spanish La Liga defeat on Monday.

The game pitted fourth-bottom Osasuna against last-place Levante.

The home side controlled the game from the kick off, with García in commanding form against the club where he played much of his career.

It was his cross from the right that brought Osasuna the lead after 13 minutes, Victor Muñoz expertly heading down and into the net.

García was fortunate 23 minutes later when he got his name on the scoresheet. His shot from just outside the box was cruelly deflected past the Levante keeper Mathew Ryan.

Garcia refused to celebrate but acknowledged it was a vital win for his side.

“I’d have preferred it not to be against Levante, but I have to be happy because of what we were playing for,” said Garcia. “(These three points) feel necessary.”

Osasuna is up to 15th in the 20-team table, three points clear of the drop zone. Levante has nine points.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer