BARCELONA: Nine-man Alaves dealt Villarreal`s top four ambitions a blow with a battling 1-0 victory on Saturday in La Liga.

The hosts snatched victory through Manu Sanchez`s early goal, but had to battle in the second half after goalkeeper Antonio Sivera was dismissed before the hour mark for a handball outside of his area.

The stopper was also hurt as he challenged Ayoze Perez in the incident, crashing his head into the forward`s knee, and taken to hospital for analysis after being sent off.

Villarreal, fifth and trailing Athletic Bilbao in fourth by four points, took 24 shots but only managed to get two of those on target.

Alaves survived 15 minutes of stoppage time in torrential rain to secure a vital win in their bid to avoid relegation, despite suffering a second red card.

Antonio Blanco was dismissed in the 94th minute for apparent dissent, but his team claimed the three points and are 18th, one point from safety.

Alaves had gone 14 league games without a clean sheet and this was their first win in seven.

Valencia piled more misery on bottom of the table Valladolid with a 2-1 victory which took them 16th, a point above the relegation zone.

Earlier Celta Vigo beat Leganes, 17th, 2-1.

La Liga leaders Barcelona`s game against Osasuna was called off after the Catalan club`s first team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia died in the afternoon.

BARCA GAME POSTPONED AFTER DOCTOR`S DEMISE Meanwhile, Barcelona`s La Liga match against Osasuna was postponed after one of the club`s first team doctors died.

`Barcelona is sorry to announce the sad news of the death of the first team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia, this afternoon,` said the club in a statement.

`For this reason, the match between Barcelona and Osasuna has been postponed until a later date.

`The board of directors and all the staff at Barcelona wish to convey our most sincere condolences to his family and friends, we are with them at this difficult time.

Fans had begun entering the Olympic stadium for the league leaders` clash against Osasuna, before it was called off around 20 minutes before the expected kick off at 2000GMT.

`I still can`t believe it, a big hug to the family and friends of Carles,` wrote Barcelona midfielder Pedri in a post on social media network Instagram.

The doctor, 53, leaves behind a wife and two children, said Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

`This is incredibly painful news for Barcelona, it has left us heartbroken, in shock, be cause it was so sudden,` said Laporta.

`We contacted his mother and his wife, to express our condolences and support them in these incredibly painful moments...

`It is our duty to be there for all of them, his wife, his children, his mother.

The doctor had been working with different Barcelona sides since 2017, and began working with the men`s football first team a few months ago.

Osasuna president Luis Sabalza said his team had no objection whatsoever to the match being postponed.

`We understand that life is the most important thing and you can`t play a game thinking that the person with whom you`ve lived with for so long is not there any more,` he told DAZN.

Osasuna offered their condolences in a post on social media platform X.-AFP