MADRID, April 14 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona and Real Madrid both squeezed past struggling opposition this weekend with one eye on the Champions League in midweek, while elsewhere Valencia has drawn clear of the struggle to avoid relegation, and Athletic Club strengthened its grip on the top-four. Here are some things we have learned this weekend in Spain.

1. Real Madrid and Barca make hard work of things

Barcelona won 1-0 away to second from bottom Leganes with the help of an own goal, while Eduardo Camavinga's strike gave Real Madrid three points away to an Alaves side that had four key players suspended.

Barca looked tired, despite Hansi Flick's squad rotations and lost Alejandro Balde to a muscle injury as the intense fixture calendar caught up with it, while Kylian Mbappe's brutal challenge left Real Madrid with 10 men and in inferiority for half an hour before Alaves also had a player sent off.

With Europe on the horizon in midweek, neither side will worry too much about the performance, at this point in the season, three points are all that matter.

2. Sancet makes the difference

Oihan Sancet came on at the start of the second half as Athletic Club Bilbao trailed 1-0 to Rayo Vallecano and 45 minutes later, he was the hero with two goals as his side overturned the deficit to win 3-1.

Sancet's second of the game was a magnificent curling shot and also the club's 5,000th goal in La Liga and it highlighted what the club has missed in the weeks he has struggled with injury.

Sancet scored 15 goals in 23 league games this season, making him the top-scoring Spanish player in the competition, but it's also his ability to link midfield and attack that is so important and if he stays fit, Athletic should assure a top-four finish.

3. Corberan saves Valencia and more

Valencia's 1-0 win at home to Sevilla on Friday night lifted the club eight points clear of the bottom three with seven matches to play and continues the club's impressive recovery since Carlos Corberan replaced Ruben Baraja as coach.

Valencia has won four of the last five matches in La Liga, including a 2-1 triumph away to Real Madrid and looks to be just about safe from a relegation that looked very likely under his predecessor Baraja.

The change Corberan has brought to the club is so impressive that his charge would have lifted Valencia in the top-four if he started the season at the club. Now he and fans must hope club owner Peter Lim doesn't try and sell Valencia's key players this summer.

4. Difficulty at Sevilla but coach pays the price

Xavier Garcia Pimienta is the latest coach in La Liga to be sacked after Sevilla's defeat in Valencia, which was the club's fourth consecutive loss in La Liga and effectively ends any chance of qualifying for Europe.

The former Las Palmas boss looked to be doing a decent job until the start of March, with Sevilla playing some decent attacking football.

However, his spell in charge has been under the shadow of internal disputes in a boardroom power struggle and under financial constraints.

The fact that Sevilla has now sacked six coaches in two years: Julen Lopetegui, Jorge Sampaoli, Jose Luis Mendilibar, Diego Alonso, Quique Sanchez Flores and Garcia Pimienta, says a lot about the chaos at Sevilla and makes it clear Garcia Pimienta is not the only man to blame. Enditem

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