d to fill the gap left by Vidal, but couldnt find a way thro

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MADRID, Spain -- Atletico Madrid beat 10-man Real Betis 2-0 Sunday in the Spanish league to increase the pressure on Real Madrid ahead of its clasico with Barcelona. . Atletico is tied on 70 points with Madrid, which hosts Barcelona later Sunday. Barcelona has 66 points. Gabi Fernandez opened the scoring in what had been a hard fought contest until Bryan Rodriguez was shown a second yellow card for blatantly swiping at the ball with his hand in the 55th minute. Gabi was afforded space about 10 metres outside the area to smash a swerving drive beyond outstretched goalkeeper Antonio Adan for the 58th-minute lead. Diego Costa made it 2-0 in the 64th after Koke headed on to the Spain striker to fire home his 23rd league goal and 31st in all competitions. While Atleticos season-long surge sees no signs of dipping with nine rounds left, last-placed Betis is running out of time to avoid relegation after falling nine points from safety. Earlier, Sevilla continued its late bid to qualify for next seasons Champions League by beating Osasuna 2-1 for a fifth straight victory. Jairo Samperio put Sevilla ahead after 27 minutes before Carlos Bacca scored a first-half stoppage time penalty after Damia Abella was ajudged to have handled inside the area, which led to Osasuna coach Javi Gracia being dismissed. Sevilla never looked in danger despite Osasuna substitute Javier Acuna scoring an impressive individual effort in the last play of the game. Sevilla has 48 points, seven behind fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao on 55. Osasuna is two points above the relegation zone. Vallencia and Villarreal also play on Sunday, while Real Sociedad faces Almeria on Monday. In other 29th round results, it was: Athletic Bilbao 1, Getafe 0; Malaga 2, Celta Vigo 0; Real Valladolid 1, Rayo Vallecano 1; and Espanyol 0, Levante 0. . Forward Iker Muniain scored the winner in the 70th minute after Bilbaos incessant pressure recovered the ball and sparked a counterattack inside Barcelonas half. Neymar was once again tagged to pick up Messis goal-scoring duties, but when he wasnt frustrated by slippery footing Bilbaos defence got the better of him. . So it was understandable if he was a little shaky early in his return to the Texas Rangers rotation. He spent most of the outing searching for his best stuff, but still managed to shut down the struggling Minnesota Twins offence. . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Two substitutes, two goals. Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal can, it seems, do no wrong at this World Cup. He sent on replacements Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay in the second half of the match against Chile on Monday and they scored both goals in a 2-0 win that confirmed the Dutch as Group B winners with a maximum nine points. "It is luck," Van Gaal himself said about his super substitutions. "Just luck." But it was more than that. Fer, listed by FIFA as 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, scored with a header a minute after coming on as a substitute for the 5-foot-6-inch (171 cm) Wesley Sneijder. "I know Leroy Fer is tall compared with our opponents. I know he can head the ball well," Van Gaal said. Then there was Depay. "We analyzed that Chile in the last 15 minutes gives away more room," Van Gaal said. "If you have a creative player in at that moment, you have the chance to use that space." Manchester United, which hired Van Gaal to restore its fortunes after a disastrous season by the clubs lofty standards, must be delighted even if it has to wait a bit longer for him to join them after the World Cup. Chile, one of the most attacking and attractive teams at the World Cup, had no answer at the Itaquerao Stadium, especially not without midfielder Arturo Vidal who watched from the bench. "I played the best team I had," said Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli. Juventus star Vidal had knee surgery before the tournament and had a sore Achilles tendon but said a day before the match he felt fit and ready to play. Both teams had already advanced to the second round, but Chiles first loss of the tournament consigned it to second place in Group B and a meeting with host Brazil in Belo Horizonte. The Dutch next travel to Fortaleza to play Group A runner-up Mexico in the round of 16 on June 29. Chile began with its trademark fast, attacking style while the Dutch, with a five-man defence, looked content to sit back, absorb the pressure and break out with swift counterattacks. "We gave nothing away and fought like lions," stannd-in captain Robben said. . "Orange lions." The match marked the first time at this World Cup the Netherlands had played in its national colour, but the change of jerseys didnt change its fortunes. Vidals absence deprived Chile of midfield creativity and it struggled to break down the well-drilled Dutch defence. Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez tried to fill the gap left by Vidal, but couldnt find a way through. He came closest to scoring in the second half with a powerful shot that Jasper Cillessen easily blocked at his near post. "Im very proud of this team," Robben said. "If you see how we fought here today. We were right on top of them and gave them no chances." The Netherlands was playing without suspended captain and striker Robin van Persie and was also missing defender Bruno Martins Indi, who suffered a concussion in the teams last match, a tough 3-2 victory over Australia in Porto Alegre. No problem for inspirational coach Van Gaal, who pulled a tactical surprise with his starting lineup -- reverting to the 5-3-2 formation he began with against Spain and posting veteran forward Dirk Kuyt, in his 99th international, at left back. "I enjoyed it," Kuyt said. "I never played in this position but the coach told me a couple of weeks ago that it could be a possibility during the tournament and I told him that I would be ready for it and I was very happy I get the chance. I think it went very well and hopefully I will get another chance." Then came Van Gaals substitutions. Fer headed in powerfully and Depay doubled his World Cup tally in stoppage time. Robben delayed his cross from the left cleverly until the PSV Eindhoven striker arrived at the far post -- also delaying his run by a split second to shrug off his marker -- to tap in an inch-perfect pass. "He is a huge talent and great for the future of Dutch football," Fer said of Depay. Robben said that after three wins out of three, the Dutch squad is hungry for more. "We can enjoy this fantastic performance, but it must not stop here," he said. ' ' '

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