SEVILLE, Spain -- A second half goal from Alexis Sánchez lifted Sevilla over Real Sociedad 1-0 and out of La Liga's relegation zone on Monday.
The 37-year-old Chilean scored five minutes after coming on as a halftime substitute.
Sevilla moved up to 17th place, one point above Alaves, who are in the third relegation spot. Levante and Real Oviedo are behind Alaves in 19th and 20th place, respectively.
Only three points separate Alaves in 18th and Valencia in 12th as the relegation dogfight looks destined to go to the wire.
Sevilla lost five of its previous six games coming into the match, but Monday's win gave it back-to-back home victories in the league for the first time since October 2024. The home side even had a late second from Lucien Agoumé ruled out after a video review.
The loss was a big blow to Sociedad, which is eyeing European football next season. A win would have taken it into joint sixth with Celta Vigo but instead it lingered in ninth, three behind Celta and a point behind Getafe and Athletic Club.
At the other end of the table, Barcelona has the chance to seal a second-consecutive LaLiga title on Sunday against Real Madrid, needing a win or a draw to put the championship out of reach for Alvaro Arbeloa's chasing side.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
