La Liga match report: Valencia 3 Levante 0

Valencia claimed a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Levante in the Primera Division on Monday night to keep them firmly in the race for Champions League football.

Paco Alcacer and Sofiane Feghouli both scored in the first half before Alvaro Negredo added the gloss in stoppage time at Estadio Mestalla.

The win moved Valenica one point adrift of third-placed Atletico Madrid while Levante remained in the bottom three, three points from safety.

Levante had several chances but they were unable to make any of them count as they continued to struggle.

Andreas Ivanschitz saw his early header from the middle of the box go close before Simao sent one wide shortly after.

Alcacer then had an effort blocked but the Valencia striker did not have to wait long to get on the scoresheet as he headed into the top left-hand corner in the 16th minute to give the hosts the lead.

Feghouli doubled Valencia's advantage 20 minutes later with another header from a similar position in the middle of the box for a comfortable 2-0 lead at the break.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first with Levante going close but ultimately missing a chance, this time when Ivan Lopez saw his strike hit the bar in the 46th minute.

Shkodran Mustafi saw his header blocked at the other end shortly after the hour mark before the defender had a shot saved by Levante keeper Diego Marino.

Valencia started to take charge again and Joao Cancelo went close in the 73rd minute with a strike which went wide of the right post.

However, the home side finished with a flourish thanks to substitute Negredo, who fired into the top right corner from outside of the area in the third minute of stoppage time.