Valencia: Levante defeated struggling Sevilla 2-1 to practically ensure that they will remain in La Liga for another season.

With 40 points from 35 matches, Levante are 16th, 12 points above 18th-place Deportivo, who would have to win all of their four remaining matches by substantial margins to have any hope of catching the Valencia side.

Sevilla, meanwhile, are in danger of missing out on European play next season for the first time since 2003-2004. They are currently seventh, three points behind Villarreal, who have a game in hand.

While the visitors looked the more dangerous team in the opening minutes on Friday night, the first goal went to the hosts, a strike by Roger Marti in the 10th minute.

But Sevilla equalised just five minutes later on a great effort by Carlos Fernandez and the 1-0 score line was an accurate reflection of play for the balance of the first half, as both sides created chances.

The back-and-forth carried over into the second 45 minutes.

In the 66th minute, Levante’s Jose Luis Morales Nogales found himself unmarked in front of the Sevilla goal, but he fired wide.

Yet even coming close was enough to give the hosts a second wind and Sevilla keeper David Soria was tested several times in quick succession before finally conceding in the 73rd minute to Morales.

The visitors flew forward in pursuit of the tying goal, but Levante hung on to take all three points.

In Sinsheim, Germany, Andrej Kramaric scored a hat-trick to lead 1889 Hoffenheim to a 3-1 triumph against visiting Hannover 96 and lift the hosts into fourth place in the Bundesliga.

With their fourth win in five matches here Friday, Hoffenheim vaulted over Bayer Leverkusen into the final Champions League berth, but Leverkusen have a game in hand and can reclaim the spot with a victory this weekend.

Kramaric opened the scoring in the 16th minute, but Kenan Karaman equalised for Hannover just eight minutes later and the sides went to the dressing rooms knotted at 1-1.

More intense after the break, Hoffenheim took back the lead in the 50th minute with the Croatia international’s second goal of the contest.

Kramaric completed the hat trick in the 86th minute.