Carlos Bacca bagged a brace as Sevilla maintained pace with the Primera Division leaders after a 3-1 victory at Cordoba.

Unai Emery’s men were just too strong for the promoted side as Bacca struck early on and from the penalty spot at the death either side of Stephane Mbia’s header. Borja Garcia Freire’s late effort represented little consolation for the hosts.

Sevilla started in determined fashion and took the lead with less than eight minutes on the clock, having already called Cordoba goalkeeper Juan Carlos into action to turn Bacca’s shot around the post.

The frontman was not to be denied and he was in the right place at the right time six yards out from goal to convert Aleix Vidal’s pass.

Sevilla ‘keeper Sergio Rico had to tip over an 11th-minute cross from Inigo Lopez as Cordoba responded, and Federico Cartabia sent a 25- yard free-kick over the bar.

The visitors returned for the second half in determined fashion with Carlos having to parry Bacca’s lobbed 58th-minute effort.

Although Rico had to be equally alert to repel midfielder Abel Gomez’s 30-yard free-kick, it was the visitors who extended their lead. Denis Suarez picked out Mbia with an inswinging free-kick from the left and he headed home.

Cordoba gave themselves hope when Garcia reduced the deficit, but Bacca extinguished it from the spot following Aleksandar Pantic’s foul on Vitolo.

Elsewhere, Villarreal produced a blistering second-half performance to battle back from two goals down and take all three points at Rayo.

The Madrid side led 2-0 with under half an hour played thanks to goals by Gael Kakuta and Alberto Bueno but Javier Espinosa pulled one back for the hosts before the break and then Mateo Musacchio equalised. Luciano Vietto then finished off Paco Jemez’s side with two late goals to seal a 4-2 win.

Earlier, Almeria picked up their first win of the new season by beating Real Sociedad 2-1 at the Anoeta for the first time in their history.

The Andalusians took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Alberto de la Bella inadvertently headed into his own net, and things got worse for the hosts when Mauro dos Santos headed home from a corner early in the second half.

La Real were given a late boost when Sebastian Dubarbier was sent off and then Chory Castro’s strike reduced the deficit to 2-1.