Sevilla have comfortably defeated Osasuna 2-0 to extend their winning streak in La Liga to six matches and move into the top three for the first time this season.
Defender Diego Carlos and striker Luuk de Jong scored to help Sevilla move a point in front of fourth-placed Barcelona.
Sevilla trail second-placed Real Madrid by four points and are seven points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.
Osasuna, who had won three of their past four league matches, including their past two, are 13th – four points above the relegation zone.
Diego Carlos found the net with a firm header off a corner kick in the 19th minute while De Jong scored from inside the area in the 49th.
“We just have to keep going with the same mentality that every game is important,” Diego Carlos said.
Sevilla’s nine-game winning streak in all competitions was ended by a 3-2 home loss to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.
Their next two matches are against Barcelona – at home in La Liga on Saturday and at the Camp Nou next week when they take a 2-0 advantage into the second leg of their Spanish Cup semi-final.
“Now we have two big games against Barcelona and we have to begin to focus on that,” Diego Carlos said.