Real Madrid end troubled Liga season with win, Mallorca, Girona down
BARCELONA: Real Madrid ended a troubled La Liga campaign with a 4-2 win over Athletic Bilbao in Alvaro Arbeloa’s last game at the helm, while Mallorca and Girona were relegated from the Spanish top flight on Saturday.
In the final round of fixtures, Mallorca defeated already-relegated Real Oviedo 3-0 to reach 42 points, but it was not enough to survive.
Girona were held to a 1-1 draw by Elche, which kept the visitors up and sent the Catalan side down, just one season after they played in the Champions League.
Veteran Polish striker Robert Lewandowski scored for champions Barcelona in his final match for the club, but goals from Javi Guerra, Luis Rioja and Guido Rodriguez snatched a 3-1 victory for Valencia.
Celta Vigo wrapped up Europa League qualification with a 1-0 win over Sevilla to come sixth, while Getafe secured seventh and a Conference League berth with a 1-0 win over Osasuna.
Dani Carvajal, playing his last game for Real Madrid, produced a sensational ball for Gonzalo Garcia to fire the second-place hosts ahead against Athletic.
England international Jude Bellingham scored a superb second, before Gorka Guruzeta slammed past Thibaut Courtois for Ernesto Valverde’s visitors just before the break in the coach’s last game at the helm.
La Liga’s top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe swept home from outside the area for Real’s third, his 25th goal of the season in the top flight.
– CARVAJAL’S GOODBYE –
When Carvajal was taken off with 10 minutes to go, both teams gave the 34-year-old a guard of honour as he bid an emotional goodbye to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Morocco international Brahim Diaz tucked home a fourth late on as Madrid were at least able to sign off from a disappointing trophyless campaign on a high note, despite Urko Izeta pulling another back for Athletic.
“We haven’t had two easy seasons but I am sure we will come back to win, this is Real Madrid,” said a tearful Carvajal, who won 27 trophies with Real.
The defender thanked his team-mates past and present, president Florentino Perez, his family and the fans in an emotional speech on the pitch.
“I am very proud of being a Madridista, thank you for the impossible comebacks, being here in the good times and bad,” he added.
“I just hope that when you remember me it is with pride and that I gave everything for this shirt.”
Levante survived in 16th and Osasuna in 17th despite defeats and finishing on 42 points, the same tally as relegated Mallorca in 18th, because of head to head results between the three sides.
“I’m broken, I want to say sorry to everyone,” said Mallorca midfielder Sergi Darder.
Girona, who qualified for Europe’s premier competition in 2024, stayed up by a single point last season but were held to a draw by Elche, which condemned them to the second division.
Arnau Martinez pulled Girona level after Alvaro Rodriguez fired Elche ahead, but it was not enough to survive.
“It’s a very tough moment, for the fans, for the club, for the province,” Girona coach Michel Sanchez told Movistar.
“Football gives you all the blows sometimes and all we can do is try and pick ourselves up as soon as possible.”
On Sunday, in the final match of the season, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid battle for third place.–AFP
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المصدر: New Straits Times