The penultimate week of the La Liga season delivered all that the Spanish top tier has to offer – tear-jerking farewells, nail-biting survival fights and enough results to leave more than a handful of clubs pleading for a helping hand from their rivals. With just one game to play, the relegation picture remains agonizingly opaque.
Griezmann Departs the Metropolitano With a Bang
The most emotionally charged occasion of the week had absolutely nothing to do with who was going to lift the title. Antoine Griezmann, who holds the title of Atletico Madrid’s all-time leading scorer and is one of the most adored figures in the modern history of the club, took to the Metropolitano turf for the final time at his home ground before sealing a move to MLS side Orlando City.
He was seen at the beginning of the week, visibly emotional, and the stadium seemed to mirror his emotion.
In his 500th appearance for Los Rojiblancos, Griezmann continued to be the game-changer he always was, scoring the only goal of a 1-0 win over a Girona side desperately trying to escape the relegation zone.
After the game a teammate said in the dressing room, “When things were tough in difficult times it was always Antoine who turned up and made us smile.” That summed it all up nicely. A perfectly fitting finale for a legend who had played over the course of generations of Atletico fans and made sure they had memories to treasure forever.
There’s only one week to go, and Girona sit precariously in 18th, and will surely see their time in the top flight end if they fail to grab a win in their last outing.
Vallecas says Ciao to Trejo
It wasn’t only at Atletico that fans said farewell to an aging icon this weekend, Oscar Trejo, Rayo Vallecano’s veteran midfielder, received a hero’s send-off at the Vallecas in what would be his last performance at home for the team. The home side put on a display of resilience to beat third placed Villarreal 2-0, which, on the face of it, wasn’t massively significant to the table, but was crucial for the fans, and importantly, the player.
This kind of story is exactly what brings life and meaning to the last week or so of a league campaign, with the title already won and all the European places mostly filled, it’s up to these individual battles to provide a captivating finale.
Mbappe Starts as Vinicius Strikes
It may be the last week of the season, and they may not have much to play for apart from pride and potential bragging rights in what will go down as another trophyless year for Los Blancos. However, Real Madrid travelled to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan with the intent to leave their mark, after suffering disappointment year after year without the required success in major competitions over the last few seasons.
It was a tough pill for Mbappe to swallow days earlier when coach Alvaro Arbeloa told him he was “fourth forward” and that his performances over the previous couple of matches weren’t enough. It didn’t take Arbeloa long to hand him a starting shirt for the trip to Sevilla.
The French superstar would not be a goal threat but he contributed in a significant way when he cushioned a cross down to Vinicius Junior to powerfully strike into the net, securing the all-important goal. This was enough to put Madrid ahead and although Mbappe would have a goal disallowed and round the goalkeeper to poke into an empty net but get flagged offside, Franco Mastantuono cannoned one against the post from outside the box.
Arbeloa took the news of their trophy-less campaign relatively in his stride, “Today it was Vini’s turn, but Kylian did his job very well, we’ll see how he gets on next week,” Arbeloa said to a couple of journalists who were waiting for a word. He continued with one of the few really honest comments about the season, “We’re aware that we haven’t achieved the results we were looking for this season.”
With Sevilla getting the job done, there is very little for them to play for with other results guaranteeing safety.
Mallorca Hanging by a Thread
Arguably the most important battle of the weekend took place at Levante’s Ciutat de València stadium in what could only be described as a relegation 6-pointer, it was chaotic, and included sending-offs.
Levante’s 2-0 win pulled them out of the relegation zone and up to 15th position, but their victory was heartbreaking for Mallorca who still lie in 19th and can’t even save themselves without a helping hand.
Carlos Espi got the home side underway and, after red cards for Roger Brugue and Johan Mojica for hair pulling, Kervin Arriaga scored another header to complete the victory and put an enormous dent in Mallorca’s survival hopes.
The final day sees Mallorca travel to bottom side Real Oviedo who are already confirmed to be relegated, but a win there might not be enough depending on results around them.
Elche Boost Survival Hopes
Elche continue to fight for survival at the bottom of the table and will be boosted by a 1-0 win over Getafe which has put them into 17th and a single point above Girona. The two sides are set to clash in a winner takes all battle on the final day of the season.
The teams’ fates could come down to this very match.
Espanyol, Alaves and the Rest Secure Safety
Other sides near the bottom of the table were able to make sure their survival in the top flight of Spain. Espanyol were inspired by an 18-match winless run coming to an end with a 2-1 victory against Osasuna – two consecutive wins mean that they have finally sealed their fate. Alaves sealed their safety with a 1-0 win over the aforementioned relegated side Real Oviedo after a rollercoaster campaign that went right to the wire.
It was goals galore at the Mestalla, with Valencia thrashing Real Sociedad 4-3 and confirming themselves of a top half finish and a position in 9th place whereas Celta Vigo earned European football next season thanks to a draw against Athletic Bilbao which confirmed their position in 8th place of the league table.
Just One Game To Go
With Barcelona already crowned La Liga champions and set to play Real Betis at home on the final day of the season (Betis already assured a Champions League spot), there is a real sense of drama and urgency in the bottom half of the league table.
Mallorca, Girona and Elche are all still battling it out for their league survival and it promises to be an electrifying finale to an unforgettable season.
Only 90 minutes remain. La Liga will have its final verdict next weekend.
