The top four spots in LaLiga were sealed on May 15 after Sevilla drew with Atletico Madrid, ensuring their place in the UEFA Champions League next season. Meanwhile, champions Real Madrid drew in an away fixture against Cadiz and second-placed Barcelona dropped points at Getafe.
While it hasn’t been the best of seasons for previous year’s champions Atletico, they did, at least, confirm their spot in the subsequent edition of the UEFA Champions League last week with a win over mid-table Elche. With three slots gone, the race to qualify for Europe’s premier competition came down to rivals Sevilla and Real Betis – and the former prevailed when they drew 1-1 against Los Rojiblancos through a late goal from Youssef En-Nesyri.
Jose Gimenez gave Atletico the lead in the 30th minute by flicking in a Yannick Carrasco corner. The Rojiblancos probed for the insurance goal from then on, with Luis Suarez going close in his final game at the Metropolitano. Meanwhile, Sevilla persisted, and En-Nesyri hit the bar in the 80th minute. Nevertheless, just five minutes later, the Moroccan forward powered a header past Jan Oblak, ensuring that the spoils were shared and the spots were sealed.
Elsewhere, this season’s champions Real Madrid faced a relegation-threatened Cadiz, and led five minutes into the match, when Rodrygo created the opening by charging down to the byline and pulling the ball back for Mariano Diaz to score. At the other end, reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin handed a rare start in place of Thibaut Courtois, kept Oussama Idrissi out with a fingertip save in the 35th minute. However, striker Ruben Sobrino powered a shot in off the crossbar in the very next attack, and the two sides went into the break level.
The Ukrainian conceded a penalty on the hour-mark by taking out Alvaro Negredo inside the box. However, the custodian made amends by denying the Spaniard from the spot, confirming that the game finished 1-1.
Barcelona, too, faced a side with the threat of relegation hanging above their head: Getafe. But, the pair played out an uneventful game with little to separate them and very few clear-cut opportunities, which did, in the end, confirm Getafe’s top-flight status for another season and ensured Barcelona of a second-place finish.
