Although Barcelona has already secured the Spanish title, there’s still plenty to play for in La Liga’s penultimate round of fixtures. AFP Sport highlights five key talking points ahead of this weekend’s matches.
Villarreal Eyeing Champions League Spot Villarreal are on the brink of clinching fifth place, which would secure Champions League qualification for next season. ‘The Yellow Submarine’ will face Barcelona on Sunday in what promises to be an exciting clash between two sides known for their attacking prowess. With Barcelona’s pressure off after clinching the title, they may adopt a more open, attacking style in front of their jubilant home crowd, especially since it could be their final match at the temporary Olympic stadium. Villarreal come into this match with a five-point lead over sixth-place Real Betis, thanks in large part to Ayoze Perez, who has been in stunning form, scoring 18 goals this season, including seven in his last nine appearances.
Mbappe Continues to Shine While Real Madrid’s season has been largely disappointing, striker Kylian Mbappe has been in sensational form. On Wednesday, he scored his 40th goal of the season across all competitions during their win against Mallorca, taking his La Liga tally to 28 goals—three ahead of Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. Madrid will visit struggling Sevilla on Sunday, who have just secured safety from relegation after a hard-fought win against Las Palmas. Mbappe will be eager to add to his tally and secure the Golden Boot, aiming to finish his first season with Real Madrid on a high.
Leganes in Danger of Relegation Leganes are in a dire fight to avoid relegation, sitting 18th and four points from safety with just two matches remaining. They face Las Palmas on Sunday, needing a win and for 17th-place Alaves to drop points at Valladolid to keep their survival hopes alive. Espanyol, despite their recent loss to Barcelona, still have a five-point buffer above Leganes, which should give them some breathing room.
Real Sociedad’s Farewell to Alguacil Real Sociedad will say goodbye to coach Imanol Alguacil in their final home match of the season against Girona. Alguacil, who led the club to Copa del Rey glory in 2020, has been at the helm for over six seasons. He will be replaced by reserve team coach Sergio Francisco next season. Midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has been linked with both Arsenal and Real Madrid, might also be playing his last match at home for the club.
Celta Vigo’s European Push Claudio Giraldez’s Celta Vigo are hoping to return to European football after an eight-year absence. A victory against Rayo Vallecano, who are also in the running for a Europa League spot, would guarantee them seventh place and secure their qualification. Celta’s last European appearance was in the 2016-17 season, when they made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated by Manchester United.
Fixtures (Sunday, all 1700 GMT): Las Palmas v Leganes, Valladolid v Alaves, Osasuna v Espanyol, Celta Vigo v Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona v Villarreal, Real Sociedad v Girona, Sevilla v Real Madrid, Mallorca v Getafe, Valencia v Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid v Real Betis.
