Madrid (AFP) – Sevilla will safe Champions League qualification with a degree towards Atletico Madrid on Sunday whereas the winner can be in pole place to complete third in La Liga.
A 3rd consecutive draw at house to Mallorca on Wednesday noticed Sevilla miss out on the possibility to seal their place within the high 4 however they nonetheless want solely a draw from their final two video games to make sure.
Atletico Madrid’s win away at Elche was sufficient to make sure Atleti will likely be enjoying within the Champions League subsequent time period, regardless of a turbulent season for final 12 months’s Spanish champions.
Sevilla sit 5 factors forward of Actual Betis and maintain the superior head-to-head over their metropolis rivals, so it could take a exceptional turnaround for his or her positions to be reversed.
However two wins from their final 10 video games depart Sevilla needing a lift, with studies suggesting Julen Lopetegui could not proceed as coach subsequent season, after a vastly disappointing few weeks.
The followers on the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan whistled once they failed to interrupt down Mallorca in midweek.
“The followers being offended with the coach once they doesn’t win is logical,” mentioned Lopetegui.
“I’m clearly involved that now we have not gained, however there are two video games left and now we have to combat for what now we have fought for all season.”
Sevilla have been Actual Madrid’s closest challengers for almost all of the marketing campaign however they fell away within the title race and misplaced to Betis within the Copa del Rey earlier than going out to West Ham within the Europa League.
It means Lopetegui’s staff are ending the season with a whimper and defeat on the Wanda Metropolitano this weekend might create a nervy end, if Betis beat struggling Granada at house.
– ‘Inconsistent’ Atletico –
Sevilla play at house to Athletic Bilbao on the final day whereas Betis are away at already-crowned champions Actual Madrid, who’ve been resting gamers forward of the Champions League closing towards Liverpool on Could 28.
Atletico Madrid are away at Actual Sociedad to complete and third is value securing for Diego Simeone’s aspect, given positions in direction of the highest of La Liga earn groups round seven million euros per place.
“It’s been an inconsistent season,” mentioned Simeone on Wednesday evening. “The aim of qualifying for the Champions League has been achieved, which is essential for the membership.”
Atletico are unlikely to catch Barcelona, who’re 5 factors forward in second and play away at Getafe on Sunday earlier than ending at house to Villarreal.
After a disappointing April, through which Barca had been knocked out of the Europa League by Eintracht Frankfurt after which misplaced at house to each Cadiz and Rayo Vallecano, Barca have picked up, with three consecutive wins towards Mallorca, Betis and Celta Vigo.
Villarreal and Actual Sociedad are each nonetheless within the hunt for Europa League qualification and play one another on Sunday at La Ceramica.
After their sensational Champions League run got here to an finish towards Liverpool, Villarreal have bounced again with a draw at house to Sevilla and a thumping 5-1 win over Rayo.
Actual Sociedad, although, are three factors forward of them in sixth.
On the different finish of the desk, two factors separate every of Granada, Cadiz, Mallorca and Alaves, with Alaves, in nineteenth, up towards backside membership Levante and hoping to maintain their survival hopes alive.
Mallorca are at house to Rayo whereas Cadiz host Actual Madrid, who will doubtless rotate once more, though Karim Benzema is one aim away from overtaking Raul to turn out to be Madrid’s second highest goalscorer of all time.
Benzema’s aim within the thrashing of Levante on Thursday put him degree with Raul on 323 objectives for Actual Madrid, with solely Cristiano Ronaldo forward of the pair on 450.
Fixtures (GMT)
Saturday
Espanyol v Valencia (1630)
Sunday (all 1730)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna, Atletico Madrid v Sevilla, Actual Betis v Granada, Celta Vigo v Elche, Mallorca v Rayo Vallecano, Getafe v Barcelona, Cadiz v Actual Madrid, Levante v Alaves, Villarreal v Actual Sociedad
