LaLiga
Girona relegated with Mallorca in final day drama
Girona has been relegated from LaLiga along with Mallorca after a nerve-shredding 1-1 home draw with Elche consigned it to the second division, two years after its third-place finish secured UEFA Champions League football.… Show More
Girona has been relegated from LaLiga along with Mallorca after a nerve-shredding 1-1 home draw with Elche consigned it to the second division, two years after its third-place finish secured UEFA Champions League football.
Needing a victory to stay up, Girona fell behind in the first half and although it levelled after the break could not find a winner at a tense Montilivi.
The result left it in the bottom three at the final whistle, joining basement side Real Oviedo in going down.
Mallorca beat visitors Oviedo 3-0 but finished on 42 points alongside Osasuna and Levante and was also relegated after losing the head-to-head tiebreaker between the three clubs.
Five teams from 15th to 19th began the final day still looking nervously over their shoulders, with Oviedo already doomed at the foot of the table.
Mallorca started 19th on 39 points, Girona 18th on 40, while Elche, Osasuna and Levante were above them on 42.
That left all eyes on the afternoon's biggest drama happening in Girona between two teams fighting for survival and Elche struck first with a moment of brilliance from Alvaro Rodriguez in the 39th minute.
With his back to two defenders inside the box, Rodriguez controlled the ball, spun superbly and lashed a fierce effort into the top corner to leave Girona staring into the abyss.
Girona replied in the 48th minute when Arnau Martinez pounced on a rebound after a free-kick, briefly restoring belief among the home supporters. But the late push for a winner brought only frustration and, eventually, silence.
Champion Barcelona, which wrapped up the title two weeks ago ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, ended its campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Valencia. Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 4-2 at Santiago Bernabeu in Dani Carvajal's farewell appearance.
Kylian Mbappe scored in the 51st minute to register his 25th LaLiga goal of the season and finished as the league's top scorer, two goals ahead of Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi.
Celta Vigo secured sixth place and a UEFA Europa League spot with a 1-0 win over Sevilla, while Getafe beat Osasuna 1-0 to finish seventh and claim UEFA Conference League qualification.
Atletico Madrid and Villarreal will wrap up the season in a final LaLiga match on Monday (AEST) that will decide who finishes third and fourth as they are level with 69 points each.
They are nine points ahead of Real Betis, which completes the top-five qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.
Tenth-placed Real Sociedad secured a UEFA Europa League spot by winning the Copa del Rey.
