The Euro Preview: Copa del Rey final, Serie A’s last matchday closes out the season
The Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Valencia takes center stage and Serie A closes out the season.
La Liga
The Spanish domestic season will officially come to a close Saturday with the Copa del Rey final. Barcelona, looking to win the double, take on Valencia at the Estadio Benito Villamarin in Sevilla.
While Barca enter the game (although goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains questionable after recently suffering a knee injury) as favorites in front of what is expected to be a sellout crowd of 61,000, Valencia have proven a tough opponent during the second half of the season.
For Lionel Messi and his teammates, a win is imperative after crashing out of the Champions League semifinals. Even with a victory, Barca would consider this past season a disappointment.
Ernesto Valverde’s side haven’t been themselves in the last few weeks. Last Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Eibar gave the club their first point ever against Barcelona, although Messi (he scored twice in that game) remains in top form.
Like Bayern Munich in Germany, Barcelona won the league this year but fell short of capturing the Champions League, the trophy of choice for clubs of such magnitude. Winning the double would be no small accomplishment, but Valverde is already looking to the summer transfer market to bring in reinforcements.
A Valencia victory, meanwhile, would mark their first trophy since lifting the Copa del Rey in 2008. A win would also mark the first major piece of silverware for Singaporean business magnate and team owner Peter Lim since taking over the club in 2014.
Serie A
With Juventus already crowned champion and Napoli runners-up for the second straight season, the final matchday in Italy on Sunday will determine the final two Champions League spots.
Atalanta’s 1-1 draw at Juve last Sunday allowed them to leapfrog Inter Milan after the Nerazzurri lost 4-1 at Napoli. With 90 minutes left in the season, both teams are level on points with 66. Atalanta have a better head-to-head record against Inter Milan, which is used as the tiebreaker.
Atalanta host Sassuolo on Sunday, while Inter Milan are at home at the San Siro against Empoli. AC Milan, in fifth with 65 points, also have a mathematical shot at a Champions League spot if they get a result at Spal.
Roma, who are sixth at 63 points, have an outside shot at a Champions League spot should they grab a win at home against Parma at the Stadio Olimpico. The Giallorossi, like Inter, have had an up-and-down season, but may have to settle on a Europa League spot in the end.
In the fight to stay up, Fiorentina, at 40 points, host Genoa, who are three points behind them, with survival at stake for both clubs on Sunday. Fiorentina need a draw to secure their safety. The loser will join relegated sides Frosinone and Chievo Verona in Serie B next season.
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Ligue 1
With PSG champion for the sixth time in the last seven years, France’s top flight closes its season on Friday.
PSG will take another victory lap when they play on the road at Stade Reims, while second-place Lille are away at Rennes.
Striker Kylian Mbappe will need to score four goals if he hopes to win the Golden Shoe as Europe’s top scorer this season. Messi, who won it last season, is currently at 36 goals.
Monaco, who narrowly avoided relegation this season, play at Nice with an eye towards rebuilding over the summer in time for next season. The team last won the league as recently as 2017 and will look to break the PSG hegemony.