The Champions League places are sealed in La Liga, but there was still stuff at stake in Spain, where the relegation race will go down to the final game despite one team hauling themselves to safety. This is what it was:
La Liga winners from Matchday 37:
Imanol Alguacil
The Real Sociedad coach is 53 and has been employed by that team (with a few short stints elsewhere) since he was a teenager playing as a right-back. Last month, the coach who is known by his first name alone around San Sebastián announced he was leaving Real Sociedad for new challenges. During his last home game at the Anoeta Stadium, the fans gave him an emotional sendoff. His players then won the match against Girona on a stoppage-time goal teed up by team captain Mikel Oyarzabal for academy graduate Arkaitz Mariezkurrena. They’ll miss Imanol, who coached them to the Copa del Rey in 2020, a Real Sociedad man to the core.
Julián Álvarez
His free kick goal from 25 yards out was Beckhamesque, curving outside the goal posts before bending back in and hitting the top corner, where Adrián’s despairing dive could not reach it. He would later score a second and much simpler goal in Atlético’s brilliant 4-1 triumph.
Pablo Fornals
Not wanting to be left out, the Real Betis midfielder saw Giovani Lo Celso’s pass pop up to him with his body in an awkward position. No worries; the playmaker and former West Ham player just scissor-kicked it past Jan Oblak into Atlético’s goal.
Álex Berenguer
The Athletic Bilbao playmaker looped in a rainbow of a shot to win the game at La Mestalla and lock up Champions League soccer for the Lions next season.
Kike García
Beating below-standard, ill-fated Valladolid may not be much of an achievement, and beating them 1-0 may be even less of one, but the Alavés striker did not falter when his team won a penalty. His goal from the spot gave his team the three points necessary to ensure their survival in Spain’s top flight for another year.
Getafe
The goal drought and the winless streak are both over, as they scored twice in their 2-1 road win over Mallorca. It was their first win and their first game scoring more than one goal since their 4-0 rout of Valladolid in early April.
La Liga losers from Matchday 37:
Real Betis
They needed a Villarreal loss to have any chance at the Champions League, but the Yellow Submarine took advantage of Barcelona locking up the league title as well as a brilliant chipped goal by Santi Comesaña on a breakaway and some great saves by Luiz Júnior. Villarreal’s 3-2 win locks Betis into a Europa League spot. That isn’t chopped liver, but they were hoping for more.
Espanyol
Neither Leganés’ win over Las Palmas nor Espanyol’s loss to Osasuna are unexpected results in themselves. Nevertheless, that combination of results means that los periquitos are still in danger of the drop. If Espanyol beat Las Palmas in the final game, they’re safe. Any dropped points in that game will open the door for Leganés, who will expect to win their final match against in-mourning, ill-starred Valladolid.
Sevilla
Defending against Real Madrid is already hard enough without giving them an 11-on-9 advantage. That’s what the home team did at the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán, with Loïc Badé being sent off for fouling Kylian Mbappé on a breakaway in the 12th minute, then Isaac Romero also getting an early shower for a potential leg-breaker on Aurélien Tchouaméni. It looked like Real would fail to score despite spending almost the entire second half two men up, but they did finally find two goals through Mbappé and Jude Bellingham for an embarrassment-averting win.