MADRID — Sevilla will secure
Champions League qualification
with a point against Atletico Madrid on Sunday while the winner would be in
pole position to finish third in La Liga.
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A third consecutive draw at home to Mallorca on
Wednesday saw Sevilla miss out on the chance to seal their place in the top
four but they still need only a draw from their last two games to be sure.
Atletico Madrid’s win away at Elche was enough to
ensure Atleti will be playing in the Champions League next term, despite a
turbulent season for last year’s Spanish champions.
Sevilla sit five points ahead of
Real Betis and hold
the superior head-to-head over their city rivals, so it would take a remarkable
turnaround for their positions to be reversed.
But two wins from their last 10 games leave Sevilla
needing a boost, with reports suggesting
Julen Lopetegui may not continue as
coach next season, after a hugely disappointing few weeks.
The fans at the
Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan whistled when
they failed to break down Mallorca in midweek.
“The fans being angry with the coach when they
doesn’t win is logical,” said Lopetegui.
“I am obviously concerned that we have not won, but
there are two games left and we have to fight for what we have fought for all
season.”
Sevilla have been Real Madrid’s closest challengers
for the majority of the campaign but they fell away in the title race and lost
to Betis in the Copa del Rey before going out to West Ham in the
Europa League.
It means Lopetegui’s team are ending the season with
a whimper and defeat at the Wanda Metropolitano this weekend could create a
nervy finish, if Betis beat struggling Granada at home.
‘Inconsistent’ Atletico
Sevilla play at home to
Athletic Bilbao on the last day while Betis are away at already-crowned
champions Real Madrid, who have been resting players ahead of the Champions
League final against Liverpool on May 28.
Atletico Madrid are away at Real Sociedad to finish
and third is worth securing for Diego Simeone’s side, given positions towards
the top of La Liga earn teams around seven million euros per place.
“It’s been an inconsistent season,” said Simeone on
Wednesday night. “The goal of qualifying for the Champions League has been
achieved, which is very important for the club.”
Atletico are unlikely to catch
Barcelona, who are
five points ahead in second and play away at Getafe on Sunday before finishing
at home to Villarreal.
After a disappointing
April, in which Barca were knocked out of the Europa League by Eintracht
Frankfurt and then lost at home to both Cadiz and Rayo Vallecano, Barca have
picked up, with three consecutive wins against Mallorca, Betis, and Celta Vigo.
Villarreal and
Real Sociedad are both still in the hunt for Europa League qualification and
play each other on Sunday at La Ceramica.
After their
sensational Champions League run came to an end against Liverpool, Villarreal
have bounced back with a draw at home to Sevilla and a thumping 5–1 win over
Rayo.
Real Sociedad,
though, are three points ahead of them in sixth.
At the other end
of the table, two points separate each of Granada, Cadiz, Mallorca, and Alaves,
with Alaves, in 19th, up against bottom club Levante and hoping to keep their
survival hopes alive.
Mallorca are at
home to Rayo while Cadiz host Real Madrid, who will likely rotate again,
although Karim Benzema is one goal away from overtaking Raul to become Madrid’s
second-highest goal scorer of all time.
Benzema’s goal in the
thrashing of Levante on Thursday put him level with Raul on 323 goals for Real
Madrid, with only
Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the pair on 450.
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