Valencia in Champions League, Eibar, Almeria relegated

Image
AFP Madrid
Last Updated : May 24 2015 | 9:13 AM IST
Valencia sealed their place in next season's Champions League as Eibar and Almeria were relegated on a dramatic final day of the La Liga season.
Deportivo La Coruna came back from 2-0 down away at champions Barcelona to spoil a homage to Xavi Hernandez at the Camp Nou and stay up with a 2-2 draw along with Granada who held Atletico Madrid 0-0 at home yesterday.
That point was enough to ensure Atletico go straight into next season's Champions League group stages in third, whilst Valencia twice came from behind to win 3-2 at Almeria and secure fourth.
Eibar's remarkable first season in the top flight didn't have fairy tale ending as they were relegated despite just a second win in 20 matches 3-0 at home to Cordoba due to their inferior head-to-head record with Deportivo and Granada.
Athletic Bilbao also secured European football for next season in the Europa League thanks to a 4-0 thrashing of Villarreal.
Xavi was making his 505th and final Liga appearance after announcing he will join Al Sadd at the end of the season after Barca face Athletic Bilbao and Juventus in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals respectively.
"I am the happiest man in the world today and for the 17 season I have been here," he told the crowd after fighting back tears.
"As the coach has said this hasn't finished. We want two more titles and we want to be here with you all again in Barcelona on June 7 (after the Champions League final)."
Barca looked set to save Eibar for much of the day Lionel Messi headed home Rafinha's cross to give the hosts the lead after just five minutes.
The Catalans dominated for large swaths of the game and looked to have sealed the Galicians fate when Neymar unselfishly squared for Messi to make it 2-0 on the hour mark.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 24 2015 | 9:13 AM IST

Next Story