Real Madrid finish a shaky La Liga campaign with a win as Mallorca and Girona are relegated.

Real Madrid concluded a difficult La Liga campaign with a 4‑2 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the final match of the season, which also marked the last game for manager Álvaro Arbeloa. Meanwhile, Mallorca and Girona were relegated from the Spanish top flight on Saturday.

In the last round of fixtures, Mallorca beat already‑relegated Real Oviedo 3‑0, bringing their total to 42 points, but this was insufficient to keep them above the drop zone.

Girona were held to a 1‑1 draw by Elche, a result that preserved the visitors’ status and condemned the Catalan side to relegation, just one season after competing in the Champions League.

Veteran Polish striker Robert Lewandowski scored for champions Barcelona in his final match for the club, but goals from Javi Guerra, Luis Rioja and Guido Rodríguez secured a 3‑1 win for Valencia.

Celta Vigo secured Europa League qualification with a 1‑0 win over Sevilla to finish sixth, while Getafe earned a seventh‑place finish and a Conference League berth with a 1‑0 victory against Osasuna.

Dani Carvajal, playing his last game for Real Madrid, delivered a spectacular pass to Gonzalo García, who fired the second‑place hosts ahead against Athletic.

England international Jude Bellingham scored a superb second, before Gorka Guruzeta slipped past Thibaut Courtois for Athletic’s visitor side just before halftime in the coach’s final game at the helm.

La Liga’s top scorer Kylian Mbappé finished from outside the area for Real’s third goal, his 25th of the season in the top flight.

– Carvajal’s goodbye –

When Carvajal was substituted with ten minutes remaining, both teams presented the 34‑year‑old with a guard of honour as he bid an emotional farewell to the Santiago Bernabéu.

Morocco international Brahim Díaz tucked home a fourth late on as Madrid were able to finish a disappointing, trophy‑less campaign on a high note, despite Urko Izeta pulling another back for Athletic.

“We haven’t had two easy seasons but I am sure we will come back to win, this is Real Madrid,” said a tearful Carvajal, who won 27 trophies with the club.

The defender thanked his teammates past and present, president Florentino Pérez, his family and the fans in an emotional speech on the pitch.

“I am very proud of being a Madridista, thank you for the impossible comebacks, being here in the good times and bad,” he added.

“I just hope that when you remember me it is with pride and that I gave everything for this shirt.”

Levante survived in 16th and Osasuna in 17th despite defeats, finishing on 42 points – the same tally as relegated Mallorca in 18th – because of head‑to‑head results between the three sides.

“I’m broken, I want to say sorry to everyone,” said Mallorca midfielder Sergi Darder.

Girona, who qualified for Europe’s premier competition in 2024, stayed up by a single point last season but were held to a draw by Elche, which condemned them to the second division.

Arnau Martínez pulled Girona level after Álvaro Rodríguez fired Elche ahead, but it was not enough to survive.

On Sunday, in the final match of the season, Villarreal and Atlético Madrid battled for third place.

AFP

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