La Liga Roundup, Matchday 34
The 34th round of La Liga has concluded, featuring exciting matches, impressive player performances, and surprising outcomes. Here is a summary of the La Liga games from matchday 34.
Getafe 0-2 Athletic Bilbao
Two goals by Iñaki Williams and two assists by Nico Williams helped Athletic Club secure a 2-0 victory over Getafe, despite being reduced to nine men. This win boosted their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and ended a streak of four winless LaLiga matches. Getafe’s spirited performance was not enough to earn them any points, making it unlikely for them to secure European qualification with only four games left in the season.
Real Sociedad 2-0 Las Palmas
Real Sociedad solidified their chances of finishing in the top six of La Liga for the fifth consecutive season by comfortably defeating Las Palmas 2-0 at the Reale Arena. This victory marked Las Palmas’ 10th consecutive winless league match. Las Palmas has not won any away matches against top-eight teams this season and has failed to score in each of these matches. On the other hand, Real Sociedad secured a crucial win with four games remaining, marking only their second victory in 12 matches at San Sebastián.
Real Madrid 3-0 Cadiz
Real Madrid has won their 36th LaLiga title after they defeated Cádiz 3-0 with a standout performance from Brahim Díaz, extending Cádiz’s winless away streak to 22 matches. Despite a close call when Ledesma saved a header from Militão, Cádiz ultimately succumbed to a goal in stoppage time. Cádiz’s fate in La Liga is uncertain, while Real Madrid secured the title, when Barcelona lost their match.
Girona 4-2 Barcelona
Girona moved ahead of Barcelona into second place in the standings by defeating their Catalan rivals 2-1, achieving their first-ever league double over the Blaugrana. This outcome also confirmed Real Madrid as the champions of the 2023/24 La Liga season. Portu then took center stage, scoring two goals in quick succession, including a remarkable volley from outside the penalty box. This marked a significant defeat for Barcelona, who may now face the possibility of finishing below their Catalan rivals in La Liga for the first time in history.
Mallorca 0-1 Atletico Madrid
Atlético Madrid secured only their second victory on the road in 10 matches across all competitions by narrowly defeating a lackluster Mallorca 1-0 at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix. The match was not particularly exciting for neutral fans, but Diego Simeone, focused on results, will be pleased with the outcome as his team now sits six points ahead of Athletic Club in the race for the final UCL qualification spot. On the other hand, Mallorca remains six points clear of Cádiz in 18th place. While this defeat is not catastrophic, it leaves Mallorca’s top-tier status uncertain with four matches left in the season.
Osasuna 0-2 Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié secured a 2-0 win against a 10-man CA Osasuna, marking Osasuna’s sixth loss in seven LaLiga games. This victory adds to Betis’ dominance over Osasuna in their previous 11 head-to-head encounters. With four matches left in the season, Betis is closely chasing Sociedad. On the other hand, Osasuna has no chance of qualifying for European competitions and is solely playing for pride as they are comfortably safe from relegation.
Celta Vigo 3-2 Villarreal
Celta Vigo secured a crucial 3-2 win over Villarreal in La Liga, boosting their chances of avoiding relegation. This victory, their third at home in the last four games, saw Anastasios Douvikas score a decisive goal shortly after coming on as a substitute. The win lifted Celta to 15th place and put them eight points clear of the relegation zone with just four matches remaining. Meanwhile, Villarreal’s hopes of qualifying for Europe took a hit as they fell seven points behind the top seven teams.
Valencia 0-1 Alaves
Deportivo Alavés secured their place in LaLiga for the next season by winning their third consecutive game without allowing any goals. They defeated Valencia 1-0 at the Mestalla, moving up to 11th place in the league standings. On the other hand, Valencia is experiencing a rough patch, suffering their third straight league loss for the first time since February 2023. They are now five points behind Real Betis in the race for a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Sevilla 3-0 Granada
Sevilla continued their unbeaten streak to six games (winning five and drawing one) with a comfortable 3-0 win over struggling Granada at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. Sevilla’s worries about relegation are now a thing of the past after a poor start to the season, and this victory ensures they cannot finish in the bottom three. On the other hand, Granada is in a precarious position, especially with tough matches against Real Madrid and Girona remaining. It seems unlikely that they will be able to avoid relegation, and they are already preparing for life in the second division.
Rayo Vallecano 0-1 Almeria
Goalkeeper Luís Maximiano put on an outstanding performance to help UD Almería secure only their second La Liga victory of the season. Despite being already relegated, Almería managed to win 1-0 against Rayo Vallecano with a resilient defensive display. Maximiano, determined to keep a clean sheet after a long stretch of games, made crucial saves including a stunning stop from Miguel Crespo, a denial of Raúl de Tomás from close range, and a parry of Bebé’s deflected free-kick. These saves proved to be pivotal as Rayo failed to capitalize on further opportunities, leaving them still uncertain of safety in the league standings with an eight-point cushion above the relegation zone and four matches left to play.
