MADRID (AP) — The Barcelona dispatched Rayo Vallecano 3-0 on Sunday to secure lucrative second place in the Spanish League, while the defending champion (Real Madrid) tied 4-4 with the Villarreal in a match in which the Norwegian attacker Alexander Sorloth scored a poker of goals for the Yellow Submarine.
There will be practically nothing to define on the last date next weekend, since Cádiz was condemned with the last relegation by drawing 0-0 at home against Las Palmas. Real Sociedad sealed the last ticket to the Europa League after winning 2-0 away against Real Betis, which consoled itself with a place in the Conference League.
To the tune of a double from Pedri and a goal from Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona maintained a four-point lead over its Catalan rival Girona with one date left to play. Girona emerged victorious 3-1 from its visit to Valencia to secure third place, the best result in its history. They had already confirmed their presence in the next Champions League.
For its part, Atlético de Madrid will finish fourth after losing at home 4-1 against Osasuna located in the middle of the table.
SORLOTH’S POKER
Sorloth scored a couple of goals with headers from the heart of the area at 39 and 48 minutes. He completed his great display by scoring in the 52nd and 56th.
Madrid dominated the duel after scoring four times in the first half with a double from Arda Güler at 14 and 45+2. Joselu celebrated with a header into the nets at 30 and Lucas Vázquez also celebrated at 40.
With his performance, Sorloth was at the top of the scoring table with 23 goals, two more than the Ukrainian Artem Dovbyk of Girona.
Güler scored six goals, five of which have been in the five most recent games, after his first double as a merengue.
Madrid saw its winning streak that lasted nine days broken. But they maintain 31 dates without defeat to improve the streak of 30 that they had established in 1988-1989, when they were directed by the Dutch Leo Beenhakker.
The meringues reached 94 points and on the last day – against Betis – they will seek to impose their second best historical mark of points of reaching 97, which would leave behind the harvest of 96 from 2009-2010 and would only be behind the 100 that the whites conquered in 2011-2012 and Barça in 2012-2013.
Madrid had several rotations and defender Eder Militao, who has been active for a month after recovering from a torn cruciate ligament in his knee, was the most exhibited with Sorloth’s performance.
Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was once again a starter to accept four goals for the first time this season, after Thibaut Courtois had played in the previous three games.
The meringues have the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in mind.
Villarreal occupies eighth position with 52 points.
Source: AP
