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It may be unusual, but all 38th round matches of the Spanish championship ("La Liga") will be played on Sunday. The main battle in this round will take place for the 17th place, which guarantees survival in the league, and for the 6th place, which secures the right to play in the UEFA Cup next year.
Here is a brief overview of the round.
Start: 20:00 Lithuanian time
These matches will be more of a battle for pride, although "Deportivo" still has hopes to rise to the third spot on the table if "Real" loses to "Sociedad". Meanwhile, "Racing" has already secured their place in the league and a loss in these matches would not mean anything to them.
Start: 20:00 Lithuanian time
"Malaga", under very favorable circumstances, has hopes to secure a place in the UEFA Cup next year. However, it would be more like a miracle. "Betis" currently holds the 10th place on the table and no longer has anything to fight for.
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
Whether "Celta" stays in the top division or not depends not only on themselves - even if they win these matches, they cannot be certain of survival - a condition is the failure of "Espanyol". These matches do not have much significance for the "Mallorca" team, but this Balearic Islands team is currently on the rise - a 3-2 victory against "Real" followed by a 4-2 victory against "Espanyol".
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
The fate of "Espanyol" is in their own hands. They just need to win against the team that jumped out in the last round, "Murcia", who defeated "Real" 2-1, and stay in the top division next season.
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
"Sevilla" can secure a place in the UEFA Cup next year by winning this match and having "Villarreal" fail. For most of the season, "Osasuna" has surprised with a good game, but at the end of the season, they fell to the 11th place.
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
The "Yellow Submarine" has excellent positions to play in the UEFA Cup next year. They currently hold the 6th place and, with favorable results in other matches, can secure a spot. Meanwhile, the situation for "Valladolid" is completely different - they must win and hope for failures from "Celta" and "Espanyol", or they will have to play in the second division of Spain next year.
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
"Real", having had the worst season in the last five years, has the opportunity to finish the season with a victory. The main motivation for these matches could be the news about Samuel's contribution to the team next season, and about Beckham's fate. These matches are likely to be the last for "Real" coach Carlos Queiroz, as Camacho's arrival seems to be just a matter of time - even the last purchase of "Real" is unofficially considered the decision of the new coach. However, the task of winning in these matches may be too difficult, as they will not be able to play suspended Salgado, Beckham, Zidane, and Gutis, as well as injured Cambiasso and Raul Bravo. In "Sociedad", we probably won't see the recovery from injury of Xabi Alonso, and for the team's veteran Russian Valery Karpin, this is likely to be the last match wearing "Sociedad" jersey, as the player is likely to end his football career.
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
These matches may not determine anything, but the teams will strive to finish a great season on a high note. Considering that after these matches, there will be an official award ceremony for the winners of the Spanish championship, a victory for "Valencia" in the matches seems to be a required element. These matches will be the last for the "Albacete" player, Frenchman Laurent Viaud, who intends to become a referee.
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
If "Sevilla" does not lose, and "Villarreal" loses, the chance to enter the UEFA Cup next year will depend only on the "Atletico" players themselves, who face a very difficult match against Bilbao "Athletic" team that has already secured a place in the UEFA Cup next year.
Start: 22:00 Lithuanian time
"Barcelona", having lost only once in the last 19 matches, has a great opportunity to finish in the second place on the table, which would secure them a spot directly in next year's Champions League, without any qualifying matches. This year's winners of the Spanish King's Cup - the players of "Zaragoza" - significantly complicated "Atletico's" hopes of playing in the UEFA Cup next year with their victory in the cup. This should make "Barca" look at their opponents more seriously. Even five "Barca" players will play on Sunday, regardless of the friendly match between the Catalonia and Brazil national teams on Tuesday.
