LaLiga EA Sports Matchday 38: European and relegation positions still to be decided

The 2024/25 LaLiga EA Sports season reaches its conclusion this weekend with Matchday 38, and there is still a lot at stake in this final round.

Although FC Barcelona have already clinched the title, and the top six all know their European tickets are secured, the race to finish seventh and eighth continues, while there is one relegation spot still to be decided too.

The weekend’s action begins on Friday night at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, where Real Betis and Valencia CF face off. Although Champions League football is no longer possible for Los Verdiblancos, they’ll still want to win this match to earn a confidence boost ahead of their upcoming Conference League final against Chelsea.

The fans will surely give the players a terrific send-off, before they travel to Wrocław for that final.

Most of the Matchday 38 fixtures are taking place on a very busy Saturday, starting with the 4:15pm CEST meeting of Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at the Bernabéu.

It’ll be a special match for both clubs, with the two head coaches, Carlo Ancelotti and Imanol Alguacil, overseeing their final games in the dugout before their upcoming summer departures.

Them, at 6:30pm CEST, it’s time to focus on the relegation battle, with two matches taking place simultaneously. CD Leganés currently occupy 18th position, the final relegation spot, but 17th-placed RCD Espanyol are only two points ahead in the table.

Making this final day all the more fascinating is the fact that these two candidates for relegation both have home fixtures against already-relegated clubs, as CD Leganés will host Real Valladolid and RCD Espanyol will welcome UD Las Palmas to Catalonia.

Both sets of home supporters will be nervously checking the result at the other stadium.

After the relegation battle reaches its conclusion, there is another race to solve. At 9pm CEST, the final two European qualification spots will be decided, when Getafe CF v RC Celta, Rayo Vallecano v RCD Mallorca and Deportivo Alavés v CA Osasuna all take place at the same time.

As things stand, RC Celta are seventh and in a Europa League spot, Rayo Vallecano are eighth and in a Conference League berth and CA Osasuna are out of Europe altogether, but the standings could shift multiple times over the course of Saturday night.

Sunday brings up the final three fixtures of the 2024/25 season, starting with Girona FC v Atlético de Madrid. Barring a huge Girona FC victory, Jan Oblak would clinch the Zamora Trophy in this game and would make history, becoming the first player to win this goalkeeping award six times.

Villarreal CF v Sevilla FC is next up and, even though both clubs have already secured their objectives of Champions League football and of staying up, it should be a fun game at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

In each of their past six meetings, both teams have gotten on the scoresheet, so goals are expected as Los Amarillos and Los Rojiblancos close out their seasons.

Then, the final match of the LaLiga EA Sports season involves the newly crowned champions, as FC Barcelona pay a visit to San Mamés to take on Athletic Club. This is one of the most historic fixtures in Spanish football, and a fitting way to round off what has been a truly compelling campaign.

Watch LaLiga EA Sports live this weekend on SuperSport