La Liga: Barcelona end season with 3-1 loss to Valencia; Real Madrid beat Athletic Club 4-2
Valencia, May 24
La Liga champions FC Barcelona ended their season campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Valencia on matchday 38 at Mestalla Stadium on Sunday. On the other hand, Real Madrid ended their season with a 4-2 victory over Athletic Club at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in what was Alvaro Arbeloa's final match as coach, as per ESPN.
Against Barcelona, Valencia started strongly in the first half as Diego Lopez and Hugo Duro threatened, while the Ronald Araujo-led struggled to create clear chances despite dominating possession. Robert Lewandowski came closest before halftime when his header struck the post.
Lewandowski eventually opened the scoring early in the second half, finishing off a volley from Ferran Torres, in what proved to be his final goal for Barcelona. However, Valencia responded brilliantly as Javi Guerra and Luis Rioja scored in quick succession to turn the game around. Guido Rodriguez sealed the victory late on.
In the Real Madrid vs Athletic Club match, the Federico Valverde-led side took the lead in the 12th minute when Gonzalo Garcia finished off an excellent cross from Dani Carvajal on the right flank.
Thiago Pitarch nearly scored himself before his effort was saved by Alex Padilla, but he later set up Madrid's second goal just before halftime with a clever lofted pass into the penalty area. Jude Bellingham controlled the ball brilliantly on his chest before firing a superb left-footed volley into the net.
Athletic Club pulled one back in stoppage time of the first half when Inaki Williams delivered a cross for Gorka Guruzeta to score past Thibaut Courtois.
Early in the second half, Kylian Mbappe restored Madrid's two-goal cushion with a powerful finish after receiving a pass from Alvaro Carreras. Mbappe almost scored again later, but Alex Padilla made an important save.
The match also featured emotional moments as David Alaba and Carvajal, who marked their final appearances for the club, were honoured by teammates and fans during their substitutions.
Brahim Diaz added Madrid's fourth goal after a VAR check confirmed it, while Urko Izeta scored a late consolation goal for Athletic Club. The game also marked the end of Ernesto Valverde's latest spell as Athletic Club manager.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Not a Barcelona fan but watching Real Madrid's young guys shine is exciting. Bellingham's goal was absolutely world-class—first touch and volley, wow. Also nice to see veterans like Carvajal and Alaba getting a proper send-off. Arbeloa's final match as coach winning 4-2 is a great story. La Liga never disappoints for drama.
Watching from Chennai—Barcelona's season felt like a rollercoaster. Champions yes, but losing the last match to Valencia shows the cracks. Araujo struggled today, and without Pedri controlling midfield, we looked disjointed. Respect to Lewandowski for that volley though. Hope the new coach fixes the defense. 🤞
That Mbappe goal was pure power—he's really finding his rhythm in Madrid. But I have to say, the VAR check for Brahim Diaz's goal was a bit tedious. Also, Valverde leaving Athletic Club feels like the end of an era. He did well there. Good season overall for Madrid, but they need to sort out that leaky defense if they want to go far in UCL next year.
In Delhi, woke up early to catch the Barcelona match—disappointing end. It's concerning how we dominated possession yet couldn't convert chances. Valencia's counter-attacks were clinical. On a positive note, Fermin Lopez and some youngsters got minutes, which is good for the future. But honestly, Xavi's tactics in big games need work. Also, happy that Alaba and Carvajal got their farewell moments—true legends. 👏
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