News
TUE 22.04.2025
It was a week of important matches for Spanish clubs, in LALIGA EA SPORTS and in the various UEFA competitions. Below comes a summary of the main headlines from the past seven days.
FC Barcelona win a seven-goal thriller against RC Celta
FC Barcelona picked up three more points in Matchday 32, but it waEstadi Olímpicy against an RC Celta side that scored three goals thanks to a Borja Iglesias hat-trick. At one point, the Galicians led 3-1 at the Estadi Olímpic, but Barça fought back to win 4-3 thanks to a 98th-minute Raphinha penalty.
Valverde saves Real Madrid against Athletic Club
It had looked like Real Madrid might fall further behind FC Barcelona in the title race, but a thunderous 93rd-minute strike by Fede Valverde earned Los Blancos a 1-0 victory over Athletic Club on Sunday night. That means the gap at the top remains at just four points, with ELCLASICO still to come in Matchday 35.
UD Las Palmas climb out of the relegation zone
Looking at the other end of the table, there was movement in the relegation zone this past week as UD Las Palmas achieved an impressive 1-0 victory over Atlético de Madrid thanks to a late Javi Muñoz goal. That pulled the Canary Islanders up to 17th, while Deportivo Alavés – who drew 1-1 with Sevilla FC – have fallen down to 18th.
RCD Espanyol make it three wins in a row
One team who were at risk of relegation but who have built up a cushion is RCD Espanyol. The Catalan outfit have now won three matches in a row and are the most in-form team in LALIGA EA SPORTS for April. Their most recent win was a 1-0 victory over Getafe CF on Friday night, secured thanks to a goal by Marash Kumbulla.
Budimir adds to his scoring tally
CA Osasuna managed to overcome bottom-placed Real Valladolid 3-2 on Sunday, in a back-and-forth game which had Ante Budimir as Los Rojillos’ hero. The Croatian scored two of the goals, taking his tally for the season to 18 league goals, the third-most in the competition behind Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappé.
Joaquín Caparrós begins with a draw
In what was the first game with Joaquín Caparrós back in the dugout, Sevilla FC could only manage a 1-1 draw at home against Deportivo Alavés. It’s the fourth stint in charge of the club for the 69-year-old and he’ll hope to steer the club clear of the threat of relegation.
Spain has a representative in the semis of all three UEFA competitions
There was a big midweek of European action last week, and there was good news for several Spanish clubs. FC Barcelona reached the Champions League semi-finals, Athletic Club made it to the final four of the Europa League and Real Betis are one of the last four standing in the Conference League. As such, LALIGA EA SPORTS has a representative in the semi-finals of all three of the UEFA competitions.
LALIGA EA SPORTS now has five Champions League spots
As a result of Spanish clubs’ strong results in Europe this season, LALIGA EA SPORTS has earned an extra Champions League berth for the 2025/26 edition. As things stands, this directly benefits Villarreal CF, who currently sit fifth in the table. But, Real Betis are just behind and will be battling for that Champions League ticket too.
Íñigo Pérez renews with Rayo Vallecano
With Rayo Vallecano having had another successful season, the club and coach Íñigo Pérez have agreed to extend his contract until the end of the 2025/26 season. The 37-year-old took over halfway through the 2023/24 season and has helped continue the team’s growth.
LALIGA EA SPORTS clubs prepare for a midweek round
Spanish clubs are already preparing for Matchday 33, which takes place over the course of this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. There are some big fixtures coming up, such as Madrid derbies between Getafe CF and Real Madrid and between Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, as well as FC Barcelona vs RCD Mallorca at the Estadi Olímpic.
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