A Career Built on Details
Robert Lewandowski walked off Camp Nou one last time on Sunday, tossed into the air by his teammates after Barcelona closed out an immaculate home campaign with a 3-1 win over Real Betis.
Two goals from Raphinha and another by João Cancelo made it 19 wins from 19 La Liga matches at home — a perfect season the Catalan club didn't need to beg anyone to believe in. The record did not need much decoration; it already did the talking.
The Polish striker, leaving after four seasons, finishes with 119 goals in 192 appearances for Barcelona. He helped the club win three Spanish league titles in that span and one Copa del Rey. Sunday's win was merely the latest.
The Record He Leaves
"It's been an honor to play for this club," Lewandowski told the crowd. "We enjoyed some great moments in these four years. I'm very proud of everything we've achieved together. Today I say goodbye, but I will always carry Barcelona in my heart."
Elsewhere, Antoine Griezmann also got his own farewell at the Metropolitano, scoring in a 1-0 win over Girona before leaving for Major League Soccer. The Frenchman is Atletico's all-time leading scorer, and on Sunday he apologized again to the home fans for once leaving for Barcelona.
"I didn't realize how much I loved you here," Griezmann said. "I was very young. I made a mistake, I reconsidered, and we did everything we could to come back and enjoy it again."
The Part People Remember
Coach Diego Simeone called him "possibly the best one to have ever played here" — high praise from a man not known for handing it out freely.
Real Madrid kept things interesting at the other end of the table, beating Sevilla 1-0 at home with a Vinícius Júnior goal. Kylian Mbappé started the match three days after being told he was the team's fourth-choice striker by coach Álvaro Arbeloa. Sevilla survived anyway, escaping relegation thanks to other results going their way.
The relegation picture remains tight heading into the final round: Levante, Osasuna, Elche, Girona and Mallorca all have work to do. Levante moved to 15th with 42 points after beating Mallorca 2-0.