BARCELONA, Spain — Girona and Mallorca's La Liga lives ended on Saturday, and neither had the luck required to survive. Girona needed a win at home against Elche and settled for 1-1. Mallorca beat Real Oviedo 3-0 but still dropped into the bottom three, undone by goal difference against Osasuna and Levante. Both clubs join last-placed Real Oviedo in the second division next season.
The result at Montilivi spared Elche, whose draw ensured safety. For Girona, the irony was sharp: a club that finished third just two seasons ago couldn't manage one more victory when it mattered most.
The numbers are doing most of the announcement work here, which is usually how teams prefer it.
"I am torn up. It's our fault we are going down," Mallorca midfielder Sergi Darder said.
Celta Vigo locked sixth place and a Europa League spot by beating Sevilla 1-0. Getafe earned Conference League qualification by winning 1-0 at Osasuna.
Robert Lewandowski finished his Barcelona chapter with a goal in a 3-1 loss at Valencia. The 37-year-old striker scored his 120th goal for the club in his final match before the summer departure both sides agreed to. Barcelona clinched the title with three rounds remaining.
Across the city, Dani Carvajal received a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu before weeping on the bench in his last game for Real Madrid. The 34-year-old right back assisted Gonzalo García for the opener in a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, with Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé adding the rest. Carvajal helped Madrid win six Champions Leagues since 2013 as first-choice right back — until Trent Alexander-Arnold arrived this season.
"Today I can't stop recalling the golden age we shared," Carvajal told the crowd when handed a microphone after the game.
Coach Álvaro Arbeloa also exited, four months after replacing Xabi Alonso. He couldn't reverse a Madrid season that finished without a trophy. Spanish media reports suggest José Mourinho is close to returning. Defender David Alaba played his final match for the club.
Former Chelsea captain César Azpilicueta, 36, retired when Sevilla visited Celta. He helped Chelsea win two Premier Leagues and the 2021 Champions League.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis had already secured the top five spots and Champions League berths before the final round. The season concludes Sunday with Atletico at Villarreal to settle third place.
The bottom line
Girona and Mallorca both lost their relegation battles despite winning and drawing respectively — the mathematics of survival proved crueler than the effort. Lewandowski left Barcelona with goals but no trophy this term, while Carvajal's Bernabeu farewell closed a chapter even the most devoted Madridista will struggle to replace overnight.
One Last Read On The Result
This is the kind of move that looks administrative until the calendar catches up. Then it becomes a clue about what the team thinks is coming next.