Africa-Press – Eritrea. La Liga comes to an end this weekend with a final round of matches where nothing to play for other than pride, as every major question already been decided.
League champions Real Madrid will use their home game against Betis on Saturday to make the final preparations for the Champions League final the following weekend.
The game will also give fans in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium the chance to say ‘goodbye’ to midfielder Toni Kroos, who announced his retirement earlier this week.
Barcelona end the season away to Sevilla, in what is increasingly looking to be the final game of Xavi Hernandez’s two-and-a-half years in charge.
Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco were in London on Wednesday to reportedly speak to former Germany and Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick over replacing Xavi at the club, and Xavi is likely to be sacked next week.
With Barca also needing to sell players to finance any new signings, several players could also make their last appearances, with Ronald Araujo reportedly the subject of interest from Chelsea.
One player hoping the background noise doesn’t affect the team is goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen, who has a chance of finishing the season with the best goalkeeping record in La Liga.
Ter Stegen is competing against Athletic Club Bilbao’s Unai Simon and Alex Remiro at Real Sociedad for the ‘Zamora Trophy’, although Simon is currently in the lead and will take the honour if he can keep a clean sheet for 60 minutes against Rayo Vallecano.
The ‘Pichichi’ award for the top-scorer in La Liga is also up for grabs in the final weekend, with Villarreal forward, Alexander Sorloth’s four goals against Real Madrid last weekend putting him ahead of Girona’s Artem Dovbyk.
Sorloth has 23 goals and can add to them when his side visit Osasuna, where Jagoba Arrasate has his last game as coach before his expected move to Mallorca.
Dovbyk, who has 21 goals, has the chance to put the pressure on Sorloth when Girona end their magnificent season at home to already relegated Granada on Friday night.
Real Sociedad end another season that has seen them qualify for Europe at home to Atletico Madrid, with the home side looking to keep a clean sheet to help Remiro against rivals who will see several big-name departures, such as Stefan Savic and Memphis Depay, over the summer.
Almeria and Cadiz play the saddest game of the weekend, between two sides condemned to relegation, but there will be good vibes in the south of Madrid as Rayo Vallecano celebrate their centenary at home to Athletic Club Bilbao.
Javier Aguirre has his last game as Mallorca coach away to Getafe, while Celta Vigo can celebrate their survival at home to a Valencia side that has run out of steam in the final weeks of the campaign.
Francisco Garcia Pimienta is another coach who looks as if he will be moving on at the end of the season, with his last game with Las Palmas at home to Alaves. Garcia Pimienta has been linked with Sevilla and Osasuna for next season.
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