Espanyol Stays Up, Leganes Down In La Liga

(MENAFN- IANS) Rome, May 24 (IANS) Espanyol will remain in La Liga for another season while Leganes suffers the heartbreak of relegation to the Spanish second division after a tense round of matches on Saturday.

Leganes goes down with 40 points from 38 games despite a 3-0 win at home to Valladolid on a day when the club was temporarily out of the bottom three at halftime when Javi Hernandez, Yan Diomande and Juan Cruz had put the team 3-0 ahead.

Espanyol was drawing 0-0 at home to Las Palmas, but the future of the Barcelona based outfit was in its own hands, with a win meaning the result in Leganes was irrelevant, reports Xinhua.

Javi Puado scored the opening goal for Espanyol from the penalty spot with 25 minutes left to play, and Pere Milla sealed Espanyol's survival and Leganes' relegation along with Valladolid and Las Palmas, with a second goal eight minutes from time.

Celta Vigo went into its game away to Getafe knowing a win would assure seventh place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League, and despite falling behind to Borja Mayoral's opening goal, Borja Iglesias leveled before halftime, with veteran striker Iago Aspas scoring the goal that sent the club back to Europe 10 minutes from time.

Celta's win meant neither Rayo Vallecano nor Osasuna could qualify for the Europa League, with Rayo's 0-0 draw booking it a place in the playoff for the Conference League, while Osasuna drew 1-1 away to Alaves and misses out on head-to-head goal difference.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid won 2-0 at home to Real Sociedad in Carlo Ancelotti's last game as coach and Luka Modric's last appearance at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Ancelotti and Modric received a warm send-off from the fans in the Bernabeu, while Mbappe moved closer to the Golden Boot award with his two goals in a game that had nothing at stake.

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