La Liga set for frenzied Sunday finale

SaturdaySociedad vs Valencia 20:00Betis vs Barcelona 22:00 SundayLevante vs Athletic 20:00 Villarreal vs AtléticoReal Madrid vs MallorcaRacing vs OsasunaGetafe vs ZaragozaEspanyol vs SevillaMálaga vs SportingRayo vs GranadaMADRID – A Champions League spot, two Europa League berths and two relegation places are to be claimed or avoided in what promises to be a nerve-wracking finale to the La Liga season on Sunday.Atletico Madrid, who beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to win the Europa League final on Wednesday, are eying a bigger prize for next season as they battle Malaga and Levante for Spain’s fourth and final Champions League place.A clutch of teams could make it into Europe’s second-tier club competition and five teams are scrabbling to avoid joining already relegated Racing Santander in the second division.The eight matches which affect these positions all kick off at the same time on Sunday.Champions Real Madrid will parade the trophy at the Bernabeu when they take on sixth-placed Real Mallorca.A victory would give Jose Mourinho’s men a new La Liga record 100 points, beating by one the mark set by Barcelona in 2010, and would add to their league goal-scoring record which sits at 117 with one left to play.Deposed champions Barca play the last league game of Pep Guardiola’s tenure at Real Betis on Saturday, when Lionel Messi has the chance to build on his La Liga record tally of 50 goals.Malaga fans more used to enduring final-day relegation battles will be in the unaccustomed position of cheering their side on to a possible first venture into the Champions League next year.RELEGATION DESPAIRThe Qatar-owned club are in pole position to secure Spain’s last remaining ticket into Europe’s elite club competition, and some pay back on the millions invested in the club since it was bought two years ago.The Romareda may still get to witness the despair of a team suffering relegation, however, because the only way visiting Sporting Gijon, who are 19th, can survive, is by winning.“Possibly, this week is one of the most important in the club’s history,” Malaga’s Portuguese midfielder Duda told reporters.“It will be an emotional game, but with different emotions to those of other years where we have been playing to avoid relegation.”