Barcelona’s young star, Ansu Fati, stepped up in a remarkable performance to secure a win for his team against Real Mallorca. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad solidified their place in the Champions League with their latest results in the Spanish League.
The Spanish League’s 37th matchday showcased a total of nine games on Sunday (28/5/2023), following the thrilling encounter between Sevilla and Real Madrid the previous day.
Defending champions Barcelona dominated this week’s fixtures with a resounding triumph over Real Mallorca at Camp Nou.
Under the guidance of coach Xavi Hernandez, the Catalan club witnessed the resurgence of Ansu Fati, who donned the iconic number 10 jersey once worn by Lionel Messi. Fati contributed two goals to the team’s 3-0 victory.
It took just 49 seconds for Fati to open the scoring, capitalizing on a brilliant collaboration between Robert Lewandowski and Gavi inside the penalty box. In a selfless move, Gavi passed the ball to Fati, who calmly slotted it into the net.
This goal marked a significant moment for Fati, as it had been a while since his name appeared on the scoresheet. His last goal was scored against Elche on April 2.
Fati completed his brace in the 24th minute, this time benefiting from Lewandowski’s deflected pass to beat the opposing goalkeeper. It was an impressive performance from the 20-year-old, who hadn’t scored a brace since September 2020 against Villarreal.
In the second half, Barcelona continued their dominance with an additional goal from Gavi. However, their victory was dampened by the injury suffered by wing-back Alejandro Balde. Balde was forced off the field due to a torn ligament injury caused by a challenge from Amath Diedhiou, who received a red card for the offense.
On another note, Real Sociedad secured their place in the Champions League despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid. Their qualification was ensured as their closest competitor, Villarreal, also suffered a defeat against Rayo Vallecano. With only one match remaining, Sociedad’s fourth-place standing with 68 points cannot be surpassed by Villarreal, who currently sits one step below with 63 points.
Sociedad now joins Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico in the coveted spots for the UEFA Champions League in the 2023-2024 season.
Meanwhile, the relegation battle saw Espanyol become the second team to be relegated to the Segunda Division, following Elche. Espanyol’s fate was sealed after a draw against Valencia, with Samuel Lino’s late equalizer dashing their hopes of survival. The final team to face relegation will be determined in the upcoming matchday.
Sunday’s Spanish League Results (28/5/2023):
Bilbao 0-1 Elche (Lucas Boye 90+2′)
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Sociedad (Antoine Griezmann 37′, Nahuel Molina 73′; Alexander Sorloth 88′)
Barcelona 3-0 Mallorca (Ansu Fati 1′, 24′, Gavi 70′)
Getafe 2-1 Osasuna (Juanmi 39′, Jaime Mata 90′; Chimy Avila 2′)
Cadiz 1-0 Celta (Ruben 53′)
Vallecano 2-1 Villarreal (Raul de Tomas 56′, Isi Palazon 63′; Giovani Lo Celso 83′)
Almeria 0-0 Valladolid
Girona 1-2 Betis (Miguel Gutierrez 36′; Borja 47′, 77′)
Valencia 2-2 Espanyol (Diego Lopez 38′, Samuel Lino 90+3′; Cesar 40′, Martin Braithwaite 50′)
