Madrid (AFP)
Champions Real Madrid ended their season with a disappointing goalless draw against their guest, Real Betis, at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on the farewell night of their German international midfielder Toni Kroos, in the final thirty-eighth stage of the Spanish Football League.
It is the second draw in a row for the Royal Club in the league, after the first against its host Villarreal 4-4, in its last rehearsal before the final match of the Champions League next Saturday against German Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in the English capital, London.
Kroos, 34, announced last Tuesday that he would retire from playing after the European Cup, which his country will host this summer.
Kroos received great praise from the club’s fans, his colleagues and Real Betis players, after ten seasons he spent in the ranks of the “Merengue”, where he won 22 titles, which may rise to 23, in the event of winning the prestigious continental competition title for the fifteenth time in the club’s history.
The second pole of the capital, Atletico Madrid, satisfied its fans with a moral victory over its host Real Sociedad 2-0.
Atletico Madrid scored early through Brazilian defender Samuel Leno in the ninth minute, and Mozambican substitute Reyneldo Mandava added the second in the third minute of stoppage time, two minutes after his teammate Saul Nigues was sent off for receiving a second warning.
Atletico Madrid compensated for its humiliating loss at home to Osasuna 1-4 last Sunday, and concluded its season with its 24th victory, strengthening its position in fourth place with 76 points, while Real Sociedad suffered its tenth loss this season, and its score froze at 60 points.
The match was marginal, like all the matches of the stage, after the European positions and the three clubs relegated to the second division were decided.
Atletico Madrid secured the last fourth place, qualifying for the Champions League next season, and Real Sociedad secured the sixth place, qualifying for the European League (Europa League).
Bilbao, fifth and the King’s Cup champion, ended the season with a valuable victory outside its home base at the expense of host Rayo Vallecano with a goal scored by top scorer Nico Williams in the 67th minute, raising his tally to 13 goals this season.
Osasuna tied with Villarreal with a goal by Croatian Ante Budimir (30), raising his score to 17 goals in fifth place on the scorers list, compared to a goal by Jose Luis Morales (57).
The summit of the relegated to the second division, Almería, the last place, and its guest, Cadiz, eighteenth, ended with the former winning with six goals by Goncalo Melero (48), Sergio Arribas (52, 86), Joseba Saldua (57 fouls against his team), and Colombian Luis Suarez (65, 71), versus a goal by Uruguayan Brian. Ocampo (30).
#Cross. #Farewell #Party