Suitors of Higuain should greet him with open arms

Spain’s economic problems have been well-documented over the course of the past year and football is no different to the rest of the country, with many clubs looking to balance their books.

The Premier League has already plundered La Liga with the likes of Jesus Navas and Iago Aspas heading to England, but we take a closer look at a number of strikers who could be allowed to leave for Blighty given the right offer.

GONZALO HIGUAIN (REAL MADRID)

At any other club, Higuain could be a legend. This may sound like hyperbole for someone who has struggled for the past few years to hold down a first-team place, but the love has not been there at Real from the top down; he is the only recruit of former president Ramon Calderon remaining at the club.

But that in itself shows how good Higuain really is, that he hasn’t already been flogged off and has remained an important component of the squad.

But the time has come where any man needs to feel appreciated in what he does and with the interminable struggle to decide whether it will be him or Karim Benzema who will service Cristiano Ronaldo, one set of wills had to bend.

At 25, Higuain is in his peak years nowm and holds down the whole package of pace, strength, intelligence and an eye for goal, all the things you would wish for in a striker.

Real claim they’re going to play hardball over this, but they will realise that they don’t want to have an unhappy player rocking the boat for whatever new manager takes charge. Any team would be lucky to get him.

ALVARO NEGREDO (SEVILLA)

This may not be the most overly original piece in the world with the names mentioned, but there are reasons the likes of Negredo are being hawked around.

With 25 goals Negredo was the top-scoring Spaniard in the league last season and finished just three behind Radamel Falcao, who has been sold for €50million to Monaco since, despite playing in a far inferior side.

Sevilla’s financial situation is notably dire (though the tidy amount they received for Navas has helped) and the further sale of Negredo would give Unai Emery the platform on which to build a side capable of challenging for the top four again.

He won’t come as cheap as he may have gone for before Navas switch to Manchester City, but with the pace/power package meaning that given the ball often enough near the area that he guarantees goals, he would be a fantastic signing for any team in and around the European spots with a bit of cash to spare. He’s definitely better than West Ham.

Soldado guarantees goals for any club needing that extra push towards glory

ROBERTO SOLDADO (VALENCIA)

Again, not the most ambitious pick, but still a player that will score goals in any team with a creative package behind them.

He may not be the type of player that will create something out of nothing, but his movement in and around the box is superb, almost making it easier for his supporting cast to claim assists than it is for him to score the goals himself.

Valencia need to build if they are to return to the Champions League game again, and the sale of Soldado would give them plenty of wiggle room in that department, despite how valuable his goals have been.

Again, your Chelsea/Arsenal/Tottenham bracket of teams should be looking carefully at this man if they simply need someone who will put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis.

PITI (RAYO VALLECANO)

Of course there will always be that hunt for the ultimate bargain buy, the surprise hit of the season who comes at such a low cost, the rest of the country slaps their thighs in disgust and looks menacingly at the scouting department for their failures in noticing him.

The ‘Michu Conundrum’ is what that shall henceforth be known.

And it seems slightly odd that it being mid-June and it well-documented that Piti is available on a free transfer after an 18-goal haul (Michu got 15 at the same club), that nobody has laid claim to his signature.

He may not be as technically crafted as the other names on the list, but he has led this rag-tag group of players that most people named as relegation certainties to a mightily impressive eighth place finish.

Any club down the bottom knowing that a 10/15-goal striker could be the difference between survival and relegation should be putting together a package to bring him to England. Providing Crystal Palace have heard of him as well, mind.

ONES TO AVOID

An anguished David Villa is an unfortunately all-too familiar sight these days

DAVID VILLA (BARCELONA)

This bit was always going to be tricky with strikers and it may seem a contentious call to put someone of the calibre of David Villa in this section.

But at 31, is he really worth the gamble? After a season-curtailing injury that took out most of his 2012, Villa has looked a shadow of his former self, and you wonder whether that leg break could prove costly at his age.

There has been no evidence to suggest he can get back to his best as yet, so with Barca looking to recoup around €15million of their outlay on him, is it a wise investment to buy past glories?

RIKI (DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA)

Thirteen goals in a relegated side might sound reasonably impressive, but you must remember Darren Bent netted a large haul in a Charlton side that went down as well. And how has that worked out since?

Having exercised his right to terminate his contract following Depor’s demotion, one would suggest a free transfer provides low risk and in theory they would be right.

But aged 32 now and a history of muscle problems, teams would be taking on the wages of a man who isn’t exactly a workhorse and can be rather erratic with his shooting abilities. Depor might miss him where they’re going, but clubs shouldn’t be rushing to the front of the queue for his signature.

DANI GUIZA (GETAFE)

The fantastic story of the fall from grace, as Dani Guiza went from scoring for Spain in their breakthrough European Championship win in 2008 to this pathetic nothing who would struggle to hit a barn-door with a banjo, in the proverbial sense.

That amazing 2008 in which he ended the season with the Pichichi following a 27-goal haul for Mallorca and international glory seems a long way away, having spent most of the past season on-loan with Malaysian outfit Darul Takzim before even they terminated his loan early.

He still has one year to run on his three-year deal that cost Getafe €6million to bring him back to Spain from an equally disappointing spell with Fenerbahce, but any price asked should be hastily dismissed, for it’s unlikely he’ll be worth it ever again.

Got your own opinions on these men or any other striking talent in Spain? Have a chat on Twitter @SmParker8

Thiago has suggested he would be willing to leave Barcelona in order to secure first-team football

La Liga is ripe to be harvested by Premier League clubs this season, with football in as much of a destitute economic state as the rest of Spain. Our transfer scouting report continues with the best available midfielders currently plying their trade in La Primera.

THIAGO ALCANTARA (BARCELONA)

Long have I been speaking about this man as one of football’s future stars, let alone Barcelona’s.

Another graduate of La Masia, it seems ridiculous that a player of his ability could be for sale, but with his path to the first team blocked by the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas, Thiago has made himself available as he seeks more minutes ahead of a pivotal season in which he wishes to force his way into the Spanish national team for the World Cup in Brazil.

As talented a passer as any of the aforementioned stars in the team, Thiago is more than capable of beating players as well, and possesses a fearsome shot from range in addition.

With strength, pace and skill in abundance, he is a far more complete midfielder than any team in the Premier League can boast. He’ll cost a pretty penny, but he’ll be worth double that within a year of playing regular first-team football. An ideal purchase for any team chasing honours next season.

IVAN RAKITIC & JESUS NAVAS (SEVILLA)

An odd move to combine two men together, but it’s hard to separate which of these two Sevilla midfielders would be a better purchase.

Navas is on his way to Manchester City for an initial fee of £17million but question marks still remain as to whether his chronic homesickness issues will raise their head with a permanent move away from Andalusia.

With pace and a fantastic cross on him, on paper he is possibly the perfect winger and City will find far more consistency in him than Samir Nasri.

Rakitic is different, an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal and some very clever movement.

Think Lampard with a bit more youth on his side and you have a player that is comfortable bursting into the box, contributing eight goals and ten assists to a team that has severely underachieved this season. Tottenham could do with a man like him to take the burden off Gareth Bale to bail out their misfiring strikers.

With Sevilla in a perilous financial position, these two (and Negredo, we’ll get to him) are the two most valuable players in the Sevilla side and Jose Maria Del Nido will cash in to ease the financial burden and strengthen other areas of the pitch.

Manchester City have been sniffing around Malaga's Isco

ISCO (MALAGA)

Alongside Thiago, Isco is the future of Spanish football, with his creativity, high special awareness and the ability to dumbfound his opponents with the mere flick of a boot.

With City again hovering and Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini on his way to the Etihad Stadium, he will look to sanction a deal to take his protégé along with him.

He won’t come cheap, but given his ability and Malaga’s dire financial state, he will still be available at about half of his realistic price-tag. City could definitely do with someone like him to spice up a midfield that was often lacking in a creative spark at times last season.

ETXEBERRIA BENAT (REAL BETIS)

His performances may have trailed off slightly in the latter half of the season, but that should not put off clubs taking a serious look at Benat.

Another typical Spanish midfielder that are all the range, he possesses the patience and vision to unlock defences , as evidenced by his eight assists this season, the same amount Xavi is credited with.

Betis aren’t suffering as much as some financially, but having broken into Vicente Del Bosque’s Spain team, Benat could be swayed by a move to a bigger team in order to hold down a regular place in the national squad.

At 26 he is at his peak and a place at a club that will truly challenge for honours could elevate him to whole new level of performance, making him well worth an educated gamble, even for someone like Chelsea.

ONES TO AVOID

Gary Medel is one to avoid if you want your disciplinary record kept intact

GARY MEDEL (SEVILLA)

While there are plenty of appetising options in the Sevilla midfield, one best glossed over is the Chilean, Medel.

If one does feel the need to add a terrier-like presence to beef up their midfield, make sure you have adequate cover, given his tendency to get himself sent off, with his temper very much in question.

Kiss goodbye to hopes of Fair Play European qualification if he’s in your team, with Medel having received four red cards this season.

ABDEL BARRADA (GETAFE)

Six assists doesn’t sound too bad for an offensively limited Getafe side that have punched above their weight to finish in a comfortable mid-table position, but sometimes statistics don’t tell the whole story.

Barrada has been linked with clubs like Tottenham in some quarters recently, but given they already possess one frustratingly inconsistent winger in Aaron Lennon, they would be foolish to add the Moroccan to their ranks as well.

Barrada on his day is a fantastic player. But the days he really performs are few and far between and often restricted to games against the poorer sides in the division. He won’t elevate any team other than one expected to fight relegation.

MICHAEL KROHN-DELI (CELTA VIGO)

Krohn-Deli looked very impressive at Euro 2012 for Denmark, so much so that a few people were a bit surprised that he turned up at Celta Vigo the following season, as many thought he could aim higher.

But it often happens that players are too hastily judged on summer tournament performances, especially when performing for the plucky underdog and Krohn-Deli proved little more than a summer fling, as he showed little as Celta struggled.

The Danish playmaker was supposed to be the creative spark for El Celeste to help fight their expected relegation battle, but his ability to become completely invisible was just one reason Celta needed a dramatic last day to escape the perils of the drop.

Natxo Insa's goal proved enough for Celta Vigo to retain their top flight status

Celta Vigo survived with a win which with Deportivo La Couruna, Real Zaragoza and Mallorca relegated in their stead, while Real Sociedad pipped Valencia to the final Champions League qualification spot in a pulsating final day of football in Spain.

CELTA VIGO 1-0 ESPANYOL

Fixtures looked to have fallen kindly for Celta on the final day and proved so, as they survived relegation by beating an out-of-form Espanyol side with nothing left to play for this season.

With Depor facing off against Champions League chasing Sociedad, it looked as though victory could prove enough to see Celta beat the drop and they achieved just that thanks to Natxo Insa’s 15^th minute strike that saw them sneak over the finish line in almost Wacky Races style.

Espanyol saw Juan Forlin sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence, as Espanyol finish 13^th.

MALLORCA 4-2 VALLADOLID

Mallorca also claimed victory on the final day in a bid to survive, but had left themselves too much to do, as they started the day bottom of the table.

They needed other results to go their way if they were to stay up, but Celta’s victory ensured the cash-strapped Islanders will be playing next season in La Segunda, despite an impressive victory over Valladolid.

Alejandro Alfaro and Jose Luis Marti had netted either side of Alberto Bueno’s strike for the visitors to give Mallorca a half-time lead and they roared ahead in convincing fashion the second period with further strikes from Giovani Dos Santos and Javi Marquez.

Omar Ramos pulled a consolation back for Valladolid, but victory did not prove enough for Mallorca, whose 16 year stay in the top flight was finally brought to an end.

REAL ZARAGOZA 1-3 ATLETICO MADRID

Zaragoza went down with more of a whimper, finishing rock bottom after suffering a disastrous 2013 that saw them slip from mid-table safety into Segunda ignominy.

This always looked a tricky game on paper despite Atletico having third place very much secured, and the last ten minutes of play saw the game slip away from Zaragoza, as did their top-flight status.

Arda Turan gave Los Rojiblancos the lead after 84 minutes, before Helder Postiga gave Zara a glimmer of hope with an equaliser with four minutes of stoppage time still to play.

But that merely allowed Atletico time to secure the win, as a Diego Costa double ensured there is a bright striking future after Falcao with a quick-fire double to silence La Romareda and sentence them down.

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA 0-1 REAL SOCIEDAD

Depor started the day in that all-important 17^th position, but had the hardest looking game to come, with Real Sociedad still chasing fourth place and a route into the Champions League.

And so it proved to pass, as La Real claimed victory to take them into Europe’s premier club competition, leaving Depor with a swift return to La Segunda, with the double whammy of missing out on top flight status to Galician rivals Celta.

Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal of the game after 22 minutes, and while Markel Bergara’s dismissal with six minutes remaining gave Depor a glimmer of hope, they had to watch in despair as their relegation brought joy to Sociedad fans who clinched a return to the Champions League.

SEVILLA 4-3 VALENCIA

Sociedad’s joy was enabled by Valencia’s defeat, meaning they missed out on the Champions League spot that was theirs for the taking.

In truth, they will be looking at the performance of referee Carlos Clos Gomez, whose decision making turned the game on its head, with Los Che in a strong position.

Ever Banega had given Valencia the lead after 12 minutes, and they seemed to be denied a clear penalty when Cala kicked Roberto Soldado off the ball in the box, being ignored by Gomez.

Alvaro Negredo capitalised on that let-off to bring Sevilla level, before giving Sevilla the lead from the penalty spot. Jonas Oliveira then saw a clumsy challenge punished with a straight red card before half-time, but Valencia pulled level through Soldado.

That parity was brief however, as Negredo completed his hat-trick and added a fourth to take his total for the season up to 25 (just three behind €50million man, Radamel Falcao), before Soldado grabbed his second, and Valencia’s third, to complete the scoring.

The result means Valencia finish fifth and enter the Europa League, while Sevilla will wait on appeals against European bans from Malaga and Rayo Vallecano to see if their ninth placed finish will be enough for them to join them.

BARCELONA 4-1 MALAGA

Manuel Pellegrini’s final game in charge of Malaga ended in comprehensive defeat, as Barcelona reached the 100 point mark and set a new record total for La Liga. Not bad for a team ‘in decline’.

David Villa set the tone in his likely farewell match after three minutes and the game was as good as dead after 16 minutes, with Cesc Fabregas and Martin Montoya adding further strikes.

Andres Iniesta got in on the act early into the second half, while Malaga grabbed a consolation strike through Pedro Morales, as Barca reached a century of points and said an emotional goodbye to Eric Abidal who will be released at the end of his contract following his fight against liver cancer. Poor show.

REAL MADRID 4-2 OSASUNA

Jose Mourinho also waves goodbye and his final match essentially summed up his reign with plenty of ups and downs to reflect upon, having picked a team solely plucked from players assumed to be ‘loyal’ to him.

Gonzalo Higuain (also his farewell) and Michael Essien hit a quick-fire double to give Real a half-time lead, but they were pegged back in the second half by Roberto Torres and Alvaro Cejudo, as Osasuna fought against the tide of emotion/indifference surrounding the Bernabeu.

But Mourinho was able to bow out with a win in the end, as Karim Benzema and Jose Callejon both netted to at least see out this ‘failure’ of a season on a small high.

RAYO VALLECANO 2-2 ATHLETIC BILBAO

With nothing to really play for in the this game, it was perhaps a surprise to see quite an entertaining match, though with Rayo involved, it was unlikely to be a bore draw.

Aritz Aduriz picked up two bookings inside the first ten minutes to set the tone for the match and Rayo quickly made him pay as Franco Vazquez gave them the lead.

But Athletic turned the game on its head with goals either side of the break, Markel Susaeta bringing them level, before Jon Aurtenetxe put Los Leones in the lead.

Piti gave Rayo a share of the spoils, however, and Rayo will have to wait upon the appeal of Malaga and their own to see if they will be allowed a maiden trip into the Europa League next season.

GRANADA 2-0 GETAFE

Getafe could have snatched the potentially important ninth place had they bettered Sevilla’s result, but with Sevilla winning, it made their defeat to Granada all the more insignificant.

Goals in either half from Nolito and Youssef El-Arabi gave El Grana the victory, with their late season form seeing them finishing comfortably clear of the drop in 15^th position.

LEVANTE 1-1 REAL BETIS

There was nothing to play for here, with Betis having already qualified for the Europa League and Levante’s form having trailed off remarkably to ensure they wouldn’t be bothering either end of the table.

And so the game ended in stalemate, as Pedro Rios’ 51^st minute strike was cancelled out by Jorge Molina, the sides finishing in 11^th and seventh respectively.

The famous San Mames will no longer see nights like this,as it's final game ended in defeat for Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Bilbao bid farewell to San Mames with a miserable defeat, while La Rosaleda was also subject to goodbyes, as Manuel Pellegrini took charge of his final home game with Malaga.

ATHLETIC BILBAO 0-1 LEVANTE

This was not the great big goodbye that Athletic had in mind for their iconic San Mames stadium, as their final home game of the season saw them fall to a last minute defeat to a Levante side that have been horribly out of form since the turn of the year.

After 100 years, the gates of San Mames are set to close, as Athletic move to San Mames Barria and close a big chapter of their history.

Any hopes of going out with a bang were extinguished in a drab match however, punctuated by Iker Muniain’s dismissal for an off-the-ball incident just after the hour mark, before Juanlu struck in stoppage time to spoil the home fans’ party hopes.

MALAGA 3-1 DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA

Manuel Pellegrini bid farewell to La Rosaleda with a victory however, as his Malaga charges left Deportivo in deep fear of relegation going into the final game of the campaign.

Javier Saviola gave Pellegrini a welcome leaving present by giving Malaga the lead in first half stoppage time, before Julio Baptista doubled the advantage in the 64^th minute.

Diogo Salomao gave Depor a lifeline with 15 minutes remaining, but Isco ensured that the visitors go into the final day with just a point separating them from the drop zone and a difficult game to come against Champions League-chasing Real Sociedad.

OSASUNA 2-1 SEVILLA

Osasuna however can breathe easy going into the final day of the season, as they produced a comeback to secure victory over Sevilla, who should still claim the final Europa League spot despite sitting in ninth currently.

Alvaro Negredo had given the visitors the lead five minutes into the second half, but Osasuna fought back thanks to Patxi Punal and a fine Alvaro Cejudo free-kick to guarantee their place in next season’s Primera campaign.

REAL BETIS 4-0 REAL ZARAGOZA

Where Osasuna succeeded, Zaragoza fell away with a whimper, as such a heavy defeat cannot do any wonders for their confidence of avoiding relegation, with a final day tie against Atletico Madrid to come.

Betis wrapped up their place in next season’s Europa League in all of 15 seconds, as Ruben Castro gave a sign of things to come.

Dorian Pabon netted a brace to maintain his excellent second half of the season since joining on loan from Parma, either side of Jorge Molina’s 12^th of the season to leave Zaragoza on the brink of the drop.

ATLETICO MADRID 0-0 MALLORCA

The one hope Zaragoza may have is that fellow relegation candidates Mallorca managed to take a point away from Atletico on their own patch.

Atletico essentially have nothing to play for with a trophy in the bag and third place completely secure, and that came across in a match in which Mallorca had the better chances.

But they were unable to find a way past Thibaut Courtois, and currently sit bottom of the table, though a home tie with Valladolid proves the most favourable of the four sides facing the drop.

VALLADOLID 0-2 CELTA VIGO

For added motivation for Mallorca, they watched their relegation rivals in Vigo secure a huge win that failure to gain would have seen their relegation confirmed.

But Abel Resino’s side mustered up the performance when it mattered most and goals in either half from Gustavo Cabral and Iago Aspas (penalty) leaves them clinging on to hope of survival going into their final day showdown at home to Espanyol.

VALENCIA 1-0 GRANADA

Valencia stole a march in the race for fourth, as they snatched a one-goal win over Granada, who can at least rest easy knowing their top flight status is secured for another year.

Roberto Soldado scored his 22^nd goal of the season to seal all three points and move them two points clear of Sociedad in the chase for the final Champions League qualification spot.

REAL SOCIEDAD 3-3 REAL MADRID

Sociedad just about remain in the hunt for fourth, as they twice came from behind to seal a draw with Real Madrid.

Despite the home side enjoying the best of the match, is was Los Blancos who found themselves two goals up, as goals early in either half from Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon left La Real with a lot of work to do.

Xabi Prieto’s penalty following Sami Khedira’s handball brought Sociedad back into the game, before Antoine Griezmann levelled the scores to promote delirium in the stands.

Sami Khedira quickly extinguished that joy with a well-taken strike, before Prieto hit once again in stoppage time to give Sociedad hope of returning to the Champions League.

ESPANYOL 0-2 BARCELONA

Being something of a dead rubber took a bit of gloss away from the Catalan derby, but it was naturally Barca who came out on top as they keep chasing that 100 point record haul.

Alexis Sanchez scored a fine solo effort to give La Blaugrana the lead, which stayed as such until the final ten minutes when Wakaso Mubarak saw red for pushing the referee.

Pedro soon made Espanyol pay for that incredible piece of indiscipline, as David Villa watched on, with his replacement producing the goods that he had failed to.

GETAFE 1-2 RAYO VALLECANO

Getafe missed a huge opportunity to steal a march on Sevilla in the race for the final Europa League spot, as they threw away the lead against a Rayo side, who despite being above them in the league, aren’t eligible to play in Europe due to their financial issues.

Rafa Lopez gave Getafe the lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but saw that quickly snuffed out by Alejandro Dominguez.

The scores stayed level until the dying minutes, as the unfortunate Diego Castro put through his own net to deny his own side taking the advantage over Sevilla in the race for that ‘pivotal’ ninth position.

An extra-time goal from Miranda ensured Atletico Madrid triumphed in the Copa Del Rey Final 2-1 over city rivals Real

Fourteen long years and 26 failed attempts yet all so worth it come the end of 120 minutes of one of the most pulsating cup finals one could ever wish to witness.

The Copa Del Rey final brought about one of the most action-packed matches many people will ever have seen, with goals, defensive errors, reckless challenges and touchline spats aplenty, meaning that onlookers were never far away from another talking point.

And what it all boiled down to in the end was the end of a hoodoo and what Jose Mourinho was left calling a ‘failure of a season’ for Real Madrid.

With Atletico Madrid not having recorded a victory over their city rivals since the turn of the millennium, there was almost a poetic sense that it had to be done in a special manner.

And with their own Decima on the line after years of talk about Real’s it was fitting that the Copa Del Rey trophy was held aloft by those in red and white, as yet more success brings more hope that they might just hang on to Radamel Falcao for another year yet.

With all the talk in the build-up to the game focusing around Falcao and his supposed agreed switch to Monaco, it was not the way for Atletico to approach such a monumental fixture for them and few would have given them a prayer with such distractions against a Real side that have enjoyed good form on the domestic front.

And with Cristiano Ronaldo taking centre stage in a positive way to start with, any hope of Atletico overcoming their foes seemed fleeting. With 15 minutes still to pass on the clock Ronaldo displayed his fantastic aerial ability once again, as he out-muscled Diego Godin (no slouch in the air himself), timed his jump to perfection and headed home with such power and accuracy that Thibaut Courtois was left helpless.

It came as something of a surprise then that Real did not press on with this advantage, with Atletico looking rattled and the chance for Los Blancos to potentially put the game to bed by half-time.

Instead they backed off and allowed Atletico to get a foothold in the game, despite a lack of clear-cut chances until the 35^th minute, when Atletico brought themselves level.

Falcao displayed what Atletico would miss if he does depart this summer, holding off the challenge of Raul Albiol (picked ahead of the out-casted Pepe by Mourinho), turning him and playing an inch perfect ball through to Diego Costa.

The burly Brazilian still had plenty to do, but took the ball into his stride ever so comfortably, lurched forward and placed the ball beyond the despairing dive of Diego Lopez, instantly raising questions of whether Iker Casillas, still cheerleading from the bench, would have saved t. Probably not.

This merely seemed to wake Real up, as it turned out that beating Atletico was no formality, as the press had made them believe.

Mesut Ozil hit the post with a long-range drive cannoning back off of the woodwork to ensure the sides went into the half-time break on level pegging.

Ozil then brought a great save from Chelsea loan keeper Courtois, before the incident that almost suggested luck was favouring Los Rojiblancos at the home of their great rivals.

Ronaldo’s pull-back wasn’t dealt with by Atletico, but Karim Benzema’s effort rebounded off the post, into the path of Ozil, whose shot was superbly blocked on the line by Juanfran to leave Real puzzled and Diego Simeone celebrating like his team had scored themselves.

Ronaldo was next to rattle the frame of the goal with a free-kick that went under the wall, before Mourinho’s frustrations at the number of fouls his team were conceding saw him lay into referee Carlos Clos Gomez too heavily, resulting in him receiving his marching orders from the touchline.

Ronaldo was sent off in extra-time

And so it came to extra-time. A thought that had crossed the minds of very few watching around the world, let alone the 50,000 Real fans hoping to celebrate another title at their home ground.

With their manager watching from the dressing room and their discipline already frayed with a series of bookings in normal time, you would have been hard pressed to name Real as your favourites now, as Atletico still came out looking fresher and hungrier than their more-illustrious rivals.

Diego Costa tested Lopez again, before the big moment arrived, with Miranda proving the unlikely hero, timing his run to perfection and powering a free header home from Koke’s cross to provoke hysteria among the 30,000 Colchoneros that had entered the fortress of their enemy.

As opposed to fighting back, Real simply decided to just fight from then on, Ronaldo joining his manager in the dressing room before time for flicking his studs into Gabi’s face.

Gabi admittedly made a meal of the kick, but there was no doubt that Ronaldo deserved to go for an act of pure stupidity that curtailed any hopes his team had of at least taking the game to penalties.

So for all the pre-match talk of Real saving their season with this victory, they were left to reflect on a season in which they were hammered in the league, denied the Decima in the Champions League and bested by their city rivals in the cup, illustrating how the gap between the two sides has closed.

Atletico on the other hand eased years of hurt by finally defeating Real, captured their own Decima with their tenth Copa Del Rey title and made it three trophies in the 18 months Simeone has been in charge, having already clinched Europa League and European Super Cup glory.

This may not be a power shift, there is no changing of the guard. But Atletico have shown that they have closed the gap on their neighbours, and could be a force to be reckoned with in the near future, if they can just keep their squad together.

Discuss the Copa Del Rey final in the comments section below, or directly on Twitter @SmParker8

Guilherme Siquiera was on target as Granada closed in on securing survival

Granada, Deportivo La Coruna and Mallorca secured big wins to give them real hope of survival, while it was a mixed weekend for Real Sociedad as they push for Champions League qualification.

GRANADA 3-0 OSASUNA

This was the perfect opportunity for one of these sides to make themselves virtually safe going into the final two rounds of games, as the worst home record in the division came up against an Osasuna side whose miserable away record was only surpassed by the teams starting the weekend in the bottom three.

And it was Granada who were able to pull five points clear of the drop zone with only points still to play for, with a crushing win that ensures they have the head-to-head record over one of their relegation rivals, that has proven so costly in previous seasons.

Youssef El-Arabi had given Granada the lead after 23 minutes, but it wasn’t until the final ten minutes that the hosts were able to make safe the result, as Osasuna once again imploded under the weight of their own indiscipline.

Nano was sent off for a professional foul, giving Guilherme Siquiera the chance to convert from the penalty spot, before Diego Buananotte added the gloss in stoppage time to all-but ensure another Primera Liga season for El Grana.

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA 2-0 ESPANYOL

A disappointing run of results had undone Depor’s climb out of the relegation zone of late, but a return to winning ways saw them sitting in safety going into the final couple of rounds.

Bruno Gama gave them the lead five minutes into the second half against an Espanyol team with nothing left to play for, and Nelson Oliveira made sure of a vital three points in stoppage time to lift Depor a point clear of a swift return to La Segunda, though Malaga and Real Sociedad await them in their final two games.

MALLORCA 1-0 REAL BETIS

Mallorca are still three points away from Deportivo in 17^th, but this win meant they weren’t relegated just yet. Which is nice for them.

Tomer Hemed has recently rediscovered where the back of the net is again following a lengthy barren spell and he was the match-winner in this instance, his 21^st minute strike proving enough to overcome a surprisingly lack-lustre Betis side, given that they still yet to fully secure European football next season. Though half the teams battling with them have been banned from Europe next season, so it may not be that desperate.

REAL ZARAGOZA 1-2 ATHLETIC BILBAO

Real Zaragoza fell back into the relegation zone after they threw away the lead in the final ten minutes to end up pointless.

Helder Postiga had put Zara in the lead after 14 minutes and with the clock ticking down against a side with nothing left to play for themselves, it looked like a vital three points was to be secured.

But disaster was to strike as Fernando Llorente continued his return to the scoresheet in recent weeks ahead of his move to Juventus, before Ibai Gomez netted in stoppage time to break home fan hearts and leave them in the bottom three with tricky tussles with Betis and Atletico Madrid awaiting them in the final two games.

SEVILLA 1-2 REAL SOCIEDAD

Real Sociedad picked up a big victory to just keep their noses in front in the race for fourth place, but their weekend was soured as inspirational manager Philippe Montanier was announced as the manager of Rennes for next season.

Prior to that announcement, Sociedad had fought back from a goal down to claim a big three points, with Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic performing that ever-enjoyable treat for an onlooker of scoring at both ends.

The Croatian found the net at both ends inside the opening 20 minutes of the game before Imanol Agirretxe scored what proved to be the winner after 25 minutes to keep Sociedad on course for the Champions League, with the head-to-head record keeping them above Valencia for now.

GETAFE 0-1 VALENCIA

Valencia just about kept up the heat on the Basque challengers for the Champions League place, as they scraped to a victory that also puts a likely end to Getafe’s hopes of European qualification.

Jeremy Mathieu netted the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time to give Los Che the three points and keep them on course for another season in Europe’s premier club competition, with a more favourable run-in than Sociedad awaiting them.

BARCELONA 2-1 VALLADOLID

The title is already wrapped up and Lionel Messi is unlikely to feature again this season, so it only made sense that Barca laboured to victory against a Valladolid side that have exceeded expectations this season and quite frankly been a delight to have in La Primera.

Pedro netted after 21 minutes to send Barca on their way, before Marc Valiente did his best to make my scouting report on defenders look slightly foolish by putting the ball into his own net just before half-time to seal the win for the hosts.

Victor Perez was able to put a black mark on Victor Valdes 500^th appearance by netting from the penalty spot in the final minute of normal time, but Barca were comfortably able to hang on for their 30^th league victory of the season.

LEVANTE 2-3 RAYO VALLECANO

Were it not for UEFA, this game could have had major implications for Rayo Vallecano, as they moved up to eighth, which would be good enough to secure European football next season, with Malaga’s ban still in place for 2013/14.

However, Rayo’s financial situation is no better than their application for a European licence has also been thrown out, making this game essentially meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

Otherwise it was a great game of football. Piti had given Rayo a first half lead, before Roberto Acquafresca cancelled that out early into the second half.

Franco Vazquez quickly restored Rayo’s advantage, before Piti notched his 17^th of the season to seal the victory, rendering Vicente Iborra’s late strike nothing more than a consolation for Levante.

Sevilla's Alberto Botia is expected to leave the club this summer

With an exodus of talent expected from La Liga due to the financial crisis enveloping Spain’s football clubs (and the country as a whole), we continue our scouting of the talents that may well be available this summer with a look at the defenders who will be on offer, their potential Premier League best fits, and the players to avoid.

With Ivan Ramis and Chico Flores having proven that Spanish defenders can indeed cope in the English game, more could follow in their footsteps to try their hand in the Premier League.

ALBERTO BOTIA (SEVILLA)

Sevilla are suffering a major financial crisis currently and Jose Maria del Nido has made it clear that there will need to be some player sales in order to balance the books.

Del Nido may still be resistant on some of the stars of the team, but in terms of a good bargain, Alberto Botia could be a real deal for a side in the mid-table/lower echelons of the Premier League.

He’s been a bit part player for Sevilla, with the pairing of Federico Fazio and Fernando Navarro the preferred centre-back choice, but Botia is a defender of real quality, a graduate of Barcelona’s La Masia youth system, whom Barcelona were reluctant to sanction a permanent deal to Sporting Gijon.

With his place in the first team completely unassured, he could be allowed to leave for as little as €3million and would be an ideal purchase for a team like Southampton or Sunderland.

MARC VALIENTE (VALLADOLID)

Valladolid have been one of the surprise packages in Spain this year, having been tipped for an instant return to La Segunda.

With any side that have been promoted and wish to stay up, the first thing you need is a sturdy defence to build upon and Valiente has stood out from a defence that just 50 goals this season, equal to that of Champions League regulars Valencia.

Some feel the difference in pace is what can throw out a number of players transitioning between Spain and England, but Valiente is blessed with intelligence, winning 75% of his tackles and picking up just three bookings in his 25 appearances, which is pretty good going with the card happy referees in La Liga.

Despite being integral to Valladolid, he should be available to clubs for under €7million and would be a perfect fit for Everton, Liverpool or any club on the fringes of European qualification.

Demichelis has a wealth of Champions League and international experience behind him

MARTIN DEMICHELIS (MALAGA)

At 32, Demichelis is no spring chicken, but there is no doubting the ability that the former Bayern Munich and current Argentina international still has.

His wages will be something that Malaga will be looking to shift this summer and with them ready to waive the compensation for Manuel Pellegrini’s likely move to Manchester City, it’s likely that any club that wants to give Demichelis Premier League experience will only have to pay a nominal fee.

With his composed performances keeping Malaga in the top six of La Primera and taking them to the Champions League quarter-finals, Demichelis brings a wealth of experience and would be a coup for any club looking to land a quality player on a budget.

With Laurent Koscielney erratic in his form and Thomas Vermaelen struggling with fitness, Arsenal wouldn’t go amiss adding the Argentine to their defensive ranks.

DIEGO COLOTTO (ESPANYOL)

It’s no surprise to find out that while Espanyol were struggling at the beginning of the season, culminating in Mauricio Pochettino leaving the club, Colotto was ruled out through injury.

But his return to the first team ensured they only lost two of the first 15 fixtures he appeared in, with one of those being to Barcelona.

Colotto makes on average about seven clearances per game and has a fantastic 87% success rate in his tackles, making him absolutely key to that fact Espanyol have only conceded 47 goals this season and clawed themselves well away from any relegation trouble.

As with Casilla, Espanyol are really struggling financially and would be more than happy to take a few million Euros for this 32-year-old, making him a perfect purchase for the likes of West Ham, Newcastle or maybe even Stoke.

Pepe is one defender best avoided by any interested Premier League clubs

ONES TO AVOID

PEPE (REAL MADRID) – Having fallen well out of favour with Jose Mourinho and receiving no backing from the club, some have suggested Real could look to offload the Portuguese centre-back.

But he would best left alone by English clubs, as his heavy-handed approach to the game will see him end up in even more trouble than he already gets into with Spanish referees.

CICINHO (SEVILLA) – He has vastly improved since his infamously dreadful spell with Real Madrid, but Cicinho is a full-back very much in the Brazilian mould, far more effective going forward than he is defensively.

While these aspects have become more common in the Premier League, Cicinho needs to work far harder on his defensive game if he could potentially be a success in England.

FERNANDO AMOREBIETA (ATHLETIC BILBAO) – Rumour has it that he’s already agreed a move to Fulham in the summer, but despite no price being involved for a man whose contract expires at the end of the season, there’s a reason why there hasn’t been such a clamour with the Athletic fans as Fernando Llorente received.

Amorebieta is the weak link in Athletic’s defence, positionally poor and prone to rash challenges. If Fulham do decide to take him on, they will need to compensate and make sure they have an adequate replacement in place for the inevitable suspensions that will follow.

Party time in Barcelona as Barca officially reclaimed the title

Barcelona officially wrapped up the title by winning at Atletico Madrid despite losing Lionel Messi to injury again, while Valencia ramped up the heat on Sociedad for the final Champions League qualification spot after hammering Rayo Vallecano.

MIDWEEK:

REAL MADRID 6-2 MALAGA

Real Madrid kept up the pressure on Barca at least until the weekend, as their rescheduled game (due to next weekend’s Copa Del Rey final) resulted in a very one-sided result against a Malaga side who have been seriously deflated since their Champions League quarter-final exit to Borussia Dortmund.

Raul Albiol and Roque Santa Cruz had exchanged strikes in the opening 15 minutes, before the game dramatically swung in Real’s favour when Sergio Sanchez saw a straight red after just 21 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil put Real in real control quickly, but Malaga refused to lay down and gave themselves a sliver of hope ten minutes before half-time through Antunes strike.

Karim Benzema restored Real’s two-goal lead on the stroke of half-time, with Luka Modric and Angel Di Maria completing the scoring in the second period, either side of Martin Demichelis reducing Malaga to nine men after picking up two bookings.

CELTA VIGO 1-3 ATLETICO MADRID

In the other midweek match, Real’s opponents in the Copa Del Rey, Atletico, put Celta Vigo closer to the drop zone with a comfortable victory at Balaidos.

After a goalless first half, Atletico took control in the second period with strikes from Diego Costa and Juanfran, as Celta moved closer to a swift return to La Segunda.

They gave themselves late hope of salvaging much needed points after Augusto Fernandez netted five minutes from time, but that hope lasted all of a minute, as Radamel Falcao quickly made it three for Atletico and made sure of their third placed finish.

WEEKEND:

ATLETICO MADRID 1-2 BARCELONA

Barcelona finally can officially engrave their names on the Primera trophy, as they came overcame a numerical disadvantage to come from behind to beat an Atletico side with one eye on Friday’s cup final.

Falcao had given Atletico the lead five minutes into the second half in a lack-lustre game, before Barcelona were reduced to ten men after Lionel Messi limped off with all three substitutes having already been used.

But Barca proved they were more than a one man team by fighting back to take all three points, with Alexis Sanchez levelling the scores and David Villa’s effort taking a huge deflection off Gabi to give Barca all three points and the championship title.

ESPANYOL 1-1 REAL MADRID

In truth, Barca had already been crowned champions before they even kicked off at Atletico, with Real having only drawn at Espanyol the evening before to leave them with an insurmountable gap to climb.

Christian Stuani practically handed over the title to Barcelona as Espanyol made a rare fist of things against an admittedly weakened Real Madrid side, before Gonzalo Higuain ensured a share of the spoils in the second half.

Victor Sanchez’ sending off in stoppage time proved too late to display any advantage for Real, as a draw ensured Barca were not even required to beat Atletico to be officially named champions.

RAYO VALLECANO 0-4 VALENCIA

Valencia moved level on points with Real Sociedad in the race for fourth, as they thumped Rayo in the early kick-off on Sunday.

Valencia have failed to claim a three-point haul on their three previous attempts at a lunchtime kick-off, but made no mistake this time round as a Roberto Soldado brace (one from the spot) had them in complete control by the time the referee blew for half-time.

Andres Guardado made sure there was no risk of a second half comeback just after the hour mark, before Nelson Valdez added extra gloss in stoppage time, as Valencia piled on the pressure in a race that is set to go right to the wire.

REAL SOCIEDAD 2-2 GRANADA

Sociedad allowed Valencia to move level with them however, as they twice allowed the lead to slip to give Granada an unlikely point in their fight for survival.

Imanol Agirretxe had twice put La Real into the lead, but twice Granada fought back to claim a big point for them, with Youssef El-Arabi and Recio the scorers, the latter on-loan from fellow fourth-placed challengers Malaga. And who says the loan system is flawed?

MALAGA 0-0 SEVILLA

Malaga on the other hand were unable to make up any ground on Sociedad despite the intervention of their own player, as they played out a bore draw with Sevilla at La Rosaleda.

Sevilla fell further behind city rivals Betis in the hunt for the final official Europa league qualification place, but their eighth place will prove to be enough should UEFA stand firm with Malaga’s four-year ban from European competition.

REAL BETIS 1-0 CLETA VIGO

Betis tightened their grip on that (currently) all important seventh place, while they reduced the gap on Malaga to just two points as they aim to be Andalusia’s top club.

Ruben Castro scored the only goal of the game with his 17^th of the season, as Celta now sit three points away from safety, with only two games remaining having played a game more than all their relegation rivals. They look doomed folks.

ATHLETIC BILBAO 2-1 MALLORCA

Speaking of doomed, Mallorca could be relegated next weekend pending other results, as they lost points and players at Athletic Bilbao.

Aritz Aduriz had already piled further misery on his former club with his eighth minute opener, before Andreu Fontas saw red for second bookable offence, giving away a penalty that thankfully Aduriz missed to leave them with some hope.

Athletic took until the 79^th minute to make good of their numerical advantage as Fernando Llorente found the back of the net, but Giovani Dos Santos quickly brought Mallorca back into the game, before Ximo Navarro ended all hope by leaving the visitors with nine men, also picking up his second booking of the match.

VALLADOLID 1-0 DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA

Deportivo are right back in real trouble, as their brief resurgence has come to an abrupt end, with Valladolid the latest to take advantage of this slump of form.

Javi Guerra netted the only goal of the match early in the second half to leave Depor two points adrift of safety and bereft of ideas on how to save themselves and their final two games seeing them taking on high-flying Malaga and Sociedad.

OSASUNA 1-0 GETAFE

Getafe’s European hopes took a bit of a blow, but it’s Osasuna’s hopes of survival that were the big talk here, as yet another Andres Fernandez clean sheet helped them on their way to a big three points.

Alejandro Arribas made up for the four sending offs he’s received this season with a massive goal 15 minutes from time to give Osasuna a four point cushion between themselves and the dreaded drop zone.

LEVANTE 0-0 REAL ZARAGOZA

Zaragoza missed the chance to also put some distance between themselves and Depor, as they could only achieve a goalless draw with a Levante side that played for over 40 minutes with ten men.

Papakouli Diop had seen a straight red to end his season prematurely after 53 minutes, but Zaragoza were unable to break through the Levante defence, even with Pedro Lopez seeing Levante down to nine in stoppage time after picking up his second booking of the match.

Victor Valdes will be available this summer after making it clear he wishes to leave Barcelona

It’s that wonderful time of the year when, as the season draws to a close, clubs will put in place their recruitment policies and start targeting players from around the globe to bolster their squads for the year ahead.

And with Spanish football (and Spain in general) feeling the heat of an economic crisis, the Premier League and the rest of the world can look to La Liga and pick up another Michu at a knock-down price to ease the pressure on the coffers of La Primera’s financially-stricken clubs.

Footy Matters looks at some of those available that could prove a useful asset to any club at a decent deal, starting this week with the goalkeepers that could be available this summer.

VICTOR VALDES (BARCELONA)

We start with the most heavily publicised to get it out of the way. Valdes has made it clear that he fancies a new challenge in his career (or just a challenge that doesn’t involve playing behind ten players who have possession for 80% of the game) and the world remains sceptical as to how talented Valdes is.

Whilst he clearly must have some exceptional ability to avoid joining the train-wreck of goalkeepers that had passed through the Nou Camp prior to his emergence from La Masia, the jury remains out on a man that has won six Zamora awards, due to the fact that he will often see such little action in a game.

But this season, with Carles Puyol spending so much time in the physio’s room and Gerard Pique’s form deteriorating, Valdes has found himself involved a little bit more and subsequently has found himself unlikely to retain the Zamora award, having conceded nine more than Thibaut Courtois at Atletico Madrid.

But Valdes possesses a great ability in one-on-one situations, making his relatively short 1.83m frame incredibly intimidating, while he is more prone to coming for crosses than most ‘keepers in the league, with a high success rate as well.

It will be fascinating to see how Valdes fares away from the only home he’s ever known, but he would still be worth a punt for any top club requiring a new body between the sticks ahead of 2013/14.

DIEGO LOPEZ (REAL MADRID)

I know what you’re thinking. How can Real Madrid’s first choice keeper be a realistic target for anyone in the summer? Well, the answer is quite a simple one: If, as expected, Jose Mourinho leaves the Bernabeu at the end of the season, Iker Casillas is more than likely to be reinstated to his number one position and take on the goalkeeping duties once again.

Now Lopez has performed admirably in Casillas’s stead, so it almost seems unfair on the man only recruited in January that he will spend next season parked on the Madrid bench.

With a remarkable wingspan to his tall frame, Lopez has proven capable of making some great saves, displaying the fact that he is probably better than a large number of the keepers who will be number one at their clubs in Spain next season.

It just seems unfair to leave him to rot on the bench when he could do a bag up job for any other team that doesn’t possess a club legend still at his peak.

Andres Fernandez is a huge factor in Osasuna currently retaining their Primera status

ANDRES FERNANDEZ (OSASUNA)

Now we move on to find some real quality that will be available at a really appealing price, if Osasuna’s recent selling policy is anything to go by.

The Pamplonan outfit have frequently sold their star players for relative buttons compared to what some other clubs will charge, and Andres Fernandez has been the stand-out man for them in a season that has had little else to cheer.

With Osasuna having only managed 28 goals this season, less than any other team in La Primera, without the performances of Fernandez, they would most likely already be relegated, instead of lurking outside of the relegation zone.

With Osasuna sitting in 16^th, Fernandez has managed to keep an incredible 11 clean sheets this season in a poor team, with his total of 42 conceded only beaten by the top three teams in the division.

The Uruguayan custodian is probably the only reason Osasuna aren’t already preparing themselves for a season in La Segunda and can provide such a service for another club willing to pay no more than €5million this summer.

FRANCISCO CASILLA (ESPANYOL)

Another man that could be available at a very reasonable price given Espanyol’s financial travails is Francisco Casilla, who has come in and looked the steady, assured keeper that Espanyol were crying out for in the first half of the season.

But with the arrival of Javier Aguirre, Casilla has jumped ahead of Christian Alvarez in the pecking order for that starting berth, and has achieved a whopping eight clean sheets in the 19 games in which he has featured this season.

Casilla’s form has been one of the reasons that Espanyol have managed to comfortably claw themselves away from a relegation scrap into the nicely cushioned mid-table area.

But with Espanyol suffering with financial difficulties, they would find it hard to turn away any reasonable bids for any of their players and Casilla would suit any mid-table club looking for a sturdy foundation. Fulham should have a look if they decide to push Mark Schwarzer towards the retirement home.

Got anyone else in mind? Tell us – @SmParker8 or @FootyMatters on Twitter. 

Apono's double was crucial in lifting Zaragoza out of the drop zone

Zaragoza climbed out of the relegation zone following back-to-back victories, while Barcelona and Real Madrid bounced back from Champions League disappointment with wins.

REAL ZARAGOZA 3-0 RAYO VALLECANO

Zaragoza have suddenly reversed their alarming slump of form that saw them go nearly four months without a victory in 2013, as last week’s triumph over Mallorca was followed up by a convincing win over Rayo.

They look the lead after 26 minutes in fortunate terms, with Jordi unlucky to be judged to have handled inside the box and Apono netting from the spot, but from then on the hosts took complete control against their lacklustre visitors from the capital.

Rodri doubled the advantage five minutes into the second half, before Apono grabbed his second of the game and Zara’s third to bring them back outside of the relegation zone.

BARCELONA 4-2 REAL BETIS

Barcelona suffered humiliation in their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich as they were humbled 7-0 on aggregate, and had to survive a scare or two to get past Betis at Camp Nou.

The visitors took an early lead to pile more misery on the supposedly suffering Catalan crowd, as Dorian Pabon took advantage of slack defending, but that advantage did not last long as Alexis Sanchez equalised inside seven minutes.

But Betis still took a lead into half-time, as Ruben Perez restored their advantage, before David Villa tied things up once again ten minutes into the second period.

Lionel Messi was finally introduced from the bench to aid his ailing comrades and he took little time in showing what has been missing in recent weeks, as he scored a quick-fire brace to wrap up all three points and bring Barca to within two points of wrapping up the title.

REAL MADRID 4-3 VALLADOLID

Real were also made to sweat following Champions League disappointment, but finally overcame a plucky Valladolid side to cement their hold on second place and make Barca wait another week to officially engrave their name on the trophy.

Oscar gave Valladolid the lead after just eight minutes, before Angel Di Maria made it three goals in his last two La Liga games with the equaliser.

Cristiano Ronaldo put Real in front after 32 minutes, but Valladolid refused to lay down and took the game into half-time level pegging following Javi Guerra’s equaliser.

Kaka put Real back into the lead four minutes into the second half, before Ronaldo made sure of the victory 20 minutes from time, rendering Lluis Sastre’s late sumptuous volley insignificant in terms of the result.

GETAFE 2-1 REAL SOCIEDAD

Real Sociedad’s Champions League hopes took a minor blow, as they suffered their first defeat since the opening game of 2013, boosting Getafe’s hopes of European qualification in the process.

With an extra spot open to the Europa League following confirmation of Atletico’s position in the top four, Getafe are now just two points off seventh placed Betis after recovering from Carlos Vela’s fourth minute goal to inflict defeat on their Basque visitors.

Pedro Leon and Abdul Barrada ensured Getafe had turned the advantage in their favour by half-time and it remained that way until the end, with Sociedad now looking nervously over their shoulder after losing their 15-game unbeaten run.

VALENCIA 4-0 OSASUNA

Sociedad’s position has been put under threat as Valencia moved to within two points after brushing aside an ill-disciplined Osasuna who are in turn running perilously close to the relegation zone once again.

Roberto Soldado and Ricardo Costa both netted in the final five minutes of the first half to give Valencia a commanding first half lead, before Osasuna imploded.

Alejandro Arribas picked up his fourth red card of the season for a professional foul, with Ever Banega hammering home the free-kick to add insult to injury.

David Timor followed Arribas’s lead by picking up two bookings in five minutes, before a handball gave Jonas the opportunity to add a fourth in stoppage time.

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA 0-0 ATLETICO MADRID

Atletico officially secured their place in next year’s Champions’ League with a dull goalless draw at Depor, but the hosts slip back into the relegation zone, as other results went against them.

GRANADA 1-0 MALAGA

Granada gave their survival hopes a huge shot in the arm, as they piled more misery on a Malaga side that are struggling to find any kind of form going into the crucial run-in.

Odion Ighalo’s 28^th minute strike proved enough to separate these two sides, as Granada now have a three point cushion between themselves and 18^th-placed Depor.

CELTA VIGO 1-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO

Celta remain within touching distance of safety as they rescued a late point against Athletic, who still can’t be sure of safety themselves yet. Oscar De Marcos had given Athletic what looked to be the winner just before half-time, but Iago Aspas, just returning from suspension, secured a vital draw five minutes from time to keep Celta’s hopes of survival alive.

MALLORCA 1-1 LEVANTE

Mallorca on the other hand are running out of time to save themselves, as they fell four points away from safety after failing to hold onto their lead against a Levante side that hoplessly collapsed against Depor two weeks ago.

Tomer Hemed had given Mallorca the lead by ending his goal-drought in timely fashion, but Ricardo Acquafresca levelled up just before half-time to give Levante a share of the spoils and leave Mallorca’s hopes of Primera football next season in serious doubt.

SEVILLA 3-0 ESPANYOL

Sevilla are right back in the hunt for that last Europa League place as they hammered a very lacklustre Espanyol side in the Andalusian capital.

This match was done and dusted within half an hour, as Joan Capdevila’s tenth minute own goal was quickly followed up by strikes from Coke and Alvaro Negredo to bring Sevilla to within three points of seventh-placed city rivals, Betis.

Angel Di Maria proved the difference between Real and Atletico

Real Madrid’s dominance over city rivals Atletico continued as they look set to wrap up second place, while Real Sociedad moved a step closer to Champions League football after defeating Valencia.

ATLETICO MADRID 1-2 REAL MADRID

With Real having dominated meetings between Madrid’s two biggest sides since the turn of the millennium, Atletico were in dire need of overturning their rivals if there was to be any lingering hope of finishing above them this season.

But alas, once again they fell short in their quest, despite having taken a fourth minute lead through Radamel Falcao and playing a weakened Real line-up, with Jose Mourinho resting most of his key men ahead of the Borussia Dortmund game.

Atletico’s lead lasted barely ten minutes however, as Angel Di Maria gave his manager a timely reminder of his abilities, with his first effort taking a heavy deflection off of Juanfran, before he got his name legitimately on the scoresheet just after the hour mark to ensure Real go six points clear of their rivals and look to have bragging rights in the city of Madrid once again.

REAL SOCIEDAD 4-2 VALENCIA

Real Sociedad are now five points clear of their rivals for fourth place, as they triumphed over Valencia at Anoeta.

Valencia had taken the lead in this crucial clash for Champions League football, when Roberto Soldado headed home, but Sociedad have been in fine form this year and bounced back with some authority.

Inigo Martinez ensured Valencia weren’t able to take a lead into half-time, before two strikes in the final 20 minutes from Gonzalo Castro and Imanol Agirretxe put La Real in a commanding position.

Jonas Oliveira gave Valencia a little hope in the final minute of normal time, before Agirretxe snuffed out that hope deep into stoppage time with his second of the game.

ATHLETIC BILBAO 2-2 BARCELONA

Despite still holding a commanding lead at the top of the table, Barcelona’s form can probably be best described as patchy over the last couple of months and it proved so again, as that heavy defeat in Munich was followed up by throwing away a late lead in Bilbao.

Markel Susaeta had given Athletic a half-time lead with his 27^th minute strike, but a quick-fire double from substitute Lionel Messi and Alexis Sanchez had looked set to give Barca victory in their final visit to San Mames before it’s closure this summer.

That was not to be the case though, as Los Leones fought back in the dying moments of the game, with Ander Herrera earning them a deserved point against the champions elect.

REAL ZARAGOZA 3-2 MALLORCA

Zaragoza finally have a victory on the board for 2013, as they overcame fellow strugglers Mallorca in the very definition of a six-pointer.

This game swung one way, then the other, as Tomer Hemed’s 12^th minute strike for the visitors was cancelled out just before the half-hour mark by Paco Montanes.

Helder Postiga then gave Zaragoza the lead in the second half, before Javier Arizmendi looked to have secures a share of the spoils ten minutes from time.

But there was to be late drama, as Ruben Rochina grabbed what could prove a priceless winner to lift Zaragoza above Mallorca, although the two sides still occupy the bottom two spots in the table with five games remaining to save themselves.

ESPANYOL 0-1 GRANADA

Granada ensured they didn’t end the weekend in the relegation zone as they claimed a surprise victory at Espanyol.

Nolito’s first half free-kick proved to be the difference between the two sides, as Granada kept the two points between them and the Segunda spots.

LEVANTE 0-1 CELTA VIGO

After six games without a win, Celta now have two victories on the bounce and are on the brink of saving their season and their top flight status.

Levante’s season on the other hand has trailed off dramatically, and they were undone once again courtesy of Augusto Fernandez, whose 20^th minute strike proved enough to give Celta all three points and bring them to within a point of safety.

REAL BETIS 1-1 DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA

Deportivo remain a point outside of the relegation zone, as they claimed a point at Betis, who in turn now sit four points away from the European qualification places, although Malaga’s European ban could still see them venture into the Europa League.

Riki had given Depor the lead after just seven minutes, but Betis brought themselves level early into the second half, when Jorge Molina struck to keep them within catching distance of Valencia and Malaga.

MALAGA 2-1 GETAFE

Malaga moved back above Valencia into fifth after beating Getafe, as their vain hope of qualifying for Europe continue, providing a successful appeal.

Roque Santa Cruz and Weligton scored either side of half-time to give the Andalusian side the victory, rendering Juan Valera’s 70^th minute effort meaningless in terms of the result.

RAYO VALLECANO 2-2 OSASUNA

With other results going against them, Osasuna have been dragged into the relegation mire, with only three points separating them from 18^th placed Celta now.

They still claimed a decent point at Rayo, despite having gone behind to Andrija Delibasic’s seventh minute strike.

Raoul Loe brought Osasuna instantly level and by the 13^th minute the visitors were in front thanks to Javi Arribas, but they were not able to hold onto three points, as Piti scored for the 15^th time this season to claim a share of the spoils.

VALLADOLID 1-1 SEVILLA

This was a simple collision of two mid-table sides, who have little hope of crashing the European hunt and little fear of being dragged into the relegation fight.

Javi Guerra gave Valladolid the lead five minutes before half-time, but the game ended all square when Alvaro Negredo netted his 19^th goal of the season from the penalty spot just after the hour mark.

Jose Mourinho is in need of one of those magic Champions League comebacks against Dortmund. Trailing 4-1 from the semi-final first leg, the Special One can only hope that their home advantage will be enough to inspire his Madrid team to pull off a miraculous turnaround.

Following the demoralising defeat in Dortmund, Mourinho maintained that they are still capable of making the final.

“Of course we can; on a crazy night, where everyone performs at a high level and every chance you have and every goal you score is with a high level of efficiency. Of course we can”

However, they will need to produce a far better performance if they want to stand a chance against a ruthless Dortmund side. The brilliance of Robert Lewandowski was central to Dortmund’s victory last week and if Real Madrid’s back four again fail to neutralise his lethal finishing and the creative talents of Mario Gotze and Marco Reus then it is surely curtains for the home side.

The only glimmer of hope for the nine-times European Cup winners lies with Cristiano Ronaldo’s away goal, which means that a 3-0 win on Tuesday would be enough to book a place in the final. Such a result is of course by no means impossible, especially for a team that have pulled off some of the greatest comebacks in European history.

Yet its hard to imagine Dortmund being overawed by a trip to the Bernabeu when they’ve already gone there and drawn earlier this season. Jurgen Klopp is positive his team won’t freeze on the night, his words of encouragement (which also sound suspiciously like the tagline to a second-rate movie) were; “The only way to reach your dream is to be brave”

Another concern for Mourinho and Madrid is the fitness of star man Ronaldo having picked up a knock during the first leg and missed out on Saturday’s derby with Atletico Madrid. He is expected to feature against Dortmund but if there was one game where you needed Ronaldo to be at 100% it’s this one.

Barcelona and Real Madrid fans don’t often get the chance to empathise with each other, but after both teams were trounced by German opposition in their respective semi-finals, they must be doing exactly that, and for Real, failure to reach the final will be all the more painful given that the Champions League is their last hope of major silverware this season.

As for Dortmund, with Gotze already set for a summer transfer to potential finalists Bayern Munich and Lewandowski also widely expected to leave, this Champions League campaign may prove to be the greatest leaving present any Dortmund fan could wish for.