La Liga Round Up: Mixed Champions League fortunes for Athletic Club and Real Betis as Leganes push for survival | OneFootball

Sunday’s La Liga action saw a few big twists in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification alongside Barcelona’s 4-3 El Clasico win.

Athletic Club’s narrow 1-0 Basque derby win over Alaves puts them on course for a top five spot as rivals Real Betis stumbled at home to Osasuna.

Leganes gave their survival hopes a huge boost with victory over Espanyol to keep themselves in the hunt.

Leganes 3-2 Espanyol: The race to survive is on

Leganes have thrown down a marker to the other sides in the relegation battle that they are ready to fight to the end.

Seydouba Cisse’s composed finish set them on the road to a key home victory over Espanyol with the visitors probably already safe.

Yan Diomande doubled the home side’s lead before a Marash Kumbulla own goal put them 3-0 up just after the hour mark.

However, the drama was not over – as Leandro Cabrera and Pere Milla set up a tense finale – but Leganes end the weekend just one point behind 17th-place Alaves.

Athletic Club 1-0 Alaves: Champions League calling for Ernesto Valverde

Athletic Club will not reach next season’s UCL by winning the Europa League after being dumped out in the semi finals by Manchester United.

However, they are now just one win away from securing their return to Europe’s top tier after a tight victory over Alaves.

Manu Sanchez’s late own goal proved to be the dividing line between the teams and three points split across their final three games will seal their place.

Real Betis 1-1 Osasuna: Pellegrini’s Conference League hangover

Real Betis have a packed schedule to end 2024/25 after booking their spot in the Conference League final against Chelsea.

Stretching themselves over two competitions is beginning to cause an issue for Manuel Pellegrini and they could not hold on for the win at home to Osasuna.

Cucho Hernandez’s second half goal was cancelled out by a late equaliser from the on-fire Ante Budimir.

Pellegrini’s charges are now three points adrift of fifth place Villarreal with three clashes to go

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