Facebook Twitter (X) Instagram Somali Magazine - People's Magazine
La Liga champions fall 3-2 at Montjuic as Villarreal books Champions League spot and Mbappé edges closer to Golden Boot
Barcelona celebrated its 28th Spanish league title on Sunday, but the party was slightly spoiled as Villarreal handed the champions their first defeat of 2025. The match at Montjuic stadium ended 3-2 in favor of Villarreal, who secured their return to the Champions League with the win.
Barcelona had already clinched the title earlier in the week and used their final home match to present the trophy to their fans. After the game, players lifted the La Liga trophy and danced around their season’s silverware, which also included the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen praised the team, saying, “We can be proud of this team for winning these titles and for how it did it. We had a great season on all levels.”
Before kickoff, Villarreal showed sportsmanship by giving Barcelona a guard of honor as the champions walked onto the pitch.
Match Highlights
Villarreal got off to a fast start, scoring in the fourth minute through Ayoze Pérez. Barcelona quickly responded with a brilliant goal from teenager Lamine Yamal, who curled in a left-footed shot from outside the box. Just before halftime, Fermín López gave Barcelona a 2-1 lead.
In the second half, Villarreal fought back. Santiago Comesaña equalized in the 50th minute, and Tajon Buchanan scored the winner in the 80th minute, sealing a fifth straight league win for Villarreal.
Barcelona hadn’t lost in the league since December 21, with 15 wins and two draws in between. This was likely their final match at Montjuic before returning to Camp Nou next season, though the stadium renovations won’t be completed until 2026.
Real Madrid Wins, Mbappé Shines
Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0, thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé scored his 29th league goal, strengthening his lead in the Golden Boot race, ahead of Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who has 25 goals.
Sevilla played most of the match with nine players. Loic Bade was sent off early for a foul on Mbappé, and Isaac Romero saw red for a hard challenge on Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Madrid remains second in the table with 81 points, four behind Barcelona, with one round to go.
Champions League & European Spots
Villarreal’s win secured them a place in next season’s Champions League, joining Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao. Spain will have five teams in Europe’s top competition.
Real Betis clinched a Europa League spot. Celta Vigo currently holds the last Europa League place, while Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna are close behind, fighting for both Europa and Conference League positions.
Relegation Battle
The relegation fight is coming down to the final round. Leganes kept their hopes alive with a 1-0 win over already-relegated Las Palmas. They are now just two points behind Espanyol, who lost 2-0 to Osasuna and are still in danger.
Alaves and Getafe both secured safety with wins. Valladolid and Las Palmas have already been relegated.
In the final round, Leganes will play bottom-placed Valladolid, while Espanyol faces Las Palmas. The outcome will decide who drops to the second division.
Spanish Super Cup
Next season’s Spanish Super Cup will feature Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao. Since Barcelona and Madrid played the Copa del Rey final, the top four league teams filled the Super Cup spots.
Coach Farewell
Real Sociedad honored long-time coach Imanol Alguacil during their 3-2 win over Girona. Alguacil is stepping down after six and a half years with the club.