What has been going on in LaLiga this past week? Here’s all you need to know, from Real Betis’ Copa del Rey triumph to a new contract for the Zamora leader.
Real Betis are Copa del Rey champions again
The 2021/22 Copa del Rey final was held on Saturday night and Real Betis overcame Valencia CF on penalties to win the trophy, 17 years after they last final win. Club legend Joaquín played a part in both victories and the veteran raised the trophy in front of thousands of Béticos after Juan Miranda converted the decisive spot kick.
Real Madrid close in on the LaLiga Santander title
There was midweek LaLiga Santander action this past week and Real Madrid won their Matchday 33 trip to CA Osasuna 3-1. That means Los Blancos have moved even closer to mathematically sealing this year’s championship. They could be proclaimed champions next weekend if they avoid defeat to RCD Espanyol.
Aitor Karanka takes charge at Granada CF
Granada CF decided this past week to appoint a new coach for the final stretch of the season, with Aitor Karanka hired to take over from interim boss Rubén Torrecilla. The former Real Madrid player and former coach of Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest faced Atlético de Madrid in his first match with Granada CF, earning a valuable point through a 0-0 draw.
Giuliano Simeone makes his Atlético de Madrid debut
There was a special moment during that Atleti game against Granada CF, as Diego Simeone was able to give his son Giuliano his senior debut for the club in the final minutes. The 19-year-old had been impressing with the B team and is the 39th youth teamer that Simeone has given a debut to during his time in charge of the club
RCD Mallorca climb back out the relegation zone
RCD Mallorca secured an important three-point haul in the midweek round, defeating relegation rivals Deportivo Alavés 2-1 thanks to goals from Abdón Prats and Vedat Muriqi. It is still so tight at the bottom, with RCD Mallorca 16th on 32 points, Cádiz CF 17th on 31 points, Granada CF 18th on 30 points, Levante UD 19th on 25 points and Deportivo Alavés 20th also on 25 points.
Getafe CF finally win on the road
In their 17th away game of the season, Getafe CF finally secured a win. They went into this week’s Matchday 33 as the only LaLiga Santander team yet to taste victory away from home, but two goals from Borja Mayoral saw them defeat RC Celta 2-0, ensuring they stay above the relegation battle.
Barça edge a tight one in San Sebastián
Real Sociedad vs FC Barcelona was always going to be one of the most interesting games of Matchday 33 and so it proved, as the Basque and Catalan outfits played out a tight contest that saw Barça take a 1-0 victory thanks to an early goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Although La Real had chances and won the possession battle, they couldn’t overcome Marc-André ter Stegen, who kept an impressive clean sheet.
A new contract for the Zamora leader
Sevilla FC and their goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, better known as Bono, have agreed a new contract, with the Moroccan signing on until 2025. Bono is currently the leader in the race for the Zamora Trophy, awarded each LaLiga Santander season to the goalkeeper who concedes the fewest goals per game.
Kick-off times confirmed for Matchdays 35 and 36
As is the case every LaLiga Santander season, several matches in the final two rounds will be played at the same time so that all teams play under equal conditions. The exact times of those games will be released in due course, but fans now know the dates and times of all fixtures up until then. In Matchday 35, for example, Real Betis vs FC Barcelona will be the Saturday night match and the Madrid Derby will take centre stage on the Sunday night.
Another attendance record for women’s football
After setting a new world record for attendance at a women’s football club match last month, of 91,553, FC Barcelona have broken their own benchmark as 91,648 attended the Women’s Champions League semi-final match between Barça and Wolfsburg on Friday. Those fans saw the Catalan side triumph 5-1 in the first leg.
