King of Spain: Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal (right) celebrates scoring against Almeria during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Saturday (Sunday Jakarta time). Ronaldo set a record of 40 goals this season to become the Spanish league top scorer. (AP/Paul White)
Barcelona closed out its third straight
league crown in style as a team made up mostly of reserves recovered
for a 3-1 victory at Malaga on Saturday, while Cristiano Ronaldo
scored twice in Real Madrid's 8-1 thrashing of Almeria to set a
Spanish league scoring record.
While the top two both finished off with victories, Deportivo La
Coruna lost 2-0 to Valencia to be relegated into the second division
for the first time in 20 years, joining Hercules and Almeria.
Deportivo was among six teams in risk of going down on the final
day and Aritz Aduritz's fourth-minute goal left it in a desperate
situation early at El Rizaor Stadium. Roberto Soldado added the
second goal in the final seconds.
Deportivo, which won one league and two Copa del Rey trophies
after coming up in 1991, set a record for relegated teams with 43
points.
"We tried everything, what more can we do? We created chances
but the ball didn't want to go in," said Deportivo forward Juan
Carlos Valeron.
Zaragoza ensured it stayed up with a 2-1 win at Levante, Getafe
and Real Sociedad both remained after a 1-1 draw, and Osasuna beat
Villarreal 1-0 to ensure its spot.
Mallorca finished 17th and in the last topflight spot despite
Sergio Aguero's hat-trick guiding Atletico Madrid to a 4-3 win.
Mallorca fans invaded the Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium field to
celebrate, while at Deportivo supporters wept in the stands.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo poked home after just four
minutes to break the record before striking again in the 77th with a
hard shot past goalkeeper Esteban Suarez to set a new mark of 40
goals in a single season. Ronaldo had shared the mark of 38 with
Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra and Madrid's Hugo Sanchez, the league
scoring leaders from the 1950-51 and 1989-90 seasons.
"To score so many goals in a season is very hard. I have to
thank my teammates," Ronaldo said. "The (scoring title) is for
them and the fans too."
Emmanuel Adebayor scored a hat trick while Karim Benzema also
added a brace as Madrid routed already-relegated Almeria to take its
goal tally for the season to 102 from 38 games.
Madrid finished four points behind Barcelona, which recorded its
league record 14th victory in 18 away games to finish its 21st
title-winning season with 96 points.
Bojan Krkic's penalty just before half time canceled out
Sebastian Fernandez's 31st-minute opener for Malaga before Ibrahim
Afellay and Marc Bartra scored late second-half goals eight minutes
apart to secure victory.
Afellay made amends for spoiling an earlier solo chance by
cutting into the middle to curl a long-range strike beyond
goalkeeper Willy Caballero in the 76th.
Bartra scored his first goal with the senior team as the defender
found himself alone inside the area to turn substitute Daniel Alves'
corner home with a well-guided header.
"We're not here to grade ourselves, we're here to play a game
and that's been impeccable," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said.
"Last year we had 99 points and this year 96 - it's absolutely
ridiculous."
Lionel Messi was among seven regulars left out of the squad to
rest up for next Saturday's Champions League final against
Manchester United at Wembley.
Ronaldo moved ahead of Messi with 53 goals overall on the season
with his second strike at the Santiago Bernabeu after he opened by
poking home Sergio Ramos' header.
Jerzy Dudek was given a rare start as the Polish goalkeeper
played his last game for Madrid, while Adebayor showed he will be
missed if the Togo striker leaves the club when his loan-spell from
Manchester City expires.
Jose Luis Samartin also scored his first goal for Madrid soon
after coming on as a late substitute. Kalu Uche had pulled Almeria
to within 2-1 before Madrid exploded in the second half.
"For a defensive team that doesn't play football, to pass 100
goals is good," assistant coach Aitor Karanka said, making light of
the criticism aimed at Jose Mourinho's tactics.
Sevilla finished fifth thanks to a 3-2 win at Espanyol, while
Athletic Bilbao joins it in the Europa League after ending the
season sixth with a 2-1 victory at Racing Santander. Atletico
finished seventh for the last European spot but will have to go
through Europa League qualifying.
Also in the final round, it was Hercules 0, Sporting Gijon 0.
Second division leader Real Betis has already assured its place
in the top division.
