The 2022-2023 League has two days left to draw the curtain. There are six points left at stake, six points that at the bottom of the standings will make the difference between survival in First Division or descent to hell in Second Division. It’s the closest and most dramatic battle for tenure in recent years with as many as seven teams involved, many of which will face each other dog-faced down the season. These are the relegation accounts.
Valencia, Celta, Almería, Getafe, Cádiz, Valladolid and Espanyol are the clubs that are at stake to be or not be in the First Division in the last two days of the domestic competition. Of that group, two will fall into the well, since Elche mathematically sealed the descent a long time ago. The 40 points that usually serve to save themselves will not be enough this year. Everything indicates that 42 points will be necessary to not lose the category.
The classification is red hot after a crazy last day: Valladolid beat the almighty Barcelona against forecast; Getafe took the victory at the home of Betis; Espanyol scratched a vital tie against Atlético. Furthermore, if Valencia and Celta had prevailed in their respective matches against Mallorca and Girona, they would not be on this list of agony today. The results of day 36 have turned the permanence upside down.
Between the Mestalla team, thirteenth in the standings (40 points) and Espanyol, nineteenth (35), there are five points difference, but it is that between Valladolid, which currently occupies the eighteenth position (38), the last place to Second, and Valencia the margin dwindles to two pyrrhic points. In addition, those from Pucela are tied on points with Cádiz and Getafe, while Almería has one point more than them. Faced with this situation, the direct goalscoring between the teams could be transcendental.
On matchday 37, all the teams involved in relegation are measured against each other, except Getafe, who faces Osasuna. These matches are played on Sunday, May 28, in unified time (7:00 p.m.)
And these are the matches corresponding to matchday 38, the last of the league season, for these teams: Betis – Valencia; Elche – Cadiz; Celtic – Barcelona; Espanyol – Almería and Valladolid – Getafe.
With two rounds to go and so many matches between direct rivals, there are multiple combinations of results to determine who remains in the top flight of national football and who should be relegated. In any case, none will say goodbye to the category on matchday 37. Here are some cabals:
Valencia receives Espanyol at Mestalla with the hope of sealing salvation in the absence of playing the last day. To do this, it is enough to win the Catalan team, although two other combinations are also worth it: draw and Getafe or Valladolid lose or, two, that Valladolid and Getafe draw. In the worst case, the team led by Rubén Baraja would reach matchday 37, against Betis in Seville, with only one point on relegation.
Celta have chained four consecutive defeats and a draw, results with which they have taken the fight not to go down to Second by surprise. Even so, those of Carlos Carvalhal depend on himself. A victory on matchday 37 would be enough to save themselves and could even earn them a draw, always depending on other results. Regarding the goalscoring, he has won the individual with Espanyol and lost with Getafe and Almería.
Almería is only one point away from the relegation places, but it depends on itself to continue in the First Division. And it is that the Andalusians have two games ahead of them against direct rivals, Valladolid and Espanyol. A victory for Rubi’s men could be enough to seal their permanence.
Getafe will experience an all-or-nothing final on the last day at the Valladolid stadium. On the pitch of José Zorrilla, not only the three points will be at stake, but also the particular goalscoring, which could be definitive to save or descend. In order not to see yourself with water up to your neck in the last 90 minutes of the season, it would be essential to scratch something positive in your next match against Osasuna
Cádiz has lost the particular goalscoring with Getafe and has it tied with Espanyol, although the blue and whites have a better overall goal difference. And it remains to be seen how he looks with Celta, a team that beat him 3-0 in Balaídos. In favor: the yellows can be saved this Sunday, as long as Celta win, Valladolid lose in Almería and Espanyol lose or draw against Valencia. Another combination to save themselves on matchday 37: Cádiz and Celta sign a tie and Getafe, Valladolid and Espanyol lose.
The Blanquivioletas need to add 42 points, with a victory and a draw in the two remaining games against Almería and Getafe, to guarantee their permanence without depending on other results.
Of the seven teams involved in the war for not being relegated, Espanyol is the team that has it the worst, but salvation is not impossible. Of course, he is the only one who no longer depends on himself. The best thing the Catalan team can do is win the two remaining games, against Valencia and Almería. If he succeeds, and Getafe does not beat Osasuna and Cádiz is defeated against Celta, Luis García’s men would achieve permanence. There are still other combinations for Espanyol to maintain the category, since it has in its favor the particular goalscoring with Getafe, Cádiz and Valladolid.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project