(Football news) With just a few rounds of the LALIGA EA SPORTS season remaining, and with ELCLASICO just around the corner, the Matchday 31 games in LALIGA EA SPORTS held over the weekend were very important ones. The main results and storylines are discussed below, along with the rest of the week’s headlines.

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona warm up for ELCLASICO with road wins

ELCLASICO is coming up next weekend, on April 21st, and both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona warmed up for that match by winning their Matchday 31 fixtures 1-0 in LALIGA EA SPORTS . In the case of the league leaders, an Aurélien Tchouaméni strike from distance was enough for a win away at RCD Mallorca. Meanwhile, FC Barcelona overcame Cádiz CF on the road thanks to a clever overhead kick from João Félix.

Atlético de Madrid could still finish third

In each of the past 11 seasons of LALIGA EA SPORTS , Atlético de Madrid have finished inside the top three of LALIGA EA SPORTS. And, they could do so for a 12th year in a row. A 3-1 win on Saturday against Girona FC, who currently occupy third place, means Los Colchoneros are now just four points behind with seven rounds remaining.

Real Betis are in the European positions… for now

Goals from Juan Miranda and Nabil Fekir earned Real Betis a 2-1 victory over RC Celta in Matchday 31 in LALIGA EA SPORTS, with these three points moving Los Verdiblancos up to seventh place in the table. That means they currently occupy the final European qualification position, although Valencia CF are just one point behind and with their Matchday 32 game in LALIGA EA SPORTS against CA Osasuna still to come on Monday.

The bottom two pick up points

Although 19th-placed Granada CF and 20th-placed UD Almería would require a miracle to avoid relegation, they do still have something to play for as neither club wants to finish bottom of the table. Both sides demonstrated their competitive spirit on Sunday, as Granada CF defeated Deportivo Alavés 2-0 and as UD Almería earned a 2-2 draw away at Real Sociedad. That means the gap between the bottom two is now at three points.

Sevilla FC win two away games in a row

Quique Sánchez Flores certainly has Sevilla FC going in the right direction, and the Andalusian side won 2-0 away at UD Las Palmas in Matchday 31. That makes it two wins in a row and two away wins in a row for Los Hispalenses, who hadn’t won back-to-back away games since May of last year.

Dovbyk stands clear atop the Pichichi charts

Although Girona FC lost their Matchday 31 game, Artem Dovbyk scored once again to reach 17 goals in this LALIGA EA SPORTS season. That means the Ukrainian striker has moved clear at the top of the Pichichi standings, and could win what would be the first ever Pichichi Trophy for Girona FC and for a Ukrainian player.

The LALIGA HYPERMOTION promotion race becomes even tighter

In LALIGA HYPERMOTION, Spanish football’s second division, the promotion race is now even tighter following the results of Matchday 35, in which the top two sides CD Leganés and RCD Espanyol drew 0-0. That means there is now a three-way tie for second place, as the Catalan club have 58 points and so too do SD Eibar and Real Valladolid.

Bilbao holds a party for the ages

Thursday April 11th will go down in history as one of the greatest parties Bilbao has ever had. Following Athletic Club’s Copa del Rey victory, the club organised a parade along the River Nervión on the traditional boat known as La Gabarra. Thousands of fans took to the streets, and some to the water, in the Basque city to celebrate the team’s historic achievement.

The Spanish footballing community congratulates Xabi Alonso

After Bayer Leverkusen won their first ever Bundesliga title on Sunday, their coach Xabi Alonso received praise from all around the world, including Spanish football clubs. Real Sociedad, whose academy he graduated from and whose B team he coached in LALIGA HYPERMOTION, posted a heartfelt message of congratulations on social media.

A good week for Spain’s Champions League teams

The first legs of the Champions League quarter-finals took place over the past week and all three of Spain’s representatives achieved positive results. FC Barcelona had the most outstanding performance of the week, as they won 3-2 away at PSG, while Atlético de Madrid also won their first leg, in their case 2-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Manchester City played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Bernabéu, so it’s all to play for in the second legs this Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also read: Marcus Rashford and his future with PSG