(Football news) The past week was a busy one in the world of Spanish football, as the Copa del Rey semi-final second legs were followed by LALIGA EA SPORTS’ Matchday 27 and the 1st LALIGA FC FUTURES U14 International Tournament out in Saudi Arabia. Here’s all you need to know.
The Copa del Rey will be lifted by RCD Mallorca or Athletic Club
The second legs of the Copa del Rey semi-finals took place in midweek and it was RCD Mallorca and Athletic Club who reached the final, which will take place on April 6th. The islanders won a dramatic tie against Real Sociedad on the road and via a penalty shootout, while Athletic Club put together an excellent performance to defeat Atlético de Madrid 3-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate.
Real Madrid extend their lead to seven points
Real Madrid fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 away at Valencia CF on Saturday, with Vinícius scoring both of the goals for Los Blancos. Although they didn’t win, that one point meant Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points, given that second-placed Girona FC fell to a 1-0 defeat at RCD Mallorca.
Athletic Club and Barça play out a draw
FC Barcelona remain in third place and eight points behind leaders Real Madrid, after the Catalan outfit played out a 0-0 draw when they visited Athletic Club. For the Basques, that result means they’re five points behind Atlético de Madrid and the final Champions League spot, setting up a fascinating end of the season.
RC Celta pull away from the bottom three
The first game of Matchday 27 in LALIGA EA SPORTS was in Vigo, where RC Celta overcame UD Almería 1-0 thanks to a goal from Óscar Mingueza. That victory in LALIGA EA SPORTS means the Galician side have pulled even further away from the bottom three, as they now have a five-point cushion to third-bottom Cádiz CF.
Alexander Sørloth leads Villarreal CF to a big win
One of the other standout results of the weekend was Villarreal CF’s 5-1 victory over Granada CF, in which Alexander Sørloth scored a hat-trick. The Norwegian was joined on the scoresheet by teammates Gonçalo Guedes and Étienne Capoue, as El Submarino Amarillo flexed their muscles ahead of their Europa League Round of 16 tie against Marseille.
Mouctar Diakhaby suffers a nasty injury
There was concern for Valencia CF centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby, after he suffered a dislocated right knee during his team’s draw against Real Madrid. It was immediately clear that the injury was a serious one and players from across LALIGA EA SPORTS have wished the defender a speedy recovery.
A knee injury will hurt Borja Mayoral’s Pichichi chances
Another player who suffered a knee injury during the past week was Getafe CF striker Borja Mayoral. Although he is only expected to miss around two months, that comes as a major blow to his chances of winning the Pichichi Trophy, as he is currently second in the standings and one goal behind Jude Bellingham.
Robert Lewandowski wins the Player of the Month prize for February
The LALIGA EA SPORTS Player of the Month for February was Robert Lewandowski, with the FC Barcelona striker winning this prize after scoring four goals across his four league games in the month. This is the second time the Pole has won this award, after also doing so in October of 2022.
The rest of the LALIGA AWARDS winners for February
The other winners of the ‘LALIGA AWARDS, The Pride of our Fútbol’ for February were also revealed this week. The Best Coach was Athletic Club’s Ernesto Valverde, the Best U-23 Player was Real Betis’ winter signing Johnny Cardoso, the Best Goal was Vinícius’ long-range strike against Girona FC and the Best Play was Álex Sola’s assist for his Deportivo Alavés teammate Samu Omorodion against FC Barcelona.
Villarreal CF win the 1st LALIGA FC FUTURES U14 International Tournament
The 1st LALIGA FC FUTURES U14 International Tournament was held in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, over the weekend and it was won by Villarreal CF’s U14 side. They overcame their counterparts from Sevilla FC by a 2-1 scoreline in the final.
Also read: Bayern Munich will play Lazio in UCL
