Atletico Madrid and Valencia secure Champions League berths

Deportivo La Coruna stay up as they come back from 2-0 to earn point against Barcelona

Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez lifts up the Spanish first division soccer league trophy at the Camp Nou after his final appearance for the side against Deportivo La Coruna. Photo: Albert Gea/Reuters
Barcelona captain Xavi Hernandez lifts up the Spanish first division soccer league trophy at the Camp Nou after his final appearance for the side against Deportivo La Coruna. Photo: Albert Gea/Reuters

Atletico Madrid secured a berth in the Champions League group stage for next season and Deportivo La Coruna narrowly escaped relegation when they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at champions Barcelona on the final day of La Liga on Saturday.

Atletico made sure of third place thanks to a 0-0 draw at Granada, while Valencia twice had to come from behind to beat Almeria 3-2 and send them down while also clinching fourth and a spot in qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition.

Sevilla, Europa League holders and finalists again this season, won 3-2 at Malaga to finish fifth, sending them into the continent’s second-tier competition again next season along with sixth-placed Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in seventh.

Bilbao, who are through to next Saturday’s King’s Cup final to play Barca, ended the campaign with a flourish by thrashing Villarreal 4-0 at the San Mames.

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Sevilla face Ukraine’s Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the Europa League final in Warsaw next week when victory would earn them a place in the Champions League group stage along with Barcelona, second-placed Real Madrid, who host Getafe later on Saturday, and Atletico.

Depor’s comeback against a second-string Barca, who wrapped up their fifth title in seven years last weekend, sent Eibar back down after one season in the top flight despite the Basque’s club’s 3-0 win at already relegated Cordoba.

It also put a slight dampener on an emotional final La Liga appearance for Barca captain Xavi, who hoisted the trophy after the match at a festive Camp Nou.

The former Spain international, 35, announced on Thursday he was leaving the club after 17 seasons and 23 trophies to join Qatari side Al Sadd.