Sports

La Liga champs Barcelona play last match at Camp Nou before stadium rebuilding

Sports Desk, May 28, (EFE).- Barcelona has already clinched the La Liga title, but on Sunday they played their last match at Camp Nou before the stadium is completely rebuilt, blanking 12th-placed Real Mallorca 3-0.

Team captain Sergio Busquets and defender Jordi Alba also played their last home matches, with one game remaining in the season, and were rousingly cheered by the fans in the jam-packed stadium.

Ansu Fati hit the twine twice before the intermission, while Gavi got another in the second half for the final result, as netminder Marc-Andre ter Stegen held the opposing team to zero tallies for the 26th time this season, equaling the all-time record for First Division Spanish soccer set back in 1993-1994 by Francisco Liano.

Camp Nou was inaugurated in September 1957, but the Catalans will have to play their home matches next year at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuic hill in Barcelona with their return to the rebuilt Camp Nou slated for November 2024, if all goes well.

In other La Liga action on Sunday, No. 2 Real Madrid beat No. 11 Sevilla 2-1 on the road, while third-place Atletico de Madrid beat No. 4 Real Sociedad 2-1. Atletico has a chance to get into second place next week, if they win their match and their crosstown rivals lose theirs.

No. 5 Villarreal lost 2-1 to No. 10 Rayo Vallecano and sixth-place Real Betis beat No. 9 Girona 2-1 on the road, while Osasuna, in the seventh spot, lost 2-1 to No. 14 Getafe.

No. 8 Athletic Bilbao lost 1-0 on the road to bottom-dwelling Elche, Cadiz beat Celta Vigo 1-0, Valencia tied relegation-headed Espanyol 2-2 and Almeria and Real Valladolid, both hovering around the relegation threshold, battled to a scoreless draw.

EFE –/bp

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