A mouthwatering race for the Pichichi which is awarded to La Liga’s top scorer takes centre stage on the final day of this season. Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk threw down the gauntlet to his rivals by bludgeoning a hat-trick in Girona’s 7-0 victory over Granada on Friday night to increase his tally to 24 goals, one more than Alexander Sorloth.
Villarreal striker Sorloth, who partners Premier League top scorer Erling Braut Haaland in Norway’s national team, can wrest back the Pichichi if he can replicate the form that saw him plunder four goals against Real Madrid when the Yellow Submarine travel to Pamplona to face Osasuna at noon today.
Los Blancos midfield terrier Jude Bellingham is third on the top scorer’s chart with 19 goals ahead of Real’s match at home to Real Betis. It’s the final match for legendary midfielder Toni Kroos, a four-times Uefa Champions League winner, who has announced he is to retire from football after Euro 2024 in his home country Germany.
Santiago Bernabeu trainer Carlos Ancelotti will use the match to decide whether Paris 2022 hero Thibaut Courtois should get the nod at the expense of Andriy Lunin in next Saturday’s Uefa Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund. Lunin has been in stellar form all season but his concession of four goals in last week’s 4-4 draw at Villarreal didn’t help his cause.
Barcelona will have a caretaker coach in the dugout at Sevilla after the ousted champions parted company with last season’s title winning gaffer Xavi Hernandez in a move that drew criticism from Quique Sanchez Flores. Xavi is the Camp Nou’s appearances record holder but he was relieved of his duties despite pledging to stay on for another season. Hans Flick is being touted as his most likely replacement.
La Liga’s European places were all determined last weekend. Champions Real Madrid are deputised by Barcelona and they are joined in next season’s Uefa Champions League by Michel Sanchez’s Girona and Atletico Madrid. The Europa League places have gone with Athletic Club of Bilbao and Real Sociedad who saw off a spirited challenge from Real Betis who settled for a Europa Conference League slot
RESULT
Girona 7-0 Granada
TODAY
Real Madrid v Real Betis,
Sevilla v Barcelona,
Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid,
Osasuna v Villarreal,
Almeria v Cadiz,
Las Palmas v Alaves,
Getafe v Real Mallorca,
Rayo Vallecano v Athletic Bilbao