Spain round-up: Mallorca stay up
Saturday, May 11, 2002
Article summary
RCD Mallorca preserved their top-flight status with victory over Real Valladolid.
Article body
Luque clinches it
Mallorca, who began the evening a point above the drop zone, needed second-half goals from Ariel Ibagaza and Alberto Luque to make certain after they fell behind to Fernando's 35th-minute opener.
Las Palmas, Tenerife down
Had Mallorca lost, UD Las Palmas would have stayed up. But a home victory at San Moix meant the Canary Islanders were relegated despite a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad. CD Tenerife also went down. They lost 3-2 at home to Athletic Club Bilbao and finished four points behind fourth-bottom Club Atlético Osasuna and safety.
Barça go fourth
At the other end of the table, FC Barcelona made sure of fourth place and entry into the UEFA Champions League with a 1-1 draw at the bottom club, Real Zaragoza. Both goals came in the first half at La Romareda with Javier Saviola equalising Santiago Aragón's early strike.
Alavés in Europe
A 37th-minute effort from Antonio Karmona secured seventh position and the last available UEFA Cup berth for Deportivo Alavés. They won 1-0 at Osasuna. The other two qualifiers, RC Celta de Vigo and Real Betis Balompié, lost away games at Rayo Vallecano and champions Valencia CF, 1-0 and 2-0 respectively.
Depor triumph
Elsewhere, Sevilla FC beat Villarreal CF 1-0 and Málaga CF prevailed 2-1 at RCD Espanyol. Yesterday, meanwhile, RC Deportivo La Coruña clinched the runners-up spot with a 3-0 triumph over Real Madrid CF at the Municipal de Riazor.
