MADRID: 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 a dramatic final day in La Liga on Saturday.

Atletico made sure of third place thanks to a 0-0 draw at Granada, while Valencia fought back twice to beat Almeria, who were relegated, 3-2 and clinch fourth and a spot in qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition.

Eibar’s remarkable first season in the top flight didn’t have fairy tale ending as they were relegated despite just a second win in 20 matches— 3-0 at home to Cordoba — due to their inferior head-to-head record with Deportivo and Granada.

Deportivo spoiled a homage to Xavi Hernandez at the Nou Camp to stay up after Lionel Messi had put Barca in front with his 42nd and 43rd league goals of the season.

“Our supporters have a song that says this team never surrenders and that’s what happened,” said Deportivo coach Victor Sanchez del Amo. “We had the capacity to respond and this is the recompense for a job well done.”

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 term along with sixth-placed Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao in seventh.

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

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 Barca, second-placed Real Madrid and Atletico.

Real thrashed Getafe 7-3 in Saturday’s late kickoff, bringing a disappointing season to an end in which they failed to win a major trophy.

La Liga top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat-trick, taking his tally to 48 goals, five more than Messi.

Javier Hernandez, James Rodriguez, Jese and Marcelo also found the net for Los Blancos, whilst Norwegian teenage sensation Martin Odegaard made his first-team debut in what is expected to be Carlo Ancelotti’s final match in charge of the European champions.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who led the club to their first La Liga triumph in 18 years last season and the final of the Champions League, said he would give his side a mark of nine out of 10 for their efforts this term.

“In general this has been a typical league campaign,” the Argentine told a news conference. “Real and Barca fighting for the title, while we battle with Valencia and Sevilla for the remaining places in the Champions League.”

Depor’s comeback against a second-string Barca, who wrapped up their fifth title in seven years last weekend, 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 Nou Camp.

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.

Treble-chasing Barca, who are through to the Champions League final to play Juventus on June 6, appeared on course for a comfortable victory when Messi headed home Rafinha’s cross to give the hosts the lead after just five minutes.

The Catalans dominated for large swathes of the game and looked to have sealed the Galicians fate when Neymar unselfishly squared for Messi to make it 2-0 on the hour mark.

Deportivo, who were relegated in 2011 and 2013, refused to throw in the towel and Lucas Perez gave them a lifeline seven minutes later with a rising strike from just inside the area, and Diogo Salomao got the goal they were desperately searching for in the 76th.

Their players celebrated wildly after the final whistle before the Barca fans and players paid tribute to Xavi, who joined the club’s academy in 1991 at the age of 11 and has made a record 765 appearances for the first team.

“I am the happiest man in the world today and for the 17 season I have been here,” he told the crowd after fighting back tears. “As the coach has said this hasn’t finished. We want two more titles and we want to be here with you all again in Barcelona on June 7 [after the Champions League final].”

Emotions ran highest at Almeria where the hosts twice scored to go ahead and provisionally escape the bottom three spots.

But Valencia’s Nicolas Otamendi answered Thomas Partey’s opener from a free kick, before Sofiane Feghouli struck just before half-time to cancel out Fernando Soriano’s goal and, with both teams chasing the winner, Paco Alcacer coolly slotted past Ruben Martinez 11 minutes from time

“My players knew how to handle the pressure,” said Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo. “Valencia have succeeded in earning a place among the best, which is where they should be.”

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play