LaLiga Matchday 38: five teams, two spots, one night of pure drama

There are matchdays in football. And then there's the final matchday of LaLiga. The only day of the year when you can be staring at your phone with four matches open at the same time, praying for teams you've got nothing to do with, because a goal 500 kilometres away completely changes the destiny of the team you actually care about. Tomorrow Saturday at 21:00, all simultaneous, everything up in the air.

The board: five teams, two spots, zero margin

Barcelona are already champions. Oviedo are already relegated. The real drama starts at 17th place. Mallorca have 39 points and are in the relegation zone. Girona have 40 and they are too. Above them, three teams with 42: Elche, Osasuna and Levante. Mathematically, any of the five could go down. Realistically, Mallorca and Girona are the ones closest to the edge.

The match that decides everything: Girona vs Elche

A direct clash, no ambiguity or grey areas. Girona are in the relegation zone with 40 points and host Elche, who are on the edge with 42. If Girona win, they go to 43 and practically survive. If they lose, they're almost certainly going down. Elche, the opposite way: a win brings relief; a defeat plunges the team into the abyss. There are no halfway measures. This isn't football, it's open-heart surgery.

Girona beat Atlético two weeks ago in a match that salvaged a priceless point. Tomorrow they need something more. Their season has been a rollercoaster: they started with hope, crashed hard in the middle stretch and arrived at the final matchday with their fate in their own hands. That's the best you can ask for in football.

The Mallorca miracle and Levante's comeback

Mallorca have the trickiest scenario of the five. They play the already-relegated Oviedo—a match they should win on paper—but they also need all the 42-point teams to slip up. It's mathematically possible. It's practically a disaster movie script. Not impossible, but close.

Levante are the feel-good story of the bottom half. Three months ago they were written off for dead. Today they reach the final matchday with their fate in their own hands. Their opponent is Betis, who've already locked down Champions League football. The million-pound question: will Betis even care? Hopefully not. Because in football, when a team takes their foot off the gas, things always happen.

Osasuna play Getafe, who've had a solid second half and have a European spot in play. At least that match will be played for real.

And at the Bernabéu, Carvajal's farewell

Real Madrid vs Athletic Club is also matchday 38, but the drama here has a different flavour. Dani Carvajal says goodbye to the Bernabéu in what will be his last official match as a professional footballer. The tribute is ready. The stadium, packed. The tears, guaranteed. A season finale with so much more than three points on the line.

Tomorrow at 21:00. All simultaneous. Everything up in the air. The final matchday of LaLiga does what it does best: drives us completely mad.

Frequently asked questions