Madrid: Atletico Madrid warmed up for their Europa League clash with Arsenal by playing out a 0-0 draw with in-form Betis in La Liga yesterday, a result that left Barcelona closer still to the Spanish title.
Antoine Griezmann was left out of the starting line-up by coach Diego Simeone and Atletico drew a second blank in four days, following their 3-0 defeat away at Real Sociedad on Thursday.
Atletico remain second but with four games left they are 11 points behind unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona, who can clinch the title next weekend when they go to Deportivo.
Earlier, Las Palmas had their relegation from La Liga confirmed following an emphatic 4-0 defeat at home to Alaves.
Alaves’ triumph confirms their safety, sitting 13th with 41 points from 34 games, an impressive feat masterminded by Abelardo Fernandez who took over in December with the Basque side bottom of the table.
The club from Gran Canaria needed a win to keep alive their slim hopes of staying in Spain’s top flight for a fourth straight season. However, they suffered a fifth successive defeat in front of a sparse crowd on a wet Sunday in the Canary Islands, with Barcelona loanee Munir El Haddadi’s second-half brace having Alaves in control before Alvaro Medran and Ruben Sobrino added late goals.
The appointment of Paco Jemez as coach midway through the season failed to improve the fortunes of the struggling side, who have now gone 12 games without a win.