Villarreal’s players clinched a spot in next season’s Champions League following a thrilling 3:2 victory over Barcelona tonight, in the crucial 37th round of La Liga. This win secured them an unassailable points lead over Betis, who sit sixth in the Spanish league standings.

The match kicked off with Villarreal taking an early lead through Ayoze Perez in the fourth minute, but Barcelona quickly leveled the score via Lamine Jamal in the 38th minute.

Fermin Lopes then put Barcelona ahead with a goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time in the first half, but Villarreal responded with Santi Comesan striking back in the 51st minute.

Tejon Buchanan sealed Villarreal’s victory, finding the net in the 80th minute.

With this result, Villarreal concludes the season in fifth place in La Liga, earning the final Champions League spot with a total of 67 points—eight points clear of Betis, who suffered a 4-1 defeat away to Atletico Madrid.

Betis needed a win to keep their Champions League hopes alive, coupled with a loss or draw for Villarreal, neither of which occurred.

As a result, Betis will finish sixth and qualify for next season’s Europa League, while Villarreal joins Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, and league champions Barcelona in the Champions League.

The competition for seventh place, which also grants a Europa League spot, remains intense. Rayo Vallecano edged out seventh-placed Celta with a 2-1 win, inching closer to Osasuna, who triumphed over Espanyol 2-0 this evening.

The eighth-place team will compete in the Conference League qualifiers next season, a spot currently occupied by Rayo Vallecano.

In the battle against relegation, Leganes kept their survival hopes alive with a narrow 1-0 victory over Las Palmas, closing the gap to Espanyol, who sit just outside the relegation zone by two points.

Las Palmas and Valladolid have already been relegated from La Liga.

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