Barcelona Sign Off in Style, Atletico Hit Four, Villarreal Light Up La Ceramica

LaLiga’s 2024/25 season drew to a thrilling close on Sunday, with champions Barcelona, high-flying Atletico Madrid, and a rampant Villarreal all signing off in style.

At the San Mames, Barcelona made light work of Athletic Bilbao in a 3-0 away victory. It was an evening of clinical finishing and poignant goodbyes, as veteran Oscar De Marcos made his final appearance after 573 games for the Basque club. The hosts thought they’d grabbed an early lead when Gomez headed home in the 5th minute, only for VAR to intervene for an offside.

Barca responded like champions. Robert Lewandowski, crowned LaLiga MVP for the season, opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a delicate lob following a classy through ball from Fermin Lopez. Just three minutes later, the Polish striker doubled his tally, tapping in from a Raphinha corner that Bilbao’s Gomez inadvertently deflected into his path.

Lewandowski had a golden chance to complete his hat-trick in the second half but was denied twice once by a glaring miss and then by a last-ditch challenge from Berchiche. Late drama arrived when VAR awarded a penalty for a foul on Dani Olmo, who coolly converted from the spot in stoppage time to seal a 3-0 win, taking Barcelona’s season tally to a staggering 102 goals.

In Girona, Atletico Madrid stormed to a convincing 4-0 win at Montilivi. Alexander Sorloth starred with a clinical hat-trick, opening the scoring in the 68th minute with a sharp finish into the top corner. Clement Lenglet made it 2-0 with a powerful strike from close range before Sorloth completed his treble with two late goals both swift finishes from rapid counter-attacks, assisted by Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez respectively.

The result underlined Atletico’s strong end to the campaign, as they finished with a flourish, while Girona’s promising season ended with a humbling defeat.

Over at La Ceramica, Villarreal and Sevilla delivered a goal-fest, with the hosts running out 4-2 winners in a gripping encounter. Villarreal stormed into a 2-0 lead inside eight minutes through Yeremy Pino and Pape Gueye. Djibril Sow pulled one back for Sevilla with a well-placed header, but Álex Baena restored the two-goal cushion before half-time.

The second half continued at a frenetic pace, with Gueye adding his second and Villarreal’s fourth early after the break. Ramon Martinez’s late long-range strike gave Sevilla a glimmer of consolation, but it was Villarreal’s night as they closed their season with an emphatic performance.

In a LaLiga season packed with narratives, from Barcelona’s relentless march to title number 28 to the resurgence of clubs like Girona and the consistency of Atletico, the final day encapsulated everything we love about Spanish football goals, drama, and unforgettable moments.

As the curtain falls on 2024/25, we’re already counting down the days to next season.