Real end season with 12th loss

Madrid, May 19

Real Madrid’s harrowing season came to a fittingly miserable end on Sunday as they slumped to a staggering 12th La Liga defeat, losing 2-0 at home to Real Betis as many fans left the stadium early and those who stayed booed the players off the pitch. With Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos and Thibaut Courtois all sitting on the bench, Betis forward Loren Moron put the visitors in front in the 61st minute, completing a sweeping counter-attack by slamming the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Former Madrid forward Jese Rodriguez sealed the victory for Betis, who finished the season 10th in the standings but have earned away victories at the Nou Camp and the Santiago Bernabeu, by tapping into the net unmarked in the 75th. Madrid ended the campaign third on 68 points with their biggest number of defeats in two decades. They finished eight points behind runners up Atletico Madrid and 19 behind Barcelona.

Messi on target again

Barcelona captain and La Liga top-scorer Lionel Messi rounded off a spectacular season by netting twice in a 2-2 draw away to Eibar in the champions’ final game on Sunday, taking his tally to a remarkable 36 league goals. 

Eibar went ahead in the 20th minute with a strike from Barca’s on-loan midfielder Marc Cucurella which squirmed under keeper Jasper Cillessen but Messi levelled in the 31st after sneaking into the box to meet a pass from Arturo Vidal. Messi struck again a minute later, racing through the middle unchallenged to latch on to a pass from Ivan Rakitic and calmly chip the outstretched keeper Marko Dmitrovic. But Eibar’s Pablo de Blasis levelled right before halftime.

Kompany to leave City

Club captain Vincent Kompany announced today that he will leave Manchester City after 11 trophy-laden years. The 33-year-old Belgian defender joined the club in the summer of 2008 and has made 360 appearances, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and two Community Shields. — Agencies

12 Losses for Real in La Liga this season — their biggest number of defeats in a season in two decades

36 La Liga goals for Lionel Messi this season