Spansh Second Division "A"--LaLiga2, 2020-2021

[AlanK]

And the drop after Jornada 33 looks like this

16. Castellón-------------36 points; +32-40 Next at Alcor.
17. Lugo-----------------36 points; +29-40 At Mallorca.
18. Logroñés-------------36 points; +24-42 At Mirandés.
-----------------------------------------
19. Cartagena------------34 points; +33-44 At Sabadell.
20. Sabadell-------------32 points; +29-39 Hosts Cartagena.
21. Alcorcón-------------32 points; +22-35 Hosts Castellón.
22. Albacete-------------29 points; +21-41 At Málaga.

[AlanK]

Jornada 34 starts today

Fri. 9 April 2100 Tenerife 1, Sporting 0 Tete is 13th in LaLiga2, seven points above the drop and 11 points shy of the last playoff spot. Sporting is fifth, nine points back of automatic promotion and seven points ahead of the highest team not in a playoff spot. These two tied 1-1 in the Molinón in Oct. Scoreless at the half in the Heliodoro. Fran Sol scores at 66' to give a big win to Tete. Sporting misses a great chance to climb to fourth place.

Sat. 10 April

1400 Ponferradina 0, Fuenlabrada 0 Ponfe is in eighth place, four points back of the last playoff spot. Fuenla is four places and six points back of Ponfe. They tied 1-1 in the Fernando Torres in Nov. Scoreless first half in the Toralín. And scoreless it ends.

1600 Oviedo 0, Las Palmas 0 Oviedo is 14th, five points above the drop and five points back of 11th-place Las Palmas. The Canaries are eight points back of the last playoff spot. Oviedo won 1-2 in the Estadio Gran Canaria in Nov. Scoreless first half in the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere. And this game also ends scoreless.

1815 Rayo 2, Girona 1 Rayo is in the last playoff spot, 13 points back of automatic promotion and three points ahead of seventh-place Girona. They tied 0-0 in Montilivi in Dec. At 36, Santiago Bueno gives Girona the lead--0-1, Two minutes later, Santi Comesaña ties for Rayo--1-1, now at the half. At 75', Isi Palazón gives Rayo the lead--2-1. Rayo goes on to win it--they're now a point shy of fifth place and two points back of fourth.

LaLiga2 does not have a game scheduled opposite the Clásico.

Sun. 11 April

1400 Málaga 2, Albacete 0 Málaga is ninth, seven points back of the last playoff spot. El Alba is the "farolillo rojo," seven points back of the lowest team not in the drop. These two tied 1-1 in the Carlos Belmonte in Jan. At 23', Yanis scores for Málaga--1-0 at the half. At 56', Caye makes it 2-0 for Málaga, and that's the final score. Málaga remains ninth, but just a point back of seventh and seven points back of the playoffs.

1600 Zaragoza 2, Almería 1 Zaragoza is 15th, four points above the drop. Almería is third, now five points adrift of the last automatic promo spot. Almería won 1-0 in the Juegos Mediterráneos in Dec. At 10', Adrián González scores for Zaragoza--1-0. At 34', Robertone ties for Almería--1-1, now at the half. At 80', Iván Azón gives Zaragoza the lead again--2-1. And that's the final. Zaragoza climbs to 14th place; Almería slips once again in their quest for automatic promo.

1815 Mallorca 2, Lugo 0 Mallorca is in second place, five points back of third-place Almería and two points back of first-place Espanyol. Lugo is 17th, two points above the drop. Mallorca won 0-1 in the Anxo Carro in Oct. Dani Rodríguez gives Mallorca the lead at 1'--1-0. And it's still 1-0 at the half. At 62', Víctor Mollejo makes it 2-0 for Mallorca. Mallorca retakes first place with the win, but only stays on top if Espanyol loses later today.

1815 Mirandés 0, Logroñés 1 Mirandés is 10th and has two games in hand, one to be played each of the next two Wednesdays. They are eight points back of a playoff spot. Logroñés is one place and two points above the drop. Logroñés won 2-1 in Las Gaunas in Jan. Scoreless first hafl in Anduva. Olaetxea scores for Logroñés at 64'--0-1. Very important win for Logroñés, now four points above the drop.

1815 Sabadell 1, Cartagena 1 #20 hosts #19--a huge game for avoiding the drop for the winner. Sabadell is two points back of Cartagena; even a win won't lift them all the way out of the drop. A win would probably do it for Cartagena . . . Sabadell won 1-2 in Cartagena in Dec. Stoichkov scores for Sabadell at 21'--1-0, which is the halftime score. Rubén Castro ties for Cartagena at 53'--1-1. With this result, both stay in the drop; Cartagena is the top thereof.

2100 Espanyol 2, Leganés 1 Game of the Week, as #1 hosts #4. Lega is eight points back of automatic promo and 10 points adrift of first place Espanyol. Lega beat Espanyol 2-0 in Butarque in Nov. Sergi Darder gives Espanyol the lead at 1-0; that score holds up until halftime, At 51', Miguel de la Fuente ties for Lega--1-1. At 73', Nico Melamed scores what proves to be the winner for Espanyol--2-1; Espanyol is back in first place by two points over Mallorca.

Mon. 12 April 2100 Alcorcón 2, Castellón 1 Alcor is next-to-last, four points shy of the lowest team not in the drop and also four points shy of #16 Castellón. Alcor won 0-2 when they played in Castalia in Nov. At 4', Xisco gives Alcor the lead--1-0. Lapeña ties for Castellón at 22'--1-1, now at the half. At 73', Nwakali makes it 2-1 for Alcor, and that's the final. Alcor is still in the drop, but only a point back of both Castellón and Lugo.

[AlanK]

"The top" is complete after Sunday's games of Jornada 34 in LaLiga2; I'll add "The drop" after Monday's Alcorcón-Castellón game.

1. Espanyol--------------70 points; +58-22 Next at Almería in Game of the Week.
2. Mallorca--------------68 points; +44-21 At Castellón.
----------------------------------------
3. Almería---------------60 points; +49-31 Hosts Espanyol.
4. Leganés--------------57 points; +38-29 Hosts Ponferradina.
5. Sporting--------------56 points; +35-24 Hosts Oviedo in the Asturian Derby.
6. Rayo-----------------55 points; +41-31 At Logroñés.
---------------------------------------
7. Girona----------------49 points; +34-34 Hosts Zaragoza.
8. Ponferradina-----------49 points; +37-38 At Leganés.
9. Málaga---------------48 points; +32-38 At Las Palmas.

Eight games to go for all teams EXCEPT for three teams that had games postponed due to recent coronavirus problems involving Mirandés, which has two games to make up--one on Wed. 14 Abril at Rayo, the other on Wed. 21 April at home to Tenerife; both games scheduled for 1900 CET.

[AlanK]

Results for Jornada 34 are now complete; "The Drop" after Jornada 34

17. Lugo-------------36 points; +29-42 Next hosts Alcorcón.
18. Castellón---------36 points; +33-42 Hosts Mallorca.
------------------------------------
19. Cartagena--------35 points; +34-45 Hosts Tenerife.
20. Alcorcón---------35 points; +24-36 At Lugo.
21. Sabadell---------33 points; +30-40 At Fuenlabrada.
22. Albacete---------29 points; +21-43 Hosts Mirandés.

[AlanK]

Today's game--Wed. 14 April 1900

As mentioned above, Mirandés had two games postponed due to coronavirus problems. The first of the two makeups will be played today

Rayo 0, Mirandés 1 Final score. Rayo is in sixth place, the last playoff spot; a win today would take them past Sporting and Leganés into fourth place, just two points back of third-place Almería. Mirandés is in mid-table, eleven points adrift of the last playoff spot. Rayo won 0-2 in Anduva when these two played in Jan. Scoreless first half in Vallecas. At 71', Cristo González gives Mirandés the lead--0-1. Mirandés wins it--climbs to 10th place. Rayo stays in the last playoff spot.

[AlanK]

Jornada 35 in LaLiga2 begins Fri., 16 April

1900 Fuenlabrada 2, Sabadell 2 Fuenla is in lower mid-table, seven points above the drop. Sabadell is next-to-last, three points back of the lowest teams not in the drop. Fuenla won 1-2 in the Nova Creu Alta in Nov. At 17', Iosu Ozkoidi gives Sabadell the lead--0-1, now at the half. At 49', Borja Garcés ties for Fuenla; at 67', Nteka gives Fuenla the lead--2-1. But an own goal by Cristóbal at 70' costs Fuenla the win--2-2. Fuenla stays 13th; Sabadell stays next-to-bottom.

2100 Girona 3, Zaragoza 0 Girona is seventh, six points back of the last playoff spot. Zaragoza has moved up to 14th place, six points above the drop. They tied 2-2 in the Romareda in Nov. At 6', Stuani converts a pk to give Girona the lead--1-0, now at the half. At 65', Nahuel makes it 2-0, and at 84', Sylla scores for 3-0; Girona pulls within three points of a playoff spot.

Game had to be rescheduled because Rayo played Wed. Now scheduled for Sun. 18 April 1400 Logroñés 0, Rayo 0 Logroñés is 16th, four points above the drop. Rayo is in the last playoff spot, six points ahead of seventh place and 13 points back of automatic promotion. Rayo beat Logroñés 2-1 in Vallecas in Dec. Scoreless first half in Las Gaunas. And the game ends scoreless. Rayo will stay sixth, back of Sporting on H2H.

Sat. 17 April

1400 Lugo 1, Alcorcón 3 Lugo is one point and two places above the drop. Alcor is in the drop, one point back of the lowest teams not in the drop. Alcor beat Lugo 1-0 in Santo Domingo in Nov. At 20', Dani Ojeda scores for Alcor--if Alcor can win this one, they'll pass Lugo and climb above the drop! Now at the half. But Lugo comes back already at 48': Cristian Herrera ties it, 1-1. Alcor, however, bounces back, as Dani Ojeda scores his second of the day at 72'--1-2, and Nwakali makes it 1-3 as he converts a pk at 81'. If either Castellón or Cartagena fails to win this weekend, Alcor will remain above the drop.

1600 Castellón 1, Mallorca 0 Castellón is one point and one place above the drop. Mallorca is in second place, an automatic promo spot; they lead third-place Almería by eight points. Mallorca won 3-1 in Son Moix when these two played in Dec. At 24', Juan Tomás Ortuño, aka Juanto, scores to give Castellón the lead--1-0, now in the second half. A win would lift Castellón out of the drop, into which they were plunged by Alcor's win earlier today. And Castellón does hold on for the win

1815 Las Palmas 1, Málaga 1 Las Palmas is in mid-table, ten points back of the last playoff spot and 10 points above the drop. Málaga is one place and three points ahead of Las Palmas. They tied 0-0 in the Rosaleda in Oct. Scoreless first half in the Estadio Gran Canaria. At 78', Stefan Scepovic scores to put Málaga ahead--0-1. Araujo ties for the Canaries at 85'--1-1, and that's the final.

1815 Sporting 0, Oviedo 1 Probably THE derby in LaLiga2. Sporting is fifth, 12 points back of automatic promo. Oviedo is 15th, five points above the drop. Oviedo won 1-0 in the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere in Oct., so Sporting is going to go all out for this one. At 6', Johannesson scores to give Oviedo the lead--0-1; now at the half. Oviedo wins the Asturian derby both at home and away, which gives Oviedo fans something to cheer about in a fairly crummy season.

Sun. 18 April

1400 Albacete 1, Mirandés 0 El Alba is the "farolillo rojo," seven points back of the lowest team not in the drop. Mirandés is 10th, eight points back of the last playoff spot after Wednesday's win in Vallecas. El Alba won 0-2 when they played in Anduva in Dec. Scoreless first half in the Carlos Belmonte. Alfredo Ortuño wins it for el Alba with a goal at 83'. El Alba is still in last place and will be hard put to avoid the drop . . .

1815 Cartagena 0, Tenerife 0 Cartagena is the top of the drop, one point back of the two lowest teams not in the drop. Tete is in mid-table, nine points above Cartagena. Tete won 3-0 when they played in the Heliodoro in Jan. Scoreless first half in Cartagena. If the home team can win this game, they'll be above the drop on H2H; if not, not. And the game ends scoreless.

Mon. 19 April

1900 Leganés 1, Ponferradina 1 Lega is in fourth place, 11 points back of automatic promo. Ponfe is eighth, six points shy of the last playoff spot. Ponfe won 3-2 in the Toralín in Nov. At 32', Sergio González scores to give Lega the lead--1-0, which is the score at the half. If Lega goes on to win, they will climb to third place, ahead of Almería, which plays next, on H2H. But Oscar Sielva ties for Ponfe at 75'. Can Lega find the goal they need to win this game No, and neither team will be terribly happy with this result.

2100 Almería 1, Espanyol 1 The best is saved for last Almería is in third place, eight points back of automatic promo, while Espanyol leads LaLiga2, 10 points ahead of Almería. Espanyol won 2-1 when they played in Cornellà-El Prat in Dec. Scoreless first half in the Juegos Mediterráneos. At 50', Umar Sadiq gives Almería the lead--1-0. Dimata ties for Espanyol at 58'--1-1. And that's how it ends. Espanyol is three points ahead of Mallorca, but more important they are 10 points ahead of Almería, and Espanyol has H2H over Almería.

[AlanK]

"The Drop" is complete after Sunday's games in Jornada 35, to wit

17. Castellón----------------39 points; +34-42 Next at Tenerife.
18. Alcorcón----------------38 points; +27-37 Hosts Leganés.
-------------------------------------------
19. Cartagena---------------36 points; +34-45 At Logroñés.
20. Lugo-------------------36 points; +30-45 At Ponferradina.
21. Sabadell----------------34 points; +32-42 Hosts Mallorca.
22. Albacete----------------32 points; +22-43 At Rayo. El Alba won this week, but still has a way to go . . .

[AlanK]

And here is "The Top," after Monday's games

1. Espanyol-------------71 points; +59-23 Next hosts Las Palmas
2. Mallorca-------------68 points; +44-22 At Sabadell.
--------------------------------------Only two teams win automatic promotion; the next four play off with one promo spot at stake.
3. Almería--------------61 points; +50-32 At Mirandés.
4. Leganés-------------58 points; +39-30 At Alcorcón.
5. Sporting-------------56 points; +35-25 At Zaragoza.
6. Rayo----------------56 points; +41-32 Hosts Albacete.
--------------------------------------
7. Girona--------------52 points; +37-34 At Oviedo.
8. Ponferradina---------50 points; +38-39 Hosts Lugo.

[AlanK]

Jornada 36 in LaLiga2 starts

Fri. 23 April 2100 Zaragoza 0, Sporting 0 Zaragoza is five points and four places above the drop. Sporting is in fifth place, ahead of Rayo on H2H, and 12 points back of automatic promotion. Sporting beat Zaragoza 1-0 in the Molinón in Dec. Scoreless tie in la Romareda.

Sat. 24 April

1600 Málaga 0, Fuenlabrada 1 Málaga is ninth in LaLiga2, seven points back of the last playoff spot. Fuenla is 13th, eight points above the drop. Málaga won 0-2 in the Fernando Torres in Dec. At 11, Nteka converts a pk to give Fuenla the lead--0-1; now at the half. Fuenla holds on to win.

1600 Logroñés 0, Cartagena 1 Logroñés is 16th, four points and three places above the drop. Cartagena is the top of the drop, two points back of the lowest team not in the drop. Logroñés won 0-1 when these two played in Cartagena in Nov. Scoreless first half in Las Gaunas. At 63', Elady converts a pk to give Cartagena the lead, and that proves to be the winner--0-1.Cartagena climbs out of the drop, at least for now.

1815 Espanyol 4, Las Palmas 0 Espanyol leads LaLiga2 by three points plus H2H over Mallorca. Las Palmas is in mid-table, 10 points shy of a playoff spot and ten points above the drop. Las Palmas beat Espanyol 1-0 in the Estadio Gran Canaria in Jan. Javi Puado scores a hat trick for Espanyol--at 9', 14,' and 23'--3-0 for the home team with a long way still to go Embarba makes it 4-0 with a pk at 48'. And 4-0 is the final; Espanyol is making their lead look definitive in LaLiga2.

2030 Ponferradina 2, Lugo 0 Ponfe is eighth, six points back of the last playoff spot. Lugo has fallen to 20th place, in the drop and two points back of the lowest team not in the drop. Lugo beat Ponfe 1-0 in the Anxo Carro in Dec. Paris Adot gives Ponfe the lead at 10'--1-0. At 78', Yuri makes it 2-0 for Ponfe, and that's how it ends. Ponfe climbs to seventh place, at the moment three points back of a playoff spot. Lugo will be no better than third from bottom.

Sun. 25 April

1400 Oviedo 0, Girona 1 Oviedo comes off the Derby win at Sporting; they are 14th, seven points above the drop. Girona is seventh, four points back of the last playoff spot. Girona beat Oviedo 1-0 in Montilivi in Oct. Scoreless first half in the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere. At 63', Yoel Bárcenas gives Girona the lead--0-1. Girona wins it to climb within a point of the last playoff spot.

1600 Mirandés 1, Almería 1 Mirandés is in mid-table, nine points shy of a playoff spot; they have a game in hand, to be played today, 21 April. Almería is in third place, seven points back of automatic promotion. Almería won 2-1 when these two played in the Juegos Mediterráneos in Nov. At 12', Berrocal gives Mirandés the lead--1-0. Corpas ties for Almería with a pk at 37--1-1 at the half. And the 1-1 holds at the end. Almería will occupy third place at the end of the jornada.

1815 Alcorcón 1, Leganés 2 Alcor is two points above the drop, thanks to wins in their last two games. Lega is in fourth place, ten points back of automatic promotion. Leganés won 1-0 in Butarque when these two played in Nov. Nwakali scores with a pk for Alcor at 9'--1-0. Long way to go, but if Alcor can hang on, they'll climb back to two points above the drop. But Shibasaki ties it for Lega at 44'--1-1 at the half. And at 60', Arnaiz gives Lega the lead--1-2. And that's the final score. Alcor is back in the drop; Lega is one point shy of third place.

2030 Tenerife 1, Castellón 1 Tete is in mid-table, nine points above the drop, with a game in hand. Castellón is three points and two places above the drop. Tete won 0-1 when they played in Castalia in Jan. At 41', Fran Sol gives Tete the lead--1-0. At 49', Rubén Díez ties for Castellón--1-1. And it ends 1-1.

Mon. 26 April

1900 Rayo 2, Albacete 2 Rayo is in sixth place, the last playoff spot, four points ahead of seventh place. El Alba is dead last, six points below the lowest team not in the drop. Albacete beat Rayo 2-1 in the Carlos Belmonte in Oct. At 2', Esteban Saveljich heads in a free kick by Oscar Trejo--1-0. Now at the half. At 62', Alvaro Jiménez ties for el Alba as he converts a pk--1-1. Manuel Fuster makes it 1-2 for el Alba at 73'. At 87', Bebé ties for Rayo--2-2. That's the final--Rayo stays in sixth place, el Alba stays last.

2100 Sabadell 1, Mallorca 0 Sabadell is next-to-last, four points back of the lowest team not in the drop. Mallorca is in second place, an automatic promo spot; they're seven points ahead of third-place Almería, which is in the top playoff spot. Mallorca won 1-0 in Son Moix when these two played in Sept. At 13', Jaime Sánchez gives Sabadell the lead--1-0. No change at the half; a win would lift Sabadell to within two points of the lowest team not in the drop. Sabadell has a long way to go yet, but today's win gives them some hope.

[AlanK]

Game of Wed. 21 April, postponed on its day due to coronavirus

1900 Mirandés 0, Tenerife 0 Mirandés is 10th, nine points shy of the playoffs. Tete is two points and two places back of Mirandés. Scoreless first half in Anduva. And the second half is also scoreless.

[AlanK]

Standings in LaLiga2 after Jornada 36--and each and every team has now played 36 games

1. Espanyol-------------74 points; +63-23 Next hosts Málaga.
2. Mallorca-------------68 points; +44-23 Hosts Mirandés.
---------------------------------------Top two are promoted.
3. Almería--------------62 points; +51-33 Hosts Oviedo.
4. Leganés-------------61 points; +41-31 Hosts Sporting.
5. Sporting-------------57 points; +35-25 At Leganés.
6. Rayo----------------57 points; +43-34 At Sabadell.
---------------------------------------#3 through #6 play off for one spot in LaLiga.
7. Girona---------------55 points; +38-34 Hosts Tenerife.
8. Ponferradina----------53 points; +40-39 At Las Palmas.
9. Mirandés-------------49 points; +33-33 At Mallorca.
10. Málaga-------------49 points; +33-40 At Espanyol.
11. Tenerife------------47 points; +31-30 At Girona.
12. Fuenlabrada--------47 points; +39-39 Hosts Cartagena.
13. Las Palmas---------46 points; +40-48 Hosts Ponferradina.
14. Oviedo-------------43 points; +36-36 At Almería.
15. Zaragoza-----------42 points; +29-34 At Lugo.
16. Castellón-----------40 points; +35-43 Hosts Logroñés.
17. Logroñés-----------40 points; +25-43 At Castellón.
18. Cartagena----------39 points; +35-45 At Fuenla.
---------------------------------------Bottom four teams are relegated to Second Division "B"
19. Alcorcón------------38 points; +28-39 At Albacete.
20. Sabadell------------37 points; +33-42 Hosts Rayo.
21. Lugo---------------36 points; +30-47 Hosts Zaragoza.
22. Albacete------------33 points; +24-45 Hosts Alcorcón.

[AlanK]

Jornada 37 in LaLiga2 starts tomorrow

Fri. 30 April, 2100 Lugo 2, Zaragoza 2 Lugo has dropped to next-to-last, three points back of the lowest team not in the drop. Zaragoza is 15th, four points and four places above the drop. Zaragoza won 1-0 when these two played in the Romareda in Dec. At 44', Manu Barreiro gives Lugo the lead--1-0. This would be a huge win for Lugo . . . But Adrián González ties for Zaragoza at 64', as he converts a pk--1-1. Lugo has not given up--at 81', Venancio makes it 2-1 for Lugo. Some days you shoulda stood in bed Lugo gives up a goal at 97' to Zaragoza's goalie Cristian ; this leaves Lugo a bit deeper in the drop than the win which would have tied them with the lowest team not in the drop, although they'd have trailed on GD.

Sat. 1 May

1600 Girona 1, Tenerife 0 Girona is seventh in LaLiga2; a win would lift them to fifth place, at least for the moment. Fifth place is the third playoff spot. Tete is in mid-table, nine points above the drop and 10 points back of the last playoff spot. Tete beat Girona 2-0 in the Heliodoro in Dec. At 33', Franquesa gives Girona the lead--1-0. And that's the score at halftime. Girona holds on to win and is fifth in LaLiga2

1815 Almería 2, Oviedo 2 Almería is in third place, six points back of automatic promotion. Oviedo is 14th, five points above the drop. Almería beat Oviedo 1-2 in the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere in Nov. Umar Sadiq converts a pk at 22' to give Almería the lead--1-0. Almería must win to be sure of retaining third place in LaLiga2. And at 30', Umar Sadiq makes it 2-0. And that's the halftime score. At 53', Obeng gets Oviedo on the board and makes it game on--2-1. Oviedo ties in the end game--no details yet at 83', Simone Grippo ties for Oviedo--at first disallowed for offside, but at 85' VAR says the goal is good--2-2, which is the final score. If Leganés beats Sporting tomorrow, Lega will pass Almería and take over third place.

1815 Mallorca 2, Mirandés 1 Mallorca is in second place, an automatic promotion spot, but losses in their last two games have cut their lead over third-place Almería to six points. Mirandés is ninth, eight points back of a playoff spot. These two tied 0-0 in Anduva in Oct. Abdón Prats scores at 44' to give Mallorca the lead; now at the half. At 52', Mallorca makes it 2-0--not clear whether Abdón Prats scored or whether Dani Vivian of Mirandés scored an own goal. Djouahra scores to put Mirandés on the board at 64'--game on Mallorca wins it and strengthens their hold on second place.

Sun. 2 May

1400 Fuenlabrada 2, Cartagena 1 Fuenla is 12th, nine points above the drop. Cartagena is 18th, one point and one place above the drop. They tied 1-1 in Cartagena in Oct. Borja Garcés gives Fuenla the lead at 14'--1-0 at the half. Pathé Ciss makes it 2-0 at 48'; this goal was from a distance of about 55 meters Rubén Castro cuts the margin to 2-1 at 76', but Fuenla goes on to win.

1600 Espanyol 3, Málaga 0 Espanyol, with a six-point lead atop LaLiga2, looks like a lock for automatic promotion. Málaga is in upper mid-table, eight points shy of the last playoff spot. Espanyol won 0-3 in the Rosaleda in Nov. RDT gives Espanyol the lead at 15'--1-0. Javi Puado makes it 2-0 at 40'; that's the score at the half. RDT makes it 3-0 at 77'. Espanyol could clinch promotion to First Division as early as next weekend if all results go their way. The final is 3-0.

1815 Castellón 0, Logroñés 0 Castellón is 16th, three places but only two points above the drop. Logroñés is back of Castellón on GD. They tied 1-1 in Las Gaunas in Sept. Scoreless first half in Castalia. And it ends scoreless.

1815 Leganés 0, Sporting 0 Game of the Week, as #4 hosts #5. Lega is four points ahead of Sporting; they are seven points shy of automatic promotion. Sporting is two points above seventh-place Girona, which means that they could drop out of a playoff spot should they lose here. They tied 1-1 in the Molinón in Dec. Scoreless first half in Butarque. This one also ends scoreless.

2030 Las Palmas 2, Ponferradina 0 The Canaries are in lower mid-table, eight points above the drop. Ponfe is eighth, four points back of the last playoff spot. These two tied 0-0 in the Toralín in Dec. At 19', Maikel Mesa converts a pk to give the Canaries the lead--1-0 at the half. At 70', Araujo makes it 2-0, and that's how it ends. Ponfe misses a chance to climb within two points of a playoff spot.

Mon. 3 May

1800 (?) Sabadell 2, Rayo 0 Sabadell is in the drop, two points back of the lowest team not in the drop. Rayo is in the last playoff spot, two points ahead of seventh-place Girona. Rayo beat Sabadell 2-1 in Vallecas in Sept. At 53', Adri Cuevas scores for Sabadell--1-0. At 95', Edgar Hernández makes it 2-0. Sabadell wins it to climb, for the moment at least, above the drop. Rayo falls out of the last playoff spot.

2100 Albacete 0, Alcorcón 1 El Alba is the "farolillo rojo," six points back of the lowest team not in the drop. Alcor is the top of the drop, five points ahead of el Alba. Albacete won 1-2 in Santo Domingo in Jan. At 3', Xisco Jiménez gives Alcor the lead, and it's still 0-1 at the half. If Alcor holds on, they'll climb above the drop, knocking Sabadell right back into the drop. And that's how it plays out, as the "gol temprnero" holds up for Alcor to win.

[AlanK]

The Top and The Drop with Jornada 37 complete--five games per team to go

1. Espanyol-------------77 points; +66-23 Next at Zaragoza. A win clinches promotion.
2. Mallorca-------------71 points; +46-24 At Málaga. Still needs 7 or 8 points to clinch promotion.
--------------------------------------
3. Almería--------------63 points; +53-35 At Tenerife. Occupies top playoff spot.
4. Leganés-------------62 points; +41-31 At Rayo. Occupies second playoff spot.
5. Sporting-------------58 points; +35-25 Hosts Lugo. Occupies third playoff spot.
6. Girona--------------58 points; +39-34 At Logroñés. Occupies last playoff spot.
--------------------------------------
7. Rayo----------------57 points; +43-36 Hosts Lega. Out of playoffs.
--------------------------------------
--------------------------------------
16. Alcorcón-----------41 points; +29-39 Hosts Las Palmas. Every point crucial to avoid drop
17. Logroñés----------41 points; +25-43 Hosts Girona.
18. Castellón----------41 points; +35-43 At Cartagena.
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19. Sabadell-----------40 points; +35-42 At Oviedo.
20. Cartagena---------39 points; +36-47 Hosts Castellón.
21. Lugo--------------37 points; +32-49 At Sporting.
22. Albacete-----------33 points; +24-46 At Ponferradina. Chances of survival are slim

[AlanK]

Five jornadas to go Jornada 38 starts

Fri. 7 May 2100 Tenerife 0, Almería 1 Tete is in lower mid-table, seven points above the drop. Almería is third, at the top of the playoff teams; they are eight points shy of automatic promotion; they won't reach that goal unless Mallorca loses at least three of the last five and Almería wins them all. Almería won 2-0 when these two played in the Juegos Mediterráneos in Nov. Scoreless first half in the Heliodoro. At 69', Ramazani gives Almería the lead--0-1. And the goal gives Almería a big win.

Sat. 8 May

1815 Ponferradina 0, Albacete 1 Ponfe is eighth, five points back of a playoff spot. El Alba is in last place, eight points shy of the lowest team not in the drop. Fewer than four wins in the remaining five games would give them a very slim chance of avoiding relegation . . . Ponfe won 0-2 in the Carlos Belmonte in Sept. At 44', Alvaro Jiménez converts a pk to give el Alba the lead--0-1 at the half. And 0-1 at the death. Ponfe misses a chance to gain on the playoff spot; el Alba is still last, but is now within five points of the lowest team not in the drop.

1815 Zaragoza 0, Espanyol 0 Zaragoza is now three points and four places above the drop--two wins are likely enough for them to avoid relegation. Espanyol can clinch promotion with even a tie in this game. They need three wins to clinch first place. Espanyol beat the "maños" 2-0 in Cornellà-El Prat in Nov. Scoreless at the half. And scoreless when the hurley-burley's done, so Espanyol is mathematically promoted to LaLiga for next season.

2030 Alcorcón 0, Las Palmas 0 Alcor is ONE point and three places above the drop. Las Palmas is virtually safe, nine points above the drop. These two tied 0-0 in the Estadio Gran Canaria in Dec. Scoreless at halftime in Santo Domingo. And scoreless at full tiime.

2100 Málaga 1, Mallorca 1 Málaga is in mid-table, nine points above the drop. Mallorca is in second place, which confers automatic promotion; they have an eight-point lead over Almería, so two wins in the remaining five games would probably be enough to assure promotion. Mallorca beat Málaga 3-1 in Son Moix in Oct. At 12', David Lombán gives Málaga the lead with a pk--1-0. Lago Junior ties at 29' for Mallorca--1-1. And it's still 1-1 at the half. And at the end.

Sun. 9 May

1400 Mirandés 2, Fuenlabrada 1 in progress. Mirandés is in mid-table, "sin pena ni gloria"--nine points above the drop. Fuenla is one point and one place ahead of Mirandés. Mirandés won 0-1 in the Fernando Torres in Dec. Kanté gives Fuenla the lead at 26'--0-1. Javi Muñoz ties for Mirandés at 34'--1-1. And that's the halftime score. At 65', Djouahra scores what proves to be the winner for Mirandés--2-1 the final.

1600 Oviedo 2, Sabadell 1 Oviedo is four points and five places above the top of the drop, which happens to be Sabadell. Oviedo won 0-1 in the Nova Creu Alta in Dec. Rodri Ríos gives Oviedo the lead at 16'--1-0. At 37', Oscar Rubio ties for Sabadell--1-1. At 38', Nahuel puts Oviedo back on top--2-1, now at the half. And this one ends 2-1.

1815 Cartagena 1, Castellón 0 Cartagena is in the drop, two points and two places below the lowest team not in the drop. Castellón is two points and two places above Cartagena. Castellón beat Cartagena 2-1 in Castalia in Nov. Scoreless at the half. At 55', Rubén Castro gives Cartagena the lead--1-0. And Cartagena keeps the lead to win it. Cartagena is at the moment out of the drop; Castellón is still above the drop as they pass Logroñés on GD.

1815 Logroñés 1, Girona 4 Logroñés is one point and two places above the drop. Girona is now the lowest team in a playoff spot, one point ahead of Rayo. Girona beat Logroñés 2-0 in Montilivi in Sept. At 14', Arnau Martínez scores for Girona--0-1. If this holds, Girona will climb to fifth place, at least until tomorrow. At 39', Stuani scores with a header after a corner--0-2, now at the half. Stuani converts a pk at 57' to make it 0-3. Juanpe makes it 0-4 at 85'; Rubén Martínez scores the goal of "honor" at 91'. Logroñés falls into the drop on GD; Girona takes over fifth place at leadt until Sporting plays tomorrow.

Mon. 10 May

1900 Rayo 1, Leganés 1 Rayo has made a mess of their season, with just two points in their last three games: they are now one point and one place back of the last playoff spot. Lega is in fourth place, nine points shy of automatic promotion. Lega beat Rayo 1-0 in Butarque in Dec. Oh, yeah, this is a derby! At 12', Miguel de la Fuente scores for Lega--0-1, now in the second half. Oscar Trejo ties with a pk for Rayo at 58'--1-1. And that's the final.

2100 Sporting 1, Lugo 0 Sporting is in fifth place, 13 points shy of automatic promotion and one point ahead of the highest team not in a playoff spot. Lugo is next-to-last, four points and three places back of the lowest team not in the drop. They tied 0-0 in the Anxo Carro in Jan. Scoreless in the Molinón at halftime. Is Sporting gonna blow the chance to retain fifth place Sporting takes the lead at 53' on a goal by Gaspar Campos--1-0. And Sporting holds on to win; they indeed retake fifth place.

[AlanK]

The drop after Jornada 38, with only Lugo yet to play out of the list given here

15. Zaragoza-------------44 points; +31-36 Next at Las Palmas.
16. Cartagena------------42 points; +37-47 At Espanyol.
17. Alcorcón-------------42 points; +29-39 At Mallorca.
18. Castellón-------------41 points; +35-44 Hosts Ponferradina.
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19. Logroñés-------------41 points; +26-47 At Leganés.
20. Sabadell--------------40 points; +36-44 Hosts Tenerife.
21. Lugo-----------------37 points; +32-50 Hosts Mirandés. Monday's game now inclluded in totals.
22. Albacete--------------36 points; +25-46 At Almería.