Elche CF and Getafe Ready to Close the Season as La Liga Sets Final Weekend
The league’s schedule for the final round is official, with Elche CF hosting Getafe at the Martinez Valero. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, May 22. Both teams will approach their matchups with little to gain or lose in the standings, yet each game is part of a broader storyline in the closing hours of the season.
On Friday, the day’s action features Real Madrid against Betis and Rayo Vallecano facing Levante, both matches starting at 9:00 p.m. None of these games carry high stakes for their participants. Meanwhile, Saturday’s only fixture also begins at 5:30 p.m. local time and features Valencia taking on Betis.
Several other fixtures unfold to shape Europe’s berths across two time zones. Alavés versus Cádiz, Osasuna versus Mallorca, and Granada against Espanyol will determine which teams advance in the fight for the continent’s spots, all kicking off at 8:00 p.m. Sunday night sees a trio of big clashes—Barcelona versus Villarreal, Real Sociedad against Atletico Madrid, and Sevilla versus Athletic Club Bilbao—each contributing to the race for the remaining European places next season.
Elche enters the finale with a clear task: win the last match and push the club toward a historic points tally. The team has endured a recent run of three straight losses to Cádiz, Atlético Madrid, and Celta, forming a difficult stretch that mirrors earlier periods when scoring proved hard and results slipped away. A recent string of results also includes a four-match winless spell punctuated by a 1-1 draw with Osasuna, underscoring the challenge faced as the campaign winds down.
Yet the current downturn sits far from the season’s early struggles. A seven-game winless spell earlier in the campaign had sparked coaching changes, but the squad regrouped with a revived focus on finishing strong in front of the home crowd. The objective was simple: beat Getafe and bid the league farewell with momentum and pride intact.
Victory would lift Elche to 42 points and could represent the club’s best-ever points total in the modern era since the switch to three-point wins. The team currently sits on 41 points, matching the tally from a recent Escribá-era campaign. A win could improve several positions in the table and bring a significant financial boost, including a substantial rise in the persistence bonus and additional television rights revenue for the upcoming season.
At present, Elche is fifteenth with 39 points. A win or a draw would place them within reach of a better finish, potentially moving ahead of Getafe on the points table, depending on other results. The possibilities extend to edging past Granada or Vallecano, while Levante stands already relegated. Friday’s outcomes will frame the context for Elche as players and staff seek a strong finish to the season.
Francisco has emphasized the need to end the term on a high note after the Celta match, insisting that three consecutive losses must be followed by a decisive win. The aim remains to secure victory against Getafe and close the campaign with a performance that pleases the supporters and strengthens the club’s standing going into the next season.
Lucas Olaza voiced a similar sentiment, noting after the Vigo clash that reaching 42 points would be a meaningful milestone. He spoke about the duty to finish the season with purpose, to honor the supporters, and to push for that target in the final match of the campaign.
Even a youth-team member contributed to the club’s message, stating through official channels that the focus should stay on Getafe, to forget the Celta result, and to push for three points to maximize their final standing.
League officials have designed this final weekend to determine European places while also acknowledging the need for teams like Elche to conclude with dignity. The emphasis remains on securing results that reward the supporters with a strong finish to the season and reinforce the club’s standing in the league table as the new campaign approaches.