GETAFE lost 2-0 to Barcelona on Sunday, dropping out of the qualification places for the Champions League with one round left in the Spanish league.

The modest southern Madrid club had held on to fourth place for 11 of the last 12 rounds, but it will go into next weekend in fifth place and needing some help to earn its berth in the European competition for the first time in its 36-year history.

Valencia overtook Getafe for fourth place with a 3-1 home win against Alaves. The teams are level on 58 points, but Valencia is ahead on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Sixth-place Sevilla still has a chance to earn the final Champions League spot after a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid. It will need to win its final match against Athletic Bilbao at home and hope for setbacks by Valencia at Valladolid and Getafe against Villarreal.

With Barcelona having already secured the title, Atletico clinched its second straight second-place finish with the draw against Sevilla.

Real Madrid ended third after a 3-1 loss at Real Sociedad, a result that kept the team winless in five away matches since coach Zinedine Zidane returned. Madrid hadn’t finished outside the top two in the league in consecutive seasons since 1973-74.

Villarreal, Levante and Valladolid escaped relegation, with Celta Vigo and Girona still trying to avoid the final demotion spot. Girona has few chances of surviving, though, because of a six-goal disadvantage in the tiebreaker against Celta.

“I have to apologize, I failed,” Girona coach Eusebio Sacristan said in an emotional news conference following the team’s 2-1 loss to Levante at home.

Rayo Vallecano and Huesca were already relegated.

Barcelona, coming off its Champions League elimination against Liverpool, played with most of its regular starters against Getafe at Camp Nou Stadium, including Lionel Messi.

Arturo Vidal opened the scoring in the 39th minute, and an own-goal by Djene Dakonam in the 89th sealed Barcelona’s victory.

“Anything can still happen,” Getafe coach Jose Bordalas said.

Barcelona still has the Copa del Rey trophy to play for. It will face Valencia in the May 25 final in Seville.

Real Madrid took the lead over Sociedad with Brahim Diaz’s first goal with the club early in the first half, but the hosts rallied to earn the victory.   (SD-Agencies)