Descent to the Limit: 7 Teams, a Handful of Points… and a Heart-Stopping End to the Season

The fight against relegation is not only still alive… right now it is on the brink of collapse. Each matchday tightens the table even more and turns any mistake into an almost immediate sentence.

According to the standings, by the end of this matchday, the cutoff starts to take a dangerously clear shape. From Valencia CF (36 points) downward, no one can breathe easy. RCD Mallorca (35) and Elche CF (35) are still floating, but with the water already up to their necks. One false step and relegation ceases to be a threat and becomes reality.

Lower down, the situation is even tenser. Sevilla FC (34) and Deportivo Alavés (33) are fully immersed in the battle. There is no margin, no cushion, no excuses. Every point is a final.

And in the red zone, urgency has become desperation. Levante UD (32) remains hooked, but with very little margin for error. Meanwhile, Real Oviedo (28) is starting to see salvation drift dangerously away. It’s not impossible, but it is increasingly uphill.

What makes all this even more dramatic is that we are not only talking about numbers, but feelings. Teams like Sevilla (53 goals conceded) or Levante itself (50) continue to show vulnerability in defense, something that at this stage of the season is very costly. And if we look at Oviedo, the problem is twofold: barely 25 goals scored and a goal difference of -24. They need a radical change… and they need it now.

The schedule, furthermore, gives no respite. The direct confrontations continue to mark everyone’s fate.

Direct confrontations

Matchday 32: Elche CF vs Valencia CF
Matchday 32: Deportivo Alavés vs Mallorca
Matchday 35: Elche CF vs Deportivo Alavés
Matchday 36: Valencia CF vs Rayo Vallecano
Matchday 37: Levante UD vs RCD Mallorca
Matchday 37: Real Oviedo vs Deportivo Alavés
Matchday 38: Deportivo Alavés vs Rayo Vallecano
Matchday 38: RCD Mallorca vs Real Oviedo

These are real finals. Matches where you don’t just earn points, but can directly sink a rival. Much of the survival will be decided there.

But be careful, because not everything depends on those duels. The so-called "trap games" can be even more dangerous. Facing teams like Villarreal CF, Real Betis, RC Celta de Vigo, Getafe CF or Girona FC may seem less decisive… until you drop points along the way. And in this context, that is lethal.

And then there are the giants. Teams like Valencia, Alavés, or Elche still have to face giants like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, or Atlético de Madrid. Matches where scoring points is almost a miracle… although in this final stretch, any surprise can change everything.

Another factor comes into play: motivation. There will be teams that have nothing to play for anymore, and that can completely alter the scenario. Rotations, substitutes, lack of intensity… or just the opposite. No one gives anything away, but not everyone competes the same way at this point of the season. On the other hand, the confrontations with the survivors of European competitions, Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, may be matches where these teams field many substitutes and some teams take advantage, as has happened with Sevilla and Elche.

And another thing to keep in mind, the cutoff is made with Valencia which has 36 points, but watch out, Girona (38), Espanyol (38), Rayo Vallecano (38) and Osasuna (39), mathematically don't have it all secured, and by losing a couple of matches can get into trouble.

Everything points to a heart-stopping outcome. One of those decided on the last matchday, in the last minute, in a goal that changes destinies.

Because right now, the reality is clear: no one is safe… and no one is condemned yet.

We open the debate: who do you think will end up falling?