Sevilla avoids relegation despite 1-0 home loss to Real Madrid, Mbappé starts

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Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Sevilla in Seville, Spain, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, controls the ball next to Sevilla's Gabriel Suazo and Sevilla's Joaquín Martínez Gauna during the Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville, Spain, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton) — Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Sevilla in Seville, Spain, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

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3:26 PM on Sunday, May 17

By TALES AZZONI

MADRID (AP) — Sevilla avoided relegation despite a 1-0 loss to Real Madrid at home in La Liga on Sunday.

Vinícius Júnior scored for Madrid, which had already sealed second place. Barcelona clinched its second-consecutive league title two rounds ago. The Catalan club hosts fifth-place Real Betis later Sunday in what will be Robert Lewandowski’s last game at Camp Nou.

Kylian Mbappé started for Madrid three days after saying coach Álvaro Arbeloa had made him the team’s fourth-choice striker. He came off the bench in the win at Oviedo on Thursday in what was his return from an injury layoff.

It was a tight relegation fight coming into Sunday's matches and Sevilla secured its salvation thanks to other results. Alaves also guaranteed more top-tier soccer next season with a 1-0 win at already relegated Oviedo.

Five teams will enter next weekend's final round looking to avoid the drop: Levante, Osasuna, Elche, Girona and Mallorca.

Levante moved closer to safety with a 2-0 win over Mallorca and is 15th with 42 points, the same number of points as 16th-place Osasuna and 17th-place Elche.

Osasuna lost 2-1 to Espanyol at home, while Elche beat 10-man Getafe 1-0.

Inside the relegation zone are 17th-place Girona (40 points), second-to-last Mallorca (39) and Oviedo (29).

Girona lost 1-0 at Atletico Madrid in what was a farewell match to home fans for Atletico forward Antoine Griezmann.

The France forward, who is Atletico's all-time leading scorer, played his last home game before he joins Orlando City in Major League Soccer next season.

“Griezmann is possibly the best one to have ever played here,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “He’s an extraordinary guy, a genius. He’s the most game-changing player that we’ve coached here.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer