Real in the driving seat after derby win
Real will go into their last game of the season at home to Athletic Bilbao with a two-point cushion, knowing that if they win or match Sociedad's result against Atletico Madrid at Anoeta they will be assured of their 29th league title.
The humiliations of Rayo Vallecano continued on Saturday when the bottom club in the Spanish first division went down 2-0 at Valladolid.
Rayo have now gone 12 games without a win and their latest setback came against a team who have nothing left to play for this season.
Valladolid opened the scoring eight minutes after the break when on-loan Real Madrid striker David Arganzo ran onto a deep ball from the midfield which left the Rayo defenders stranded.
Eight minutes from time, Antonio Lopez got Valladolid's second from the penalty spot after Rayo's Mauro Garcia had brought down Oscar Gonzalez.
Real Zaragoza and Albacete won promotion back to the Spanish first division without kicking a ball.
The two sides were assured of finishing in the top three when Levante, the only other team in with a chance of promotion, lost 1-0 to Racing Ferrol.
Murcia, the second division leaders, made certain of their promotion two weeks ago.
Murcia, Real Zaragoza and Albacete will replace Alaves, Recreativo Huelva and Rayo Vallecano, the three sides relegated from division one.
On the transfer front Ronaldinho's agent has confirmed he has been in touch with Manchester United regarding a move away from Paris Saint Germain, but they are one of five clubs chasing the Brazilian.
Roberto Assis, who is Ronaldinho's brother said: "I do not know where Ronaldinho is going. There are five clubs Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Inter and I do not know where he will be playing next season.
"I have spoken to Manchester. It's a club where I have good contact with Alex Ferguson ," he told BBC Five Live.
Despite speculation about Ronaldinho's future, his coach at PSG Vahid Halilhodzic insists he does not want to see him leaving the French capital side. "I did not become the manager-coach to separate myself from Ronaldinho," the former Rennes coach has said.
David Trezeguet looks set to extend his contract with Juventus until 2008.
The French international was recently linked with Spanish club Valencia but his father Jorge, who also acts as his agent, was quick to dismiss the reports. "The truth is that David wants to stay at Juve to make amends for a season that did not go the way he wanted to, " said Jorge Trezeguet.
Trezeguet has won two consecutive Scudetto titles with Juve but was disappointed to end up on the losing side in last month's all-Italian Champions League final with AC Milan.
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has emphatically denied Stephen Carr is on his way to Tyneside. The Ireland full-back is reported to be on the verge of a £5million move after saying he may quit White Hart Lane in search of European football.
Bobby Robson has already added Lee Bowyer to his young squad and could also prise Ronaldinho from Manchester United's grasp, but chairman Shepherd says that reports linking the club with Carr are fantasy.
"I sign the cheques at Newcastle and I can categorically state that there is no deal for Carr," he said.
"Spurs haven't contacted me about Carr and I have had no conversations with them. The deal is total fantasy." .
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