La Liga relegation battle: All the permutations as Cadiz, Getafe, Valencia, Almeria, Celta, and Valladolid fight for survival

Topics: Cadiz, Getafe, Valencia, Almeria, Celta Vigo, Real Valladolid, La Liga

As many as six teams are fighting relegation as the final round of the 2022/23 season will decide who goes down.

The Premier League's relegation battle was decided on the final day, but if you thought that was a crazy race, it pales in comparison to La Liga, with as many as six teams fighting to remain in the Spanish top flight.

As of now, only two of the three relegation spots have been confirmed. Elche and Espanyol have both suffered the drop but one more top-flight team must join those aforementioned clubs in the Segunda División next season.

Real Valladolid currently sit in 18th, which means they are the likeliest to drop to LaLiga 2. However, not only could Pucela secure another season in La Liga, but there is a possibility five teams could end on 41 points, which would spark a mini league in order to determine the third relegated club. Here's everything you need to know about La Liga's relegation race ahead of matchday 38.

What are the teams at risk of getting relegated in the 2022/23 La Liga season?

13th - Cadiz: 41 points
14th - Getafe: 41 points
15th - Valencia: 41 points
16th - Almeria: 40 points
17th - Celta Vigo: 40 points
18th - Real Valladolid: 39 points

Who will be playing who on the final day of the 2022/23 La Liga season?

Real Betis vs Valencia
Celta Vigo vs Barcelona
Espanyol vs Almeria
Elche vs Cadiz
Real Valladolid vs Getafe

*All fixtures simultaneously kick off at 12:30 p.m. ET / 16:30 GMT

La Liga's tie-breakers

Unlike in other leagues, La Liga's tie-breaking rules state that the head-to-head record (points won in head-to-head encounters, then the goal difference in head-to-head ties) will be used when two teams finish the season on equal points. When more than two teams finish the campaign on equal points, things get a bit more complicated. Those clubs would be grouped together in a separate category, with the team that picked up the most points against the clubs in that category ranking the highest. This means the outright goal difference might not even come into play in this season's relegation battle.

What would it take for a five-team mini-league relegation battle to occur?

This would require a victory from Real Valladolid on the final day. Celta Vigo and Almeria, who are on 40 points each, would need to draw their respective ties while Cadiz, Getafe, and Valencia would need to lose. This scenario, which is highly unlikely, would secure safety for Valladolid while Cadiz, Almeria, Getafe, and Valencia would also avoid the drop, leaving Celta Vigo to get relegated as they have picked up the fewest points in the fixtures involving the five aforementioned clubs.

Permutations

With the above scenario unlikely to occur, here's what each team needs in order to avoid relegation:

Cadiz

Cadiz will only go down if they lose and Celta Vigo, Almeria, Valencia, and Real Valladolid all win. This would leave El Submarino Amarillo level on points with Getafe, which is undesirable, as they have an inferior head-to-head record against the Azulones.

Getafe

Getafe simply need to avoid defeat against Real Valladolid on the final day. If they lose, then the Azulones will get relegated if the other relegation-battling teams win, or if they get into a three-way tie on points with Almeria and Valencia or Almeria and Cadiz (NOT Valencia or Celta Vigo as Getafe would triumph in that head-to-head tie-breaker).

Valencia

If Real Valladolid lose, then Valencia are guaranteed another season in La Liga irrespective of what happens. Los Che can also avoid relegation by winning their final game. A draw would also suffice. The Spanish heavyweights simply must avoid being leapfrogged by Real Valladolid and Celta Vigo while finishing equal on points with Almería, Cádiz and Getafe as Voro's men would lose that head-to-head battle.

Almeria

If Real Valladolid lose, then Almeria are guaranteed another season in La Liga irrespective of what happens. A win would secure safety while a defeat would also suffice so long as Celta Vigo fail to pick up a point.

Celta Vigo

If Real Valladolid lose, then Celta Vigo are guaranteed another season in La Liga irrespective of what happens. Os Célticos must avoid finishing on equal points as Valladolid as the head-to-head record doesn't favor them. If Valladolid win and Celta draw and finish on 41 points with any team but Cadiz, Carlos Carvalhal's men will go down.

Real Valladolid

For Real Valladolid, the task is simple: beat Getafe on the final day and that would be enough to see them leapfrog the Azulones in the table. If they draw, Pucela would need Almeria and/or Celta Vigo to suffer defeats as that will leave all three of them equal on points. Real Valladolid would remain up while Celta (or Almeria if Celta avoid finishing on equal points) would go down due to their inferior head-to-head record in fixtures involving these three teams.