Leganés relegated after holding champions Real Madrid

A dramatic evening in Butarque ended in heartbreak after Leganes were relegated after four seasons in the Spanish top flight.

Sergio Ramos put the visitors ahead after nine minutes as the defender was allowed to nod home and make the task for the home side even harder. Aguirre's men never threw in the towel and were rewarded on the stroke of half time as Bryan Gil drew Lega level rifling past Areola.

Leganes did need Celta to lose and their game as they faced Espanyol in Barcelona and their uphill task was made even harder when Asensio slotted home to put Madrid ahead. With more heart than head, the home side pressed looking for the two goals that would offer a glimmer of hope and with just over ten minutes remaining left, Roger fired the home side level. Aguirre's men created a few half chances but it was ultimately fruitless as word came through from Barcelona that Celta had secured a point to survive. 

We'll miss the Cucumber Growers in the top flight but confident that they'll be back in LaLiga sooner rather than later. 

Leganes captain Bustinza in tears after the game.

Animo Leganes. Animo Pepineros ! You'll be back !

The whistle sounds in Butarque, Leganes are down. Faces of desolation on the players of the home side after a valiant display. 

Espanyol 0-0 Celta .... all over in Barcelona.

Leganes playing with heart now as their legs have gone. Great final effort from Aguirre's men as they move forward for the last time and Oscar rifles over the bar. Was that it for Lega ?

Corner for the home side. Cuellar comes up as the clock ticks down but the move comes to nothing.

Added time in all the LaLiga games. Lega need a goal and hope that Espanyol bag a later winner in Barcelona. 

Lega throwing everyone forward as Roger works the ball into the area and once again Avilles fails to find a teammate. 

Brahim fires on target but Cuellar is on hand to gather. Into time added on with 6 minutes remaining at Butarque.

Major drama here at Butarque. Still 0-0 at the RCDE Stadium. 

Real Madrid on the ropes and an exhausted Leganes are throwing all they have in an effort to secure the third goal.

It's this lacking of consistency that angers football fans around the world....

Bustinza heads the ball and it grazes Jovic on the arm. The match official is consulting the screen and is unimpressed with what he sees. No penalty. 

VAR being consulted for a handball by Jovic. It does appear that the ball strikes the Serbian international on the arm.

Corner for Lega as Areola is forced to tip away. The home side piling on the pressure. The ball falls to Avilles who once again misses from close range. 

Real Madrid lacking shape now following the series of changes and Lega full of belief. 

Leganes throwing everyone forward as they look for another goal that would offer a lifeline. 

Lega are in again but Aviles fluffs his lines

Great strike from the Ivorian after quick thinking from Silvas and Gil to take a throw in quickly. Leganes offered a sliver of hope. They need to score again and hope that Espanyol find the net against Celta.

Goooooooooooool Lega draw level. Roger fires the home side level.

Time for the final water break of the season.

Into the final 15 minutes of action, the final quarter of an hour in the 2019/20 season. A season that will always be remembered for the break imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic which caused a halt to football across the world in March. 

Great drive from Oscar but Areola gathers and saves well from the Leganes sub. The French keeper is called into action yet again gathering from Roger.

Still 0-0 at the RCDE Stadium. Leganes need two goals and hope Espanyol can beat Celta, otherwise it's the Galician side who remain in the top flight. 

Siovas and Silva fail to connect Areola is forced into action but a Leganes striker was offside.

Mid-placed pass from Gil who has been quiet in this half following a bright 45' from the youngster.

Brahim carded for Real Madrid for a late challenge.

Lega now unable to get the ball out of their half with the goal really dealing a major body blow for the home side. 

Nacho taking the captain's armband in the absence of Ramos and Marcelo.

Benzema finishing the season on 21 goals, 4 behind top marksman Messi who finishes the campaign on 25.

Kroos, Brahim and Jovic on for Madrid. Making way are Casemiro, Benzema and Asensio.

Benzema breaks into the box and overruns the ball as Cuellar gathers. A discreet performance tonight so far from the French striker.

Heading towards the hour mark and time is slipping away for Leganes. Their fourth season in the top flight set to end in heartbreak.

Silva carded for Lega for dangerous play

Tarin off too with Roger on

Recio off for Lega with Roque Mesa on. 

A major setback for Leganes' slim hopes of survival. 

Mistake at the back for Lega and the ball is fed through to the Mallorquin and Asensio drives past Cuellar to further complicate life for the home side.

Gooooooooooooool Asensio makes it 1-2

Bustinza carded for a late challenge on Mendy

Good work from Vinicius as the Brazilian works the ball into the box and just fails to find a green shirt 

Benzema now wearing the captain's armband for Real Madrid. 

All set finally at Butarque. The final football of the 19/20 season is underway

Nacho on for Real Madrid with Ramos making way

Real Madrid taking to the pitch in a half time break that does seem rather extended ?

Garrido off / Guerrero on and Oscar on for Rubial (changes for the home side)

The Leganes players make their way to the pitch. Looks like Guerrero is set to replace Garrido.

Are we about to witness Leganes' final 45 minutes in the top flight ? Remember, they need to win and hope that Espanyol can beat Celta Vigo (0-0) at the break in Barcelona. 

That Bryan Gil goal really gives the match an added degree of sparkle with the home just needing one more goal to give themselves a lifeline in their fight for survival. An interesting 45' awaits in the second half. Stay with us!

Lega need one more goal and hope that Espanyol can do them a favour in beating Celta as the whistle sounds for the interval. 

Silva with the assist and Gil fires past Areola from an acute angle.

We'll have three minutes of time added on.

Into the final minute of the first half. Madrid comfortable, Leganes heading to la 2a....

Aitor carded as he pulls Asensio's shirt

Madrid are playing with an understandable lack of the high tempo intensity we've seen them display in the ten games since the restart. Thoughts for Zidane's side now turn to the Champions League tie against Manchester City in early August.

Recio carded for a tug on Asensio.

Dangerous free kick for Lega right on the Madrid box with Casemiro arriving late and taking out Aitor. Rosales over the ball. In the end it's Recio who strikes and his shot is deflected for a corner. Leganes press as the ball bobbles around the box. Better now from Aguirre's side.

Final ten minutes of the first half and Leganes almost seem resigned to their fate with the Cucumber Harvesters having little self belief.

We're back underway at Butarque.

Time for the water break with Real Madrid enjoying a comfortable first 35 minutes in the Madrid suburbs. 

Ramos celebrates his goal earlier tonight.

Still 0-0 between Espanyol and Celta but that counts for nothing in the context of relegation as Leganes have to win here in Butarque.

We've seen little from Vinicius and Benzema so far this evening as we head towards the thirty minute mark. A quiet evening for Areola apart from the Gil effort with Real Madrid looking highly conformable with the flow of their game management. 

Great individual skill from Siovas who beats three rivals but his final assist is a disappointment and intercepted by the men in mint green.

Manu Garrido has been disappointing tonight. Far from easy for the youngster and a reflection of the situation that Leganes find themselves in with the departure of big name strikers such as En Nesyri and Braithwaite.

Coming up to the 20' mark and the Sergio Ramos header is the only goal in all the seven LaLiga games taking place simultaneously tonight.

Lucas fouls Gil and Lega win a dangerous free kick. Rosales to take. The ball floated into the box but easy for Ramos to nod clear. 

Real Madrid bossing possession after 15'

Bryan Gil looks lively tonight and drives a shot straight at Areola. 

Aguirre tells his side 'vamos, vamos' on the touchline....The Mexican will be disappointed with the way his side defended the opening goal of the night.  

Poor from Jonathan Silva as he overhits a ball in a dangerous area as Gil looked to break. 

Poor marking from Leganes leaving the defender totally free to nod home past Cuellar. An already uphill task just got that bit harder for Aguirre's men.

Many feel that the Uruguayan has failed to ht the heights of his early season performances and has been discreet since the post Covid restart. 

What a hit from Valverde as the midfielder drives a 25 yard bullet which Cuellar does well in palming wide. 

A nervy start from both sides with misplaced passes and overhit balls the key talking point to date.

Zidane has bagged 11 of the available 14 in his spell on the Bernabeu bench. Highly impressive stats for the French coach. 

Will Madrid be in post 34th title celebration mode or will they display the normal intensity and endeavour to secure a 11th back-to-back win since the restart of league action in June?

Tonight's match official is Cuadra Fernandez and the man from the Balearic Islands sounds his whistle and we're underway in the Madrid suburbs. The home side kicking off.

We've already seen Espanyol and Mallorca say goodbye to the top flight... who will join them next season in 2a? Celta or Leganes....

Leganes emerge from the tunnel as the men in mint green join them on the Butarque pitch. The Leganes players give a guard of honour to the 2019/20 LaLiga champions. 

Real Madrid finalise their warm up routine and we're just five minutes away from the final kick-off of the 19/20 domestic league campaign.

Final thoughts from the Leganes players as kick off looms

It's a stiflingly hot evening in Leganes this evening with a current temperature of 35C/95F and the players will be grateful for both hydration breaks on the half hour and on min 75.

Have we seen the last of Gareth Bale in the famous white shirt ? The Welshman has been omitted from Zidane's final squad of the league campaign and could be destined to leave the club from the Spanish capital with his fraught relationship with the French coach no secret. 

Areola is selected 'between the sticks' this evening with Belgian stopper Courtois earning a well deserved break. This is Real Madrid's last official match ahead of the Round of 16 Champions League tie against Manchester City next month although it's anticipated that the club will look to secure a friendly match or two ahead of that clash.

Three games in LaLiga have already been completed on this final day of the 2019/20 season. 

Karim Benzema was just 2 goals behind Leo Messi this morning in the top scorer charts but with the Argentine bagging a double in Barcelona's 0-5 win away to Alaves, the French striker would need to find the target four times at Butarque tonight to tie with the Barça captain.

The corresponding fixture in LaLiga last season ended in a 1-1 with Silva scoring for the home side and Benzema drawing Madrid level. That scoreline would be no good for Leganes this evening. 

Remember, for Leganes to survive in the top flight, they need to win and hope that Celta stumble in Barcelona with a draw or defeat against Espanyol.

The Leganes starting line-up has just been issued:

Leganes boss Javier Aguirre arriving at Butarque for what is expected for his last game on the Leganes bench irrespective of today's outcome.

The Real Madrid starting XI is confirmed: 

Zidane is resting no-one with Karim Benzema hoping to bag four goals tonight if he is to draw level with Lionel Messi at the top of the LaLiga goal scoring charts with the Argentine on target twice as part of Barcelona's 0-5 win over Deportivo Alaves in Vitoria. 

Leganes have to win to stand any chance of avoiding the drop and we'll keep you posted throughout of how Celta Vigo fare on their trip to already relegated Espanyol.

Hello and a very warm welcome to our live coverage as Leganes face Real Madrid at the Estadio Butarque with a 21:00 CEST start.