Soccer / Football : Spain : Primera Liga 2012/2013

Real Madrid have announced that head coach Jose Mourinho will leave the club at the end of the season after three years in charge of the Spanish giants. The 50-year-old won the league and Copa del Rey at Madrid, but he has ended his final season in Spain without a trophy. Mourinho is widely expected to be confirmed as interim manager Rafael Benitez's replacement at Chelsea. He led Chelsea to five major domestic trophies, including back-to-back Premier League titles, in three seasons in charge of the Blues before leaving in 2007.

Real Sociedad came from a goal down to register a crucial 2-1 victory at Seville as they reclaimed fourth spot in the Primera Division in the race for the final UEFA Champions League spot. Valencia clinced a 1-0 win over Getafe which leaves the club with 62 points and level on points with Real Sociedad, but Valencia occupy fifth place due to an inferior goal differential. Real Madrid, Atletico MAdsrid, Malaga, and Celta Vigo already played their fixtures for this round last week to make room in the calendar for the Copa del Rey final on Friday, when Atletico beat Real 2-1 in extra time.

Lionel Messi will be sidelined for up to three weeks after re-aggravating his right hamstring strain, an injury that has hampered his ability to play over the past six weeks. Barcelona says tests performed Tuesday revealed the muscle strain. Messi first injured his hamstring on April 2 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain and re-aggravated the injury in Sunday's 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid.

Lionel Messi could miss the rest of Barcelona's season after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury in the 2-1 win against Atletico Madrid. Messi started his first domestic match since the end of March, but was taken off in the 68th minute, leaving his side to play the rest of the match with 10 men as all three substitutes had already been used. Messi has scored 46 league goals this season, just four short of matching last season's record-breaking tally.

Barcelona are celebrating their 22nd Spanish league title and the fourth in five years after being confirmed as champions when second-placed Real Madrid could only draw 1-1 with Espanyol. The Catalans marked their crowning with a come from behind 2-1 win at third-placed Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, Barcelona need to win their remaining three matches to match Real Madrid's record haul of 100 points from last season. Valencia moved into fourth place with a 4-0 hammering of Rayo Vallecano thanks to two goals from Roberto Soldado.

Real Madrid central defender Raphael Varane suffered a knee injury in Saturday's 1-1 La Liga draw at Espanyol and looks set to miss the rest of the season. The 20-year-old Frenchman wrote on Twitter on Sunday that medical tests indicate he has "torn cartilage" that will require an operation. Meanwhile, Spanish media reported that Varane will be out of action for four to six weeks. He will also miss the King's Cup final against Atletico Madrid on Friday.

Barcelona will be without goalkeeper Victor Valdes and defender Eric Abidal for Sunday's match at Atletico Madrid. The Spanish club says that Valdes has not recovered from a left-foot injury that kept him out of last weekend's game also. Abidal will be sidelined after hurting a muscle in his left leg during Friday's training session. Abidal recently returned from a liver transplant.

Lionel Messi came off the bench to inspire Barcelona to a 4-2 win over Betis that sees them only needing only two more points to secure the La Liga title. The World Player of the Year, who had missed Barca's humiliating UEFA Champions League semi-final exit to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, came on in the 56th minute at 2-2 to score two goals that sealed the victory. Barcelona have 88 points with four games left to play, 11 ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who triumphed 4-3 at home to Valladolid. Valencia baet Osasuna 4-0 to stay in the hunt for a top-four finish.