Valencia clinch Champions League berth

● All eyes set at The Camp Nou as champions Barcelona take on European kings Real

Valencia was assured of a topfour finish in the Spanish league and a berth in next season's Champions League after Real Betis lost at Athletic Bilbao 2-0 yesterday.

The defeat left fifth-place Betis eight points behind Valencia in fourth with two games left for the Seville-based club.

Iker Munian headed in a cross from Inigo Lekeu for Bilbao's opener in the 76th minute, and Aritz Aduriz scored from a pass by Inaki Williams in stoppage time.

Betis hit the crossbar twice when pressing for a late equalizer before Aduriz scored on the final kick of the match.

Valencia, which visited Villarreal later yesterday, finished in 12th place the last two seasons.

Champion Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are also heading back to the Champions League next season.

Also, Eibar rolled to a 4-1 win at Girona in the first match since Jose Luis Mendilibar agreed to stay on another season at the Basque Country club.

Zinedine Zidane has congratulated Barcelona on winning the Spanish league a day before his Real Madrid visits Camp Nou in the least significant clasico in re- cent memory.

Zidane says, "The most important thing is respecting what Barcelona has done, winning the league."

The Madrid manager says the Liga "is the most difficult and the nicest to win."

Zidane, however, insisted Madrid's players will not form an honour guard for Barcelona because Barcelona's players didn't honour Madrid after it won the Club World Cup in December.

Barcelona clinched the league title last weekend to complete a domestic double after also win- ning the Copa del Rey.

Madrid plays Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 26 in Kiev, Ukraine.

Barcelona is aiming to become the first team to go an entire season without a loss in the Spanish league under its current format. It has four games left.