David Beckham argues with the referee after being shown the red card during Real Madrid’s match versus Murcia on Sunday. (Reuters)

Madrid, May 17 (Reuters): Real Madrid’s late-season implosion continued on Sunday with a humiliating 1-2 defeat at already-relegated Murcia, a game in which midfielder David Beckham was sent off for insulting a linesman.

Combined with Barcelona’s 1-0 win at home to Racing Santander, the result handed the Catalans the advantage in the race to secure the runners-up spot behind Valencia and an automatic berth in the Champions League group phase.

With one game left, champions Valencia top the table with 77 points, Barcelona are second on 72, two ahead of Real and four in front of Deportivo Coruna.

Unless Real post a huge win in their final match against Real Sociedad, Barcelona only need to draw at Real Zaragoza to ensure they finish second.

It is the first time in their 102-year history that Real have lost four league games in a row.

Once again it was a former player who was responsible for Real Madrid’s demise.

Murcia striker Luis Garcia, released by Real at the start of the season, got his side off to a dream start when he poked in from close range after visiting goalkeeper Iker Casillas spilled a shot from Richi in the third minute.

Real looked flustered by the early setback and nearly conceded a second five minutes later but Ivan Helguera managed to scramble a goal-bound Richi shot off the line.

Murcia, who had won just four games all season and have the worst scoring record in the league, had several other good chances to extend their lead in the early minutes.

But Real looked certain to equalise midway through the half when Argentine midfielder Santiago Solari checked past two defenders and the keeper only to fire his shot on to the bar.

Murcia went 2-0 up after Helguera conceded a penalty when he handled as the ball spun off the foot of fellow-defender Alvaro Mejia.

Garcia gave Casillas no chance as he blasted the spot-kick high into the net and things went from bad to worse for Real as Beckham received marching orders for shouting an insult to the linesman.

It was the England captain’s second red card since joining Real and means he will end his first season at the club on a low note, missing the final game at home to Real Sociedad.

Fellow-midfielders Zinedine Zidane and Guti will also miss the Sociedad game after they were booked in the second half.

Shevchenko top-scorer

In Italy, AC Milan’s Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko finished the season as Serie A top-scorer but almost lost the prize on the final day to Parma’s Alberto Gilardino who struck four goals in a 4-3 win over Udinese.

Shevchenko’s simple tap-in during Milan’s 4-2 win over Brescia on Sunday ensured he ended the campaign with 24 goals for the third time in five seasons in Italy’s top flight.