The La Liga title race has become a three-horse race in recent weeks as the three teams involved have a genuine chance of winning the league. While the usual suspects, Barcelona and Real Madrid, are two of them, the third team is not Atletico Madrid akin to recent years. Instead, it is Jorge Sampaoli’s high-flying Sevilla that have surprised everyone and are well in the title race.
Atletico Madrid failed to hit the heights of previous season and are all but out of the title race as they sit 11 points behind current leaders Barcelona. Their city rivals Real Madrid on the other hand, have occupied the top spot since gameweek 9 and dropped out recently due to a loss in form. In fact, it is their own doing that the remaining two teams are back in the title race. They are currently one point behind Barcelona and have a game in hand over the Catalans.
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Barcelona struggled this season as their summer signings failed to click and their midfield struggled in what is Luis Enrique’s last season as Barcelona manager. The recent thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the Champions League looked to have all but sealed a disastrous campaign. However, tweaks in formation and an upturn in form signalled steadying of the ship and Real Madrid’s drop in form means the defending champions sit at the top of the La Liga table.
Also Read – 5 reasons why Barcelona can still win La Liga
When Unai Emery, three-time Europa League winner with Sevilla, left for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, there definitely would not have been any expectations of being in the place the Andalusians find themselves now. Their performances have pleasantly surprised many and they currently find themselves five points from the top albeit with a game in hand and possessing an outside chance to win their first league title since 1946/47 season.
Every fixture now assumes importance as the title race heats up and Atletico Madrid can still play a role in which team is crowned champions despite being virtually out of the race themselves.
Here are the 5 key fixtures that will define the La Liga title race between now and the end of the season.
#5 Espanyol vs Barcelona – 30th April
The Derbi barceloni is a significant fixture between local rivals Espanyol and Barcelona that arose from ideological and political differences over the decades. Although the rivalry has mostly been one-sided with Barcelona winning 93 games to Espanyol’s 34 out of a total of 163 games between the clubs.
However, the fixture at RCDE stadium is always a feisty affair and Espanyol have drawn two of the last five meetings at the stadium. Even a draw will make a difference in the title race at this stage of the season and this match could prove to be a potential banana skin for Barcelona.
#4 Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid – 9th April
El Derbi madrileno or the more popular Madrid Derby is another match between capital rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Despite Real Madrid dominating this fixture throughout history, Atletico Madrid’s resurrection under Diego Simeone has balanced the tie in recent years. In fact, Atleti have won at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium three consecutive times in league meetings in the past three years.
Although Atleti are out of the title race, they can still play spoilsport as Real’s loss in form, alleged internal struggles between Zinedine Zidane’s men and the fixture’s recent history make this a difficult fixture for Los Blancos and a vital one in deciding the title winner this season.
#3 Barcelona vs Sevilla – 5th April
A vital game for both teams and especially for Sevilla if they have to win the title, this fixture at Camp Nou has seen the Catalans dominate with nine wins and one draw in the last ten games. However, this is a Sevilla team that has defied expectations this season and a victory can go a long way in breaking the duopoly at the top of the La Liga.
On the other hand, this game is a difficult one for Barcelona despite their record in the fixture given their trouble against teams that can outrun their midfield. So, this tie will not only be important in the title context, but also help Luis Enrique assess his side’s recent surge in form ahead of a potential decider later in April.
#2 Real Madrid vs Sevilla – 14th May
The penultimate game of the season for Real Madrid could either see Sevilla right in the middle for the title or the Andalusians could just become a major hurdle for the capital club to overcome depending on the league scenario.
The reverse fixture saw Jorge Sampaoli’s side put brakes on Real’s title march with a stunning win that involved an injury-time winner by January signing Stevan Jovetic. Since then, Los Blancos have slipped down a gear and they would be hoping to hit form before playing Sevilla so close to the end of the season.
#1 Real Madrid vs Barcelona – 23rd April
Like so many times before, El Clasico could become the title decider yet again between two teams with vastly different ideologies and two cities with variedly different beliefs. Real Madrid and Barcelona have faced each other innumerable times, 265 times to be precise, and several of them have been trophy-deciding encounters.
The rivalry further stems from the fact that both the teams are the most successful teams in Spanish football and also consistently among the top teams in Europe with a global fanbase. Barcelona are currently home to one of the most exciting attacking trios in history in the form of MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar) while Real possess a similarly potent attacking trio in BBC (Bale, Benzema, Cristiano).
The reverse fixture at Camp Nou ended in a 1-1 draw with Sergio Ramos scoring a late equaliser for the capital side. By the time this fixture rolls around towards the end of April, both clubs could be in a similar position as of now, neck and neck, and this tie could clinch the three3 points and the momentum for the winning side to go on and lift the La Liga title come May.
