The run-in starts here
After a busy run of fixtures, LaLiga have scheduled a midweek round, starting today, ahead of an empty weekend to give precedence to the Copa del Rey final on Saturday night. After an epic Raphinha-inspired remontada and Fede Valverde’s last-gasp rip-snorter, Barcelona maintained their four-point lead at the top going into Matchday 33 before taking on Real Madrid at La Cartuja. Remarkably, it is the first Clásico final since 2014, when Gareth Bale sped past Marc Bartra to deliver Carlo Ancelotti his first trophy in charge. Any victory in the Seville showpiece would probably be his last.
The incredible drama up on the hill in Barcelona did come at a cost, however, with Robert Lewandowski’s injury ruling him out of the final and making him a major doubt for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter. Hansi Flick hopes the jeopardy serves as a wake-up call for his players, calling on them to remain professional against Mallorca without looking ahead to bigger fish in different competitions. A win at Montjuïc would extend the gap to seven points before Los Blancos head a little way south 24 hours later to face Getafe. Barça could still end the season with a remarkable quadruple: they already have the Supercopa, and are in strong contention for LaLiga, the Copa and the European Cup.
With the Matchday 35 Clásico confirmed at 16:15 on Sunday, May 11th, any change in the margin could frame the battle very differently. Real Madrid took defeat to Arsenal hard, with Carlo Ancelotti’s future under fierce speculation, some reports suggesting he could even leave after the Copa final. Domestically, Real have been hanging in there, without convincing for some time. They haven’t won a league match by more than one goal since the 2-0 win over Girona at the end of February. 2-1 wins over Rayo and Villarreal were followed by the uncomfortable 3-2 against Leganés and 1-0 victories against Alavés and Athletic. Among those, they lost to Betis and Valencia, results which they may look back on with frustration at the end of the season.
Barça have dropped points too, but only in that draw with Betis. In league terms, they have been otherwise flawless since the end of January, often scoring enough to make things far more relaxed. Their last two were more hard-fought though, which may indicate fatigue among a smaller squad stretching to its limits. The point is, there is most certainly still league, and you can never rule out Real Madrid.
April showers? It never rains, but it pours for Atlético Madrid. While most of the damage was done around the Ides of March, April has not been much better for Diego Simeone and his side. Having been unable to make home advantage count in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, they will have to watch the big two face off for silverware on Saturday. In LaLiga, any faint hopes they had of being able to push until the end was snuffed out first by dropping points at Espanyol, before a damaging defeat at Las Palmas. They are now ten points adrift of leaders Barcelona, with only 18 points remaining in play. Even the most optimistic of Colchoneros will have to admit that this is a step too far. Their cushion over 5th and 6th should be sufficient to guarantee Champions League qualification for next season. Therefore, the remaining games could serve as preparation for the new-fangled Club World Cup, taking place in June in the US, where they will face PSG, Seattle Sounders and Botafogo.
Athletic Club have been consolidating fourth, but have had their attentions understandably drawn elsewhere. Their European campaign has been ramping up and now only Manchester United stand between them and a home final and a shot at glory. The Red Devils have been woeful domestically this season, but somehow came from behind to knock Lyon out and make the last four. Fittingly, United face former Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth just before the first leg trip to Bilbao, an ironic Basque double. Ernesto Valverde’s side are dreaming of winning that potential final, but will be acutely aware of the need to stay inside the top four or five to ensure they qualify automatically. Villarreal are five points behind, but do have a game in hand, with Betis just a point further back.
Elsewhere, the European race and the battle to avoid the drop are hotting up. Real Valladolid could be officially put out of their misery this round, but the other two places are far from certain. Las Palmas looked to be in freefall, but back-to-back wins have catapulted them away from immediate danger. Leganés and Alavés are in the hot-seats, but Girona are ones to watch out for, sleepwalking their way to the thick of the mire. After being hammered by Betis on Monday night, they have lost their last four matches, and are without a win in ten.
Betis lost their fearsome winning run recently, collecting just one point from games against Barcelona and Villarreal, but got back to winning ways emphatically last night against Girona. They will push Villarreal hard all the way in the chase for the coveted fifth Champions League spot. For the Europa and Conference Leagues, Mallorca, Celta, Real Sociedad, Rayo and Osasuna are all within three points of each other, making the final few weeks exciting, with something meaningful on almost every single game.
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