Barcelona’s 2-1 victory in El Clásico has increased the gap between the Catalan side and Real Madrid to 12 points, a gap that looks decisive in the title race – a title that Catalonia has been waiting four years for.
But the long-distance duel between Barcelona and Real will continue as long as ‘’the whites’’ from Madrid still have a mathematical chance of winning the title.
Barcelona plays last-placed Elche in this round, a team in their third consecutive season in La Liga, and to whom they have not lost since the 1974-75 season, a season in which Elche finished eighth in the Primera, their best finish in 100 years of existence.
Barcelona’s arch-rivals Real Madrid have only won once in their last four La Liga matches, a 3-1 at home against Espanyol two rounds ago. Real will play this weekend at home against Valladolid, 16th place in La Liga, a team who has won only once in the last six rounds. Twelve wins and two draws in the last 14 encounters is Real’s record with Valladolid. Having qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League, where they will face Chelsea, Real has already secured a place in the world’s most important inter-club competition for next season, with an 11-point advantage to fifth place currently occupied by Real Betis Sevilla.
After three consecutive wins in the last three rounds, third-placed Atlético Madrid, 51 points, is trying to consolidate the third place in LaLiga. Atlético, however, feels the breath of its main chasers Real Sociedad (4th place – 48 points) and Real Betis (5th place – 45 points) in the back of its neck. In this round, Atlético meets one of the contenders for the Champions League places, Real Betis Sevilla, at home in the superb ”Wanda Metropolitano” arena. The team coached by Manuel Pellegrini, has not lost for four rounds (one draw and three wins), but Atlético, is unbeaten in the last 10 rounds. Atlético will try to increase its lead over its main chasers.
Real Sociedad will play this round away at the Estadio de la Cerámica against Villarreal, 6th place – 41 points, a team coming off two draws and two wins.
Elche can be considered already relegated, so the fight to avoid 18th and 19th places of La Liga will be between Almeria, Valencia, Espanyol, Valladolid, Cadiz, FC Sevilla, Getafe and Girona.
Neighbors in La Liga standings, Sevilla and Cadiz, places 14th and 15th, and level on points, 28 for each one, will meet this round, in a match that could prove decisive for their fate this season.
Espanyol, in 17th place, first above the relegation line, one point above Valencia, plays away at 12th-placed Girona, a team that, like Espanyol, did not escape the relegation jitters.
