Fresh after winning the FIFA Club World Cup after one of the easiest runs in history, Real Madrid have not given up on the title and continue to chase FC Barcelona. Los blancos are eight points behind its greatest rival and are hoping that the Catalans will make some mistakes. Except, Barcelona is going clockwise lately, seven straight wins in La Liga, and doesn’t seem willing to stop. Barcelona and Real are preparing endeavorously for the next clash, which will take place on Camp Nou, on Sunday, 19th of march, when the Catalonians hope to be far ahead on top of the table to even afford a defeat. The match on 19 March will be preceded by the first round of the Spanish Cup semi-finals next Thursday 2 March at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In this match, Barcelona will play away vs Almeria, 16th in La Liga, a team who at this moment has three consecutive defeats. Real has a derby this weekend! And what a derby! Carlo Ancelotti’s team will play against Atlético Madrid at home! Diego Simeone’s team is in fourth place in La Liga after Barcelona, Real and Real Sociedad. In the last five rounds, Atlético has won four matches and drawn one. “El Derbi Madrileño” will have its 232nd episode this weekend. In the first round at the ‘Wanda Metropolitano’, Real Madrid won 2-1. Atlético Madrid had its last win at the Bernabeu in La Liga on 27 February 2016, scoring 1-0.
Currently 3rd in La Liga, Real Sociedad is trying, by making huge efforts, to keep up with the other top teams and finally reach a Champions League place. However, Alguacil’s Imanol team has dropped seven points in the last four games (two draws and one defeat). This round, Real Sociedad will play away to Valencia, who are in a desperate situation. “Los Che” parted ways at the end of January with Gennaro Gattuso, considered the main culprit for the disastrous season, but then things have gone the same way, three consecutive defeats. In the relegation zone, Valencia is looking to bounce back, perhaps even this weekend.
Villarreal can’t seem to find a way out of the dark corner they entered with their 0-1 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano on 30 January. Since then, Quique Setien’s team has collected three more defeats, the streak now being four in a row, and has now reached 9th place. El Submarino Amarillo can bounce back this round, however, when they play at home at the Estadio de la Cerámica against 19th-placed Getafe (second from bottom), a team that has only picked up only four points in its last five away games.
Celta (14th place, 24 points) and Valladolid (15th place, 24 points), one point each in the last two rounds, will meet at the “Balaídos” in Vigo in a real derby in the second half of the La Liga standings. In the first round, at the “José Zorilla”, Valladolid clearly won 4-1, the first victory in the duel between the two after four consecutive draws.
Europa League record holder, with six trophies won, FC Sevilla is enjoying the continental competition more than La Liga. Only in 12th place, with 25 points, Sevilla will play this round at home to Osasuna, 10th place, 30 points, a team that seems to be in freefall – only three points won in the last five rounds.
