FC Barcelona, the current leaders in La Liga, has a huge chance this weekend to move decisively clear at the top of the table. The Catalans are nine points clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid, who they will meet in a head-to-head match at Camp Nou. So, another episode of El Classico, number 287! In the event of a win, Barcelona would take a 12-point lead, one almost impossible to recover. The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, which began on 13 May 1902, has gone down in football history. In the first match at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real won 3-1. It was Barcelona’s first defeat of the season. But Xavi’s team bounced back in the Super Cup (3-1 at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh) and in the first leg of the Spanish Cup semi-finals (1-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu). A fifth duel between the two sides this season is scheduled for 5 April, when the return match of the Spanish Cup semi-finals takes place!
The most anticipated derby on the planet will round off a round that includes other interesting matches, but they pale in comparison to the duel between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Atlético Madrid last week scored another 1-0 win over Girona to consolidate their Champions League place. Diego Simeone’s team will play this weekend at home against Valencia, the great disappointment of the current season in Spain – 17th place with 26 points, tied with Getafe, first below the relegation line. The arrival in mid-February of Rubén Baraja on the Valencia bench did not bring the revival expected by the bats fans. Two victories in the last three rounds is, however, an extra sliver of optimism for Valencia.
In fourth place, the last place that guarantees a place in next season’s Champions League, Real Sociedad seems to have run out of steam. Imanol Alguacil’s team has dropped nine points from 12 in the last four rounds. This weekend, Real Sociedad will play at home against Elche, a good opportunity to break the black streak. Elche are bottom of La Liga, but in the last two rounds they have picked up four points!
Betis Sevilla hasn’t given up on the dream of finishing in the top four of La Liga this season. In fifth place with 43 points, two points behind Real Sociedad, Betis is unbeaten in five games, in which it has collected 11 points. The draws in the last two rounds and the stinging 1-4 Europa League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford showed that Betis are struggling without Nabil Fekir, unavailable until the end of the season. Betis host the visit of 10th-placed Mallorca – one point from the last three games.
After the black streak of four consecutive defeats, Villarreal seems to be recovering. In the last three rounds, Quique Setien’s team got past Getafe and Almeria, and drew with Anderlecht in the Europa Conference League and Betis in La Liga. Villarreal is in sixth place with 38 points.
Athletic Bilbao is not recovering. In the last four rounds Ernesto Valverde’s team has just one point. Next up is a tough away trip to Valladolid – 14th place with 28 points, a team fighting to avoid relegation.
The fight to avoid relegation will be particularly spectacular again this year in La Liga! From 12th place down anyone can take the road to Segunda.
