In La Liga, with just weeks before the end of the competition things have settled down. At the end of the ’23-‘24 season the pleasure comes neither from the top nor the bottom of the table, but from the mid-table teams.
Real Madrid are unlikely to lose the title. Within eight points of Barcelona, Madrid are doing well, very well indeed. They haven’t had a tough season. You could say that they have largely scrolled.
Besides, Barcelona also have enough unknowns for next season, starting with the coach himself. Xavi has announced he’s leaving, he’s being courted by Ajax Amsterdam, part of the Catalan club’s management would like to persuade him to stay, especially as the team has had good results after the announcement of his departure (the same thing – good results after the announcement of his departure – happened at Liverpool, in the case of Klopp).
Only a Catalan miracle or a Real catastrophe could change anything. Real are on the march to the title. Barcelona will finish second, and Girona – who have (predictably) been unable to keep up the pace – will still play in the Champions League, alongside – most likely – Atletico Madrid.
What will Bilbao and Mallorca do amid the excitement and depression?
Bilbao won the Coppa del Rey after four decades, which generated boundless joy in the Basque Country, and it is not out of the question that against this background of enthusiasm they will even push for the 3-4 places. Sociedad also looks certain of its European Cup place.
Things are more complicated in the relegation zone. Almeria and Granada have already packed their bags for Segunda. Cadiz, on the other hand, will fight to the bitter end with Celta Vigo and Rayo Vallecano to stay in the top flight. Under certain circumstances, even Mallorca can enter the relegation hour, especially if a morale slump follows after the Cup final loss.
So what emerges from this is that there is a group of seven teams – Betis, Osasuna, Villareal, Getafe, Las Palmas, Alaves, Sevilla – that are carefree/pressure-free in the end of this season. It’s an extremely advantageous position for a punter to be in, as paying close attention to this group can pay off handsomely.
For example, watch which team has big plans for next year, which club is more ambitious or simply richer and is banking on a spectacular transfer campaign in the summer (these things are already being announced in the Spanish press).
We should also watch which club is betting on youngsters from its own nursery – and looking to bring them up this end of season. If you put six kids in the game the result will be different.
Betis, Villareal and Sevilla have underperformed and will want to climb higher up the table. Osasuna, Getafe, Las Palmas, Alaves will probably be content with achieving the goal of avoiding relegation.
An endless series of such small details will help you to think each match through correctly and – with the help of artificial intelligence – make the best decision for you and your pocket.
