The Catalans could reduce the gap to only three points before Los Blancos lock horns with Valencia on Sunday. Barcelona will face Real Zaragoza away from home on Saturday with the favourite tag on their forehead. They are poised to claim their ninth consecutive victory in La Liga. Meanwhile, Real Zaragoza are battling for survival and the Catalans might only worsen their case.
Like Barcelona, Real Madrid are in great form. They have scored 18 goals in their last 4 games in all competitions. This record includes their 3-0 and 5-2 hammering of APOEL Nicosia in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
In La Liga only, Real Madrid have netted 10 times in their last 2 fixtures. The momentum is back at the Santiago Bernabeu after the recent stumbles at home to Malaga and away to Villarreal.
In truth, how strong is Real Madrid’s drive? The last stages of the 2011/12 campaign come with many implications and small details sometimes affect the big picture. The Spanish giants’ agenda is tough. The Valencia match is the first of a series of difficult encounters.
In April, Real Madrid will have to affront Atletico, Barcelona and Sevilla. In addition, they will have to face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Winning the double is a reality as much as blowing everything away is. In an interview with Bwin.com this week, Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol underlined his team’s goals by stating:
“We are very ambitious and we want to win the title in the two competitions we are in, La Liga and the Champions League. One last effort from everyone and perhaps we can do it.
“The atmosphere in the dressing room is fantastic. We all get along with each other. You can see it on the field.”
The month of April is crucial for Real Madrid as the list of fixtures reveals. In November last year, Los Blancos edged a 5-goal thriller at the Mestalla stadium. A repeat of this 3-2 score line will be enough for Madrid to restore or increase their advantage over Barcelona at the end of Matchday 31.
The Santiago Bernabeu factor alone is sufficient to favour the Spanish giants over Los Che ahead of this encounter. However, Valencia are fresh from their quarter-final triumph in the UEFA Europa League and there is no reason why they would not try their luck on Sunday.
“It will be a very tough match because Valencia did not win their last three league matches and they will want to keep third place,” Raul Albiol analysed while looking forward to the game.
“We have to collect three points every game. There are still many matches remaining and, for now, we only have to think about the match against Valencia.”
The table ahead of Matchday 31 sees Real Madrid dominate over Barcelona in almost every aspect as the race for the title goes on. Los Blancos have won more matches than the Catalans and they have scored 14 goals more. Statistics involving Madrid and Valencia reveal that Los Che have not matched even half of Los Blancos’ goal scoring feat.
| POS. | TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | D | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRIMERA DIVISIÓN 2011/2012 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Real Madrid | 30 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 100 | 27 | +73 | 78 | |
| 2 | Barcelona | 30 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 86 | 22 | +64 | 72 | |
| 3 | Valencia | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 46 | 37 | +9 | 48 | |
The good news for Real Madrid is that Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Xabi Alonso should be in fine form. The trio did not play in midweek against APOEL. They were unused substitutes. Besides these pair of fresh legs, Jose Mourinho could have Angel Di Maria back in the starting line-up. The Argentine impressed as a substitute in his last two matches for Los Blancos.
It all looks good for Real Madrid but Valencia cannot be ruled out of the contest. Their 4-0 demolition of AZ in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday speaks for itself. In addition to Los Che’s potential, Los Blancos must be cautious of something else – mind games.
Following the penalty controversy involving Barcelona and Milan in Europe this week, a sarcastic duel has broken in the press room between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.
On Thursday, Jose Mourinho ironically tipped Barca as destined Champions League finalists. The Real Madrid coach was referring to the Catalans’ alleged favouritism in the eyes of referees.
Guardiola replied with an equal amount of sarcasm on Friday. He thanked “Mourinho for his faith in Barcelona”. Pep is usually known to ignore mind game comments.
The successful manager believes in doing the talking on the pitch. During El Clasico series last year, the ex-Blaugrana captain even admitted defeat by branding Jose Mourinho as “the boss” in the press room.
However, when asked about the on-going mental battle against Real Madrid’s outspoken Mourinho, Guardiola replied:
“Am I tired of these mind games? No, they are part of the job.”
It seems like the Barcelona man has opted for a different tactic in the final stretch of the 2011/12 campaign? What effect will mind games have on the Catalans’ fortunes and on Real Madrid's team spirit?
