We have come to this point in the season where the league leaders’ closest rivals can only play for pride. Such is the situation for current La Liga champions Barcelona. On Wednesday night, the Blaugrana could official be dethroned by bitter foes Real Madrid.
Barca had done remarkably well to cut the 10-point gap at the top of the table to 4. However, their efforts came to nothing on April 21. Their 2-1 defeat in El Clasico at the Camp Nou practically killed their hopes of retaining the league title. How cruel to hand La Liga over to your enemies in your backyard!
Last weekend, Barcelona dismantled Rayo Vallecano 7-0. Lionel Messi opened and sealed the flood gates. Pedro, Thiago Alcantara, Seydou Keita found the back of the net as well. Great result it was, but it is a little too late for the Catalans to bounce back from the wastefulness in front of goal which condemned them to bad results against Chelsea and Real Madrid recently.
However, Barcelona’s philosophy is to move on whatever the circumstances. For the sake of their fans, they will perform. Striker Pedro Rodriguez told reporters in the aftermath of his team’s 7-0 win over Rayo Vallecano:
“After a week, we are still a little sad about our elimination from the Champions League and the match against Real Madrid, but this victory shows that the team still exhibits strength and enthusiasm.”
On Wednesday night, Barcelona will play Malaga at the Camp Nou. They are contemplating victory despite the fact that the league trophy is way out of their reach. The players have promised to give their best in honour of departing coach Pep Guardiola. Besides, they can view the last games in La Liga as a way to prepare for the 2011/12 Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on May 25.
Squandering the possibility of winning two major trophies in the space of a week is a huge set-back. However, this soul-hurting period is an opportunity for Barcelona to once again prove to the world what the club’s values are about.
Meanwhile, in San Mames tonight, Real Madrid’s traveling fans could witness their team’s very first La Liga triumph since the 2007/08 season. Los Blancos, like Barcelona, have vowed to get over their heart-breaking semi-finals exit in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions Legue.
Last Sunday, they recorded a straightforward 3-0 victory over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid are poised to clinch their sixth victory in their last seven matches away to Athletic Bilbao.
How Real Madrid could win La Liga title on Matchday 36
| POS. | TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | D | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRIMERA DIVISIÓN 2011/2012 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Real Madrid | 35 | 29 | 4 | 2 | 112 | 30 | +82 | 91 | |
| 2 | Barcelona | 35 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 104 | 26 | +78 | 84 | |
• If Barcelona lose to Malaga in the 6:00pm GMT (2:00pm EST) kick-off, Real Madrid will instantly be crowned La Liga champions.
• If Barcelona draw against Malaga, they will reach the 85-point mark, reducing the gap to 6 points. In such a case, Real Madrid would need at least a point away to Athletic Bilbao to restore their 7-point lead and eventually wrap up the league title with two matches to go.
• If Barcelona beat Malaga, Real Madrid would also have to beat Athletic Bilbao to win La Liga on Matchday 36.
Mathematically, Barcelona have a chance of winning this season’s league title. To achieve such a stunning feat, the Catalans would need to win the totality of their remaining games. Meanwhile, Real Madrid would have to lose at least 7 points from their last three meetings against Athletic Bilbao, Real Mallorca and Granada.
Can anyone see Los Blancos blowing La Liga title away so late in the campaign when everyone expects them to wrap it all up?
