La Liga has entered its dying embers but unlike other top European leagues around the world, the picture is far from clear as far as the identity of the champions-elect is concerned. Leaders Atletico Madrid kept their title charge alive by securing a narrow 1-0 win against Elche at the Estadio Martinez Valero. Marcos Llorente had provided the breakthrough in the 24th minute but saw his side's chances of taking all the three points almost being dealt a blow after the hosts earned a penalty. Fortune favored the league leaders as Fidel Chaves would end up missing the spot-kick inside the 91st minute.
Relatively, both Barcelona and Real Madrid secured wins to remain within an arm's reach of Atletico. The former fought back to beat Valencia 3-2 at the Mestalla after Los Blancos had earlier put Osasuna to the sword to secure a 2-0 win at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium. Meanwhile, Sevilla lost grounds on their pursuit to close in the breakaway leaders and was stunned at the death against Athletic Club as a result of Inaki Williams' 90th-minute goal.
Top five teams in La Liga
Top goal scorers in La Liga
Lionel Messi still ranks atop the leaderboard with 28 points after scoring twice in the weekend's win over Valencia. Real Madrid's Karim Benzema followed with 21 goals as he was unable to find his scoring boots as his side secured victory over Osasuna. The top three is completed by Villarreal's Gerard Moreno.
Top headlines - La Liga
-
Lionel Messi closing down on Robert Lewandowski in the race for the Golden Boot: Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi is gradually catching up to Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski in the race for the European Golden Boot. The Argentine has 28 goals this season and is eight goals short of the Polish striker's tally.
-
Mbappe closes in on Real Madrid move: Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is edging closer to a move to Real Madrid, a report in Diario AS has indicated. The attacker's current deal expires in 2022 and he has turned down several renewal offers, hinting at the prospect of securing a dream move to the Spanish capital club.
-
Barca squad test negative for Covid-19 after attending Messi's barbecue party: The entire Barcelona squad were caught in controversy and were made to undergo an antigen test before training on Wednesday after they all attended a barbecue at captain Lionel Messi's house on Monday.
Top matches to watch: May 7-10, 2021
-
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid: Two of the three clubs keenly contesting the league titles will go head-to-head in a prospective decider. Atletico Madrid who leads Barca with two points will be keen on breaking away from the pack with a win while the Catalans target a chase. The outcome of the encounter could well decide who the champions-elect will be this season with just four games of the season left to play.
-
Real Madrid vs Sevilla: While Atletico Madrid and Barcelona look for their fate, Real Madrid and Sevilla will also do as far as winning the La Liga title this season is concerned. Los Blancos, just like Barca, are two points behind Diego Simeone's side and will be eager to capitalize on any slip-ups to effectively defend their title. On the contrary, Sevilla still has a chance to clinch the trophy, although they will need the top three dropping points.
*Keep track of all the activity in the French top-flight by following our dedicated La Liga competition page.
