Eliminated from the Champions League and the Europa League, and also from the Copa del Rey, the Catalans, however, showed the greatest stability in the Spanish tournament and, especially, a hermetic defense that keeps them at the top, with an 11-point advantage above Real Madrid.
It will be a matter of days. The last opportunity to change the panorama a bit was for Atlético de Madrid (third with 13 points), but Xavi Hernández’s men brought out their quality in the back line and with just one goal they ended the hopes of the “colchoneros” last March 23.
This result, plus a resounding slip by Real Madrid (2-4 against Girona), should have delivered the final blow. However, the Catalans slipped up and lost to the combative Rayo Vallecano 1-2.
With six games to go, the Catalan squad recovered all the injured (Pedri, Dembelé, Christiansen, Araujo) and will be able to solve the games without much pressure, because the advantage allows it.
It will start tomorrow Tuesday against Osasuna and then continue against Espanyol, Real Sociedad, Valladolid, Mallorca and Celta de Vigo.
The two colossi of the Spanish capital have a pending appointment for second place, with a slight superiority of the two-point meringues against the colchoneros.
However, the truth is that the club led by Italian Carlo Ancelotti is at the gates of two other major objectives that will surely decide the positive or negative range of the season: the Copa del Rey next Saturday against Osasuna, and two semifinal duels against the mighty Manchester City.
Further down the standings, there is another fight underway: reaching fourth place in the Champions League, currently held by Real Sociedad, with 58 points, followed by Villarreal, with 53; and Betis, with 49.
The fifth step will directly access the Europa League, together with the Cup champion, and the sixth will reach the Conference League.
Another extremely close dispute occurs between the teams trying to stay in the first division. In fact, there is already one eliminated, Elche, sunk in the basement and with no chance of coming back with only 16 points.
With the noose around their necks appear Getafe and Espanyol (both with 31 points), Valencia and Almería (with 33 each), and Valladolid and Cádiz (both with 35). There are three relegation places, and there are two available.
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