WHEN REAL MADRID CAN WIN LA LIGA TITLE
- Real Madrid inched ever closer to a 36th Spanish league title after a 3-2 win against Barcelona in El Clasico.
- Should Madrid beat Real Sociedad and Barcelona lose to Valencia, then Carlo Ancelotti's side will win the league with a draw against Cadiz.
- Madrid need just seven points to win the league in 2023/24, as they are 11 points clear of Barcelona.
The thrilling La Liga title race now looks to be coming to a close following Real Madrid's victory against Barcelona in their El Clasico match. Los Blancos were indebted to Jude Bellingham once again, as the young Englishman popped up with a winner in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory.
The match was not without controversy, though, as the home side felt that they were wrongly denied a goal after Andriy Lunin seemingly clawed Lamine Yamal's effort out from behind the goal. A lack of goal line technology, however, meant that the youngster's strike was not given.
Why La Liga Doesn't Have Goal-Line Technology
It looked as though Lamine Yamal might have scored but VAR had other ideas.In the end, that proved to be decisive. Despite Barcelona leading twice thanks to goals from Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez, Madrid equalised twice through Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vazquez. Bellingham then grabbed the winner, becoming the saviour of the 35-time Spanish champions, in a fashion which has become typical in 2023/24.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Jude Bellingham is the first player to score for Real Madrid in his first two La Liga El Clasicos since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2007.
Carlo Ancelotti's side are now on the brink of a 36th league title, increasing the gap to second-placed Barca to 11 points. It seems as if it's only a matter of time until Madrid rip the crown away from the hands of the current La Liga champions, but when might they get the job done? GIVEMESPORT are here to take you through all the permutations.
Madrid and Barcelona's Remaining Fixtures
Madrid's fixtures much easier than their rivals'
With just six matches remaining until the end of the La Liga season, three teams are still mathematically in with a chance of winning the league. However, both Girona and Barcelona, who are third and second on 68 and 70 points respectively, have been handed no chance of winning the league by Opta.
Ancelotti and Co. will mainly be paying attention to what is happening at Barca, as they are their closest competitors. However, as they are so far ahead, the title is entirely in their hands.
Madrid's run to gold is not without difficulty, but they should be confident of wrapping up the league without help from anyone else. A trip to Real Sociedad is next up for them on Friday 26th April, before they host Cadiz on May 4th.
| Real Madrid's Remaining La Liga Fixtures | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Team | Opposition League Position |
| 26/04/24 | Real Sociedad | 6th |
| 04/05/24 | Cadiz | 18th |
| 12/05/24 | Grenada | 19th |
| 15/05/24 | Deportivo Alaves | 14th |
| 19/05/24 | Villarreal | 9th |
| 26/05/24 | Real Betis | 7th |
Barcelona, meanwhile, face a much more difficult run-in. Not only must they catch Madrid, but they have to face Girona, as well as Sociedad, both teams who could cause them plenty of problems. Florentino Perez, therefore, will be licking his lips at the prospect of getting his hands on the title before the season's end.
| Barcelona Remaining La Liga Fixtures | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Team | Opposition League Position |
| 29/04/24 | Valencia | 8th |
| 04/05/24 | Girona | 3rd |
| 12/05/24 | Real Sociedad | 6th |
| 15/05/24 | Almeria | 20th |
| 19/05/24 | Rayo Vallecano | 15th |
| 26/05/24 | Sevilla | 12th |
When Madrid Can Win La Liga
Could lift the title after their next two games
If results go their way, Madrid will be able to call themselves La Liga champions at the start of May. For them to do so, they must call on favours from both Valencia and Girona. Should Ancelotti's men win both of their games against Real Sociedad and Cadiz, and if their rivals drop points in either of their next two fixtures, Madrid will be out of sight by May 4th.
Additionally, if they beat Sociedad and if Barcelona lose to Valencia, then Los Blancos will need just a solitary point against Cadiz to put them in an insurmountable position, 15 points clear of Barcelona. Although Xavi's squad could still finish on the same number of points as Madrid, they would lose the title based on their head-to-head record in the league, following 3-2 and 2-1 defeats to their rivals this season.
Should neither side blink, though, then Madrid would wrap the league title up by collecting seven points in their remaining games, meaning that they could be crowned champions on May 12th if they win their games against Sociedad, Cadiz, and Grenada. Even Barcelona were to win every game up until that point, they would not be able to make up the 11-point gap in the three remaining games.
Ancelotti Confident of Madrid's 36th La Liga Title
Would only be Italian's second league title with Madrid
Ahead of Madrid's trip to Sociedad, Ancelotti spoke confidently about his team's chances of winning the league following an important result against their closest challengers in the game prior. However, the Italian mastermind insisted that he was squarely focusing on fighting for every point until his team were out of sight.
Until we are mathematically certain to win the title, we have to keep fighting. We have to keep up our positive run in order to prepare well for the upcoming games and the Champions League too. There is only one way to win them, and that is by competing hard and giving it our all. Winning is the best feeling in the world and we'll have to fight and try to win tomorrow's game."
Should he seal the league, Ancelotti will lift what is only his second league title with Los Blancos, etching his name further into Real Madrid folklore. And if he coaches his side to the 2023/24 Champions League too, then his status as a club legend will be unquestionable in the eyes of the supporters.
2024-04-27T00:15:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd