After conceding their La Liga title to their arch rivals last year, Real Madrid are now on the cusp of reclaiming La Liga glory with a commanding lead from their closest adversaries, Girona.
With a 13-point lead at the time of writing, Real Madrid have yet to mathematically clinch the title, but it’ll take such a bizarre series of events for Girona or Barcelona to take the title off of Los Blancos.
Their recent El Clasico win was basically the icing on the cake for Carlo Ancelotti and his squad. That win didn’t just add three more points to their lead in the title race; it also gave Los Blancos the greatest morale boost for the men in white and gold to finish the season as champions.
Not to mention their recent 0-1 win over Real Sociedad at Anoeta gives them ample breathing room as they shift their focus to Bayern Munich for their Champions League semifinal clash.
The La Liga 2024 betting odds already suggest that Real Madrid will be crowned the kings of Spanish football this season, and based on their recent performances, it’s only fair to assume their glory is already sealed.
Atletico got some breathing room
The final top-four spot in La Liga was getting intense. Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are in a tussle to snag the last Champions League spot when the season is done and dusted. It was absolute cinema, as both teams had the opportunity to lay down the law when they faced each other at Citivas Metropolitano yesterday.
The outfit that will take all three points will have a sizable advantage in the final-four race, and Atletico Madrid showed just why they are the rightful tenants of the fourth spot on the league table.
Diego Simeone’s Atleti were mighty accurate when they welcomed Bilbao to Citivas. Even though Bilbao controlled the pace, passing, and possession, it was Alteti’s marksmen who got the last laugh.
Rodrigo De Paul started things off in minute 15 with an absolute stunner from just outside the box to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
Atleti got too lax with the ball in the dying minutes of the first half, basically giving Bilbao the ball on a silver platter, which was then immediately pushed forward by Bilbao, ending in a Nico Williams leveller right before halftime.
Angel Correa got the lead back for the home club just seven minutes into the second half, which was enough to keep Atleti in the lead until Bilbao’s Unai Simon put the nail on the coffin for his own team with an unfortunate own goal.
With a 3-1 victory, Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid was awarded some breathing room in the standings. Now with a more comfortable six-point lead from the trailing Bilbao, the top four teams in La Liga can already rest on their laurels, at least for another matchweek or two.
Real Betis inching towards Europe
Real Betis have been a European staple since the 2020 campaign, featuring in the Europa League as one of the Spanish representatives. However, their streak of European contention is in jeopardy as they still trail sixth-seeded Real Sociedad in the La Liga standings.
Luckily for Betis and their fans, Sociedad fumbled a convincing attempt against Real Madrid, failing to garner points in the latest La Liga matchweek.
Their failure to secure points has opened the door to Real Betis, who recently shared points with Sevilla after a 1-1 draw at Benito Villamarin. With another point to their tally, Betis are now just two points behind Europa Conference League placeholders Sociedad.
The race for the last European spot might be decided with a head-to-head winner-take-all match between Real Sociedad and Real Betis on Matchday 37.
Relegation battle goes down to the wire
Thanks to their recent 1-1 draw against Mallorca, Cadiz are still very capable of emerging out of the relegation zone once it’s all said and done.
Boasting just 26 points thus far, Mauricio Pellegrino and his squad are only five points away from levelling with 17th-placed Celta Vigo, who just lost a crucial match against Alaves at Mendizorroza (3-0).
Garnering winning La Liga 2024 results at this part of the season is critical, especially for the teams in the upper echelon, and more so for clubs like Cadiz, Celta Vigo, and Mallorca, who are fighting for their lives to stay in the top flight next season.
After their humbling defeat, Celta Vigo now have their backs against the wall as they face a tough five-game slate to end the season. They are scheduled to face outfits like Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, and Villarreal, all tough matchups for any club in La Liga.
The title race may already be a textbook finish, but the skirmishes down at the relegation zone are cutthroat and captivating enough for SBOTOP football fans to keep an eye on.
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