This weekend will have been particularly tough for fans of Spanish football. If Villarreal’s snatch victory against Real Sociedad (3-2) thanks to the prodigy Alberto Moleiro left its mark and provided a spectacle, it is logically about the new poor performance of Real Madrid in Catalan lands that we are talking about, with this 1-1 against Girona. A bad result for the Merengues who put everything back at the top of the Spanish championship rankings.
Indeed, FC Barcelona, ​​on the strength of its 3-1 success at home against Alavés, took possession of the leadership chair. And the teams at the top of the table are held by only three points, since the Catalans have one point ahead of their runner-up Merengue, two over the surprising guest Villarreal and three over Atlético de Madrid, who complete this very tight top 4. It’s difficult to choose a real favorite to go all the way…
Difficult to choose a favorite
For some, it’s still a title fight on the downside, in the sense that none of its four teams are really impressive. More than the best, it is therefore perhaps the least bad who will win… It must be said that FC Barcelona, ​​which will therefore try the back-to-back, is in the process of recovering its offensive qualities and its bite up front, especially after the returns of Lewandowski and Raphinha… but its defense is scary, let’s not be afraid of the terms. But we know, in football, you just have to score more than your opponent to win and score, Barça knows how to do it, being by far the best attack in the championship with 39 goals, or 10 more than Real Madrid and Villarreal, co-second best attacks.
On the Real Madrid side, the scenario is much less rosy. Everything has been more or less said about Xabi Alonso’s problems, and unlike Barça who can compensate for problems in defense with a potentially very effective attack, Xabi Alonso’s team has none of that. The Merengues have squandered the lead they had over their enemies Barcelona and their neighbors Colchoneros and are on a particularly negative dynamic, which it seems difficult to reverse without a drastic decision concerning a coach who was let go by his players…
A surprise this season?
In this context where the two ogres of Iberian football are not at their best, we can imagine a surprise scenario. Villarreal thrives, and Marcelino’s team has a particularly high quality team, with several players who are references in La Liga on each line. However, it still seems difficult to imagine Marcelino’s men following this frantic pace, but who knows… Especially since they should quickly leave the Champions League and find themselves with a fairly light schedule compared to the others. If there is one team that clearly has a card to play, it is AtlĂ©tico de Madrid, also the fittest team among these four, by a long way. After a very sluggish start to the season on an accounting level, the Cholo troops are progressing and have not lost since August in the championship.
The Argentine coach can rely on an oiled team and individuals who thrive, and a strong squad which has little to envy of that of his two main opponents in the end. The arrival of the Apollo fund in the group’s capital could even promise some significant reinforcements this winter to try to win everything this season. Whatever happens, these next few months promise to be particularly lively, and it will begin with an already decisive clash between FC Barcelona and AtlĂ©tico de Madrid this Tuesday…
