Battle for Europe coming to the boil for the final stretch of the season

If there is one thing La Liga cannot be accused of this season, it is lacking competitiveness. While Barcelona hold a large lead at the top of the table, below them is a veritable mess of sides looking both up and down in many cases.

The relegation race is tightest, with just six points between 19th place and 11th, it is anybody’s guess who may end up going down. Indeed, no doubt plenty are having their say on online betting apps.

Above Real Mallorca in 11th, everybody else is in the European race. Real Sociedad and Real Betis will be confident of securing some form of European football, as they battle it out for fourth place on 48 points and 45 points respectively. Villarreal are some distance off, with 41 points in sixth, but the dream isn’t dead just yet for the Yellow Submarine.

Below, them all four teams will fancy their chances of making Europe. Athletic Club currently hold 7th position (36 points), which will be a Conference League place if Real Madrid or Barcelona win the Copa del Rey. Both the Basque side and Osasuna (9th, 34 points) have two shots at European football as they face off in the other Copa del Rey semi-final.

Meanwhile Rayo Vallecano (8th, 36 points) are perhaps the least in form of all of the top 10, but have the prospect of delivering an incredible achievement in what is likely to be manager Andoni Iraola’s final season. Isi Palazon continues to go from strength-to-strength, and should Raul de Tomas find his form, then Los Franjirrojos will be back in the mix for that seventh spot.

The lowest in the top half, Celta Vigo (10th, 34 points), should theoretically be the outsiders for the final European spot, yet based on form, should be favourites. Only Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have garnered more points from 2023 than Carlos Carvalhal’s side, as the Portuguese continues his revolution in Galicia.

They have something the others do not too; reliable goalscorers. Iago Aspas and Gabri Veiga have clicked as a partnership, now with 21 goals between them this season. They could catapult Os Celeste forward.

Athletic are no doubt the biggest and most favoured side of all, but with the Copa del Rey as a distraction, and their consistent goalscoring issues, Ernesto Valverde has a tricky task to ensure Los Leones do play in Europe for the first time since he left the club in 2017.

All in all, it’s a messy battlefield in the top half of La Liga, with no side assuaging the doubts about them below the top three. it promises to be a fascinating final third of the season.

Tags Athletic Club Celta Vigo Osasuna Rayo Vallecano Real Betis Real Mallorca Real Sociedad Villarreal
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