A three-team title race is a rarity in top-level football, and in still more so in Spain, where the inequality in finances tends to rule out all other contenders outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona. However going into the Madrid derby, just a point separates Los Blancos from Atletico Madrid, setting up a thrilling encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Even across La Liga, just 13 points separate 4th from 12th, and below that none of the 7 teams between 13th and 19th will feel particularly good about their position, with just six points between Celta Vigo and Valencia. The close and competitive nature of La Liga this season is making it especially entertaining to watch – click now to get tickets to some the year’s biggest and most tense games.
Returning to the title race, Atletico fans will be encouraged by the fact that the only occasion they were firmly in the title race at this stage of the season over the past few years, they won it all in 2020-21. Then it was Luis Suarez who was firing them to glory, and now they have another reliable source of goals in Julian Alvarez, brought from Manchester City at great expense. Just as promising is their defence: Los Colchoneros have by far the most reliable backline, having conceded only 14 times in 22 games, well clear of Los Blancos or the Blaugrana.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti consistently remarks that defending well will bring them titles, operating on the assumption that ‘goals will never be a problem’ for the reigning champions. However they have been hampered by consistent injuries in the backline, robbing them of the consistency they want.
That said, Real Madrid have impressed very few this season, and are still top of the table. Logic dictates that if they can fix just a few of their issues, the attacking firepower, led by Kylian Mbappe, should be able to blast them past the competition. This season has seen Ancelotti dealing with one problem after another though.
And then there is Barcelona. At times, they have played the best football in the division, and their performances against Real Madrid have probably been the most impressive in Spain all season. They also have by far the best attack this season, clearing Real Madrid by 10 goals.
By all accounts, they have surpassed early season expectations, but their consistenty in La Liga has become a major problem over the last few months. Hansi Flick’s struggles to work out deeper-lying defences has become evident, and with the weakest defence of the three contenders, they have been required to score at least twice in most of their games of late.
However it plays out, it’s deliciously poised for the second half of the season, with all three sides juggling Champions League and Copa del Rey commitments too.