The Real Madrid is 20 Points Away from Being Champion
Awaiting the Atlético Madrid-Barcelona clash, Real Madrid eyes the championship title with a 20-point lead already, not relying on other results, although it might suffice with fewer points depending on their pursuers' performances.
Their unassailable path to the top marks their final nine tests. Five are at the Santiago Bernabéu, against Athletic Club, Barcelona, Cádiz, Alavés, and Betis. Four are away, facing Mallorca, Real Sociedad, Granada, and Villarreal. They have 72 points. If they reach 92, they will be unreachable, even if Barcelona and/or Girona win all their matches.
The White Team has only lost one of their last 34 official matches, navigating through the visit to El Sadar with the authority of four goals. Vinicius's 0-1 goal, exploiting Catena's confusion as the last man to score in the 3rd minute, wasn't enough as Ante Budimir quickly equalized (1-1, min. 7). However, later on, Dani Carvajal made the difference inside the box, Brahim Díaz scored the 1-3, and Vinicius netted again for the 1-4.
The match, already decided, ended 2-4, with Iker Muñoz's final goal in the 91st minute not altering the triumph of the White Club, the most successful team (22 victories), with the fewest defeats (only one), the most goals scored (64), and the fewest conceded (20) after 29 matchdays. They have been leaders in 20 of them, the last eleven consecutively. Vinicius will miss the next Real Madrid match due to accumulation of five yellow cards.
Girona's fourth consecutive defeat as visitors
Without Miguel Gutiérrez, injured in the warm-up at the Coliseum, and lacking accuracy in their chances, Girona slows down. They are already ten points behind Real Madrid, while their second position is subject to what Barcelona can achieve against Atlético Madrid on Sunday, after losing 1-0 against Getafe with Yellu Santiago's goal.
Bordalás's plan, the goal from Valencia's young academy player, 19-year-old, and David Soria's saves, overcame Míchel's block, which falters away from Montilivi: it is their fourth consecutive defeat away. They have only won one of their last seven away matches. They still have to play against Betis, Cádiz, Barcelona, Villarreal, and Granada at home, and against Atlético Madrid, Las Palmas, Alavés, and Valencia away from home.
Barcelona is lurking, just one point behind them, but eleven points behind Real Madrid now, albeit with one game in hand. Their performance this Sunday at the Metropolitano determines everything for the Blaugrana, if they want to feel like more than just contenders for next season's Champions League spot.
From 0-1 to 1-0 in 40 seconds at San Mamés
There is also pressure on Atlético, which has been overtaken by Athletic Club in fourth place, with one more game played, due to Saturday's victory against Alavés at San Mamés, when the game changed in an instant; from the penalty in favor of the visitors, stopped by Unai Simón from Luis Rioja, to Gorka Guruzeta's 1-0 took only 40 seconds.
From one end to the other. From minute 30 and 26 seconds to minute 31 and 6 seconds. Five minutes later, the lead grew to 2-0, also by Guruzeta and with the suspense of VAR. He has already scored fifteen goals in all competitions this season.
Raillo further complicates matters for Medina and Granada
Relegation is becoming an increasingly visible reality for Granada. They are now ten points away from safety, with 27 left to play. Not only that, but Saturday's defeat to Mallorca extended their negative streak. They have only won one of their last 25 league matches, and none of the last nine.
Their coach, Alexander Medina, is in danger, especially with the international break approaching. "I have enough strength to continue," the coach warned in the post-match press conference.
The Andalusian team resisted for 85 minutes against the Balearic side thanks to their goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, until Antonio Raillo, the home team's captain, struck with the definitive 1-0. His winning header rounds off a very good day for their survival hopes. With Cádiz defeated on Friday, they now have an eight-point margin in their quest to stay in the top flight, as they await the Copa del Rey final on April 6 against Athletic in Seville.
