COVID-19 has paralysed European football and put the game on hold as the world focuses on fight a common enemy which is the virus. In the midst of the hiatus, this season Spanish top division has been filled with several twists and turns particularly at the upper end of the table. This season has seen one of the tightest title races in recent years, with Barcelona on 58 points and Real Madrid just behind them on 56. It feels like neither of the top two sides are ready for take the leadership position and push through which leaves several unanswered questions up in the air as clubs, players and fans await the return to action.
It is a neck-and-neck race between the two rivals at the very top, there are still some bleak statistics that cannot be ignored. Could it be the strong competition in the league or the top sides have dropped a level? The current leader of LaLiga has just 58 points out of a possible 81 points. While Madrid have dropped 25 points from 27 games, Barça are not far behind them with 25 points lost. Atlético Madrid find themselves way of the pace of the leaders this season. Diego Simeone’s side sit in sixth place with 45 points and at this stage are now focused on securing Champions League football for next season, something which is far from a guarantee. But there has been a surprise this season, it shouldn’t be seen as one considering what they achieved last season. Getafe might be a surprise team for many who don’t follow the league with José Bordalás’ men currently fifth on the log and are well in the running for a top-four spot while facing a last-16 Europa league tie against Inter Milan after beating Ajax last month. The other big revelation has been fourth-placed Real Sociedad, who have already booked their place in the Copa del Rey final against Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao.
Let’s take a look at the top six sides and what is left of their season.
Barcelona. New appointed coach Quique Setien is still in the middle of finding the right formation, system and balance for his team. Thanks to Real Madrid’s faltering run since the turn of the year, Barça returned to the top despite losing the clasico in the penultimate game before the league was stopped. This break should give the former Real Betis coach the opportunity to use available data in finding the right solution for his team.
Real Madrid. How do you go from beating Barcelona to losing at Real Betis? No disrespect to the Andalusian club but they have been one of the most unpredictable teams in the division with a poor defense but they managed to stop Real Madrid from playing and rather imposed their style on the visitors. Zidane’s team looked out of sorts at Benito Villamarin, the French coach will probably be happy with the suspension as he tries to redirect his team’s focus.
Sevilla. The silent transformation taking place under Julen Lopetegui at Sevilla is one of the reasons several pundits felt Real Madrid were too hasty to get rid of the former Spain coach during his short stint at the Bernabeu. Can they keep up their recent form in their hunt for a Champions League spot? Victories against Getafe and Osasuna and the draw against Atlético at the Wanda has helped Lopetegui’s side to regain momentum in their fight for third place. If Éver Banega can give his best to the team moves at the end of the season, then, the Andalusian club should be back competing in Europe’s premier competition next season.
Real Sociedad. The Basque team have impressed and disappointed different stages of the season till date but their biggest achievement is securing their place in the Copa del Rey final for the first time in 32 years. Imanol Alguacil inscribe his name in the club’s history by beating rivals Athletic Bilbao in the Cup finals and La Real finishing in the top-four. The latter looks quite difficult to achieve when you consider Atletico Madrid are sitting outside the Champions League zone at the moment. If wonderkid Martin Odegaard can regain his stellar form of the first half of the season, La Reale Arena might just be one of the four centers in Spain for Champions League next season.
Getafe. The question on everyone’s lips is whether Getafe can hold on to Jose Bordalás beyond this season. The Spanish coach is proving he is not a one-season wonder – Geta missed out on Champions League football by whiskers last season and many predicted they would struggle to combined European adventure with domestic engagements but we have been proved wrong despite operating on a shoe-string budget. Keeping Bordalás should be top-priority for President Ángel Torres Sánchez if he aims to keep the small Madrid club competitive in the top flight.
Atletico Madrid. With 11 games in LaLiga, Atleti find themselves sixth and in the middle of a fight for a top-four spot. Will Atlético be able to secure a Champions League spot? Los Rojiblancos have never finished outside the top four since Diego Simeone took charge but this season is a different one. The club underwent a massive transformation with several players leaving and the newbies have taken longer time to adapt to his methods. Injuries have blighted Simeone’s team as well but in the midst of it all, Jan Oblak has been impressive. The Slovenian is in the hunt for his fifth consecutive Zamora trophy (an award for the fewest goals conceded over a season) but he faces an uphill battle against Thibaut Courtois.
The above are just a few of the intrigues that would be on display when the league returns. Do we have a return date? La Liga president Javier Tebas has claimed Europe’s top football leagues are eyeing to restart in May and should be able to finish their seasons by June 30. ‘In mid-May we should be able to be back on with all European competitions,’ Tebas told Marca. ‘All of them. Of course, it depends on how the pandemic evolves.