adminOn Wednesday night Atletico Madrid’s historic city rivals and fellow contenders for the league title drew away at Real Valladolid, virtually waving goodbye to their chances of winning La Liga.An 85th minute goal saw Real Madrid slip four points behind Atletico at the top of the table with just two matches left and afterwards Xabi Alonso admitted that it was “practically over.” It was bad news for Atletico Madrid.
Yes, bad. Well, sort of. It has been that kind of season.
The kind of season in which we now know that two points in four games will guarantee the title for Atletico; three points in four games, on the other hand, will not.
Just four days previously, Barcelona had given up on the league after a late, late equaliser had condemned them to a draw against Getafe. “We have gone as far as we can and that’s to here,” coach Tata Martino had said. Xavi Hernandez talked about “wiping the slate clean and starting from scratch” next season. Andres Iniesta admitted: “it will take a miracle now … and I don’t believe in miracles.”Now, suddenly and unexpectedly, their fate is in their own hands: win their last two games and they will be champions. The catch is that the second of those games will be against Atletico.
And that is why Real Madrid dropping out of the title race was, at least according to one theory, bad news for Atletico. They got rid of one rival, only to encounter another and this time a rival whose fate, unlike Madrid’s, is in their own hands. A rival that they must still face.
Atletico had hoped to go into the final game against a Barcelona side with nothing to play for (assuming Madrid were winning 500 kilometres away against Espanyol) and facing a choice: Real Madrid champions or Atletico Madrid champions. According to the theory, the outcome would be obvious: Atletico Madrid would be champions for the first time since 1996.
Instead, Barcelona will probably go into the final game with another, unexpected option: Barcelona champions. After a season that most considered a disaster, in which all the focus has been the future — as if they wanted to forget the past as quickly as possible, only to suddenly realise that it was still the present — they actually could take the title. A miracle, as Iniesta put it. On Wednesday, Barcelona had held a barbeque at the club’s training ground. It felt like a sad end of season occasion; now, suddenly, the season is back.
“It was unthinkable that we would have a chance,” Pedro admitted. “Now it would be unforgivable not to take it.”
Four days have turned everything on its head. For the first time in over a year, all three sides failed to win on the same weekend:
Barcelona drew, Atletico lost (at Levante), and Madrid drew (with Valencia). Then three days after that, Madrid played their game in hand at Valladolid and drew again.
“We have to make the most of this moment,” Lionel Messi said. Two wins, against Elche and Atletico, will guarantee Barcelona the title. Dani Alves added: “If we don’t win in Elche we don’t deserve to win the league.” Similar things have been said before, but here they are.
“We’re going to go for it,” Alves said.
With two games to go, Atletico Madrid have 88 points. Barcelona have 85 and Real Madrid have 84. Atletico and Barcelona have their fate in their own hands; Real Madrid do not.
If teams finish level in Spain, it comes down to head-to-head records between them, not goal difference as in other countries. If it’s level between Atletico and Madrid, Atletico win the league; if it’s level between Barcelona and Madrid, Barcelona win the league; and if it’s level between Barcelona and Atletico, Barcelona win the league. — Soccernet
Online Reporter