When they play their local rivals Espanyol on Sunday night, runaway leaders Barcelona will have the opportunity to win their 27th LaLiga championship with four games remaining.
Barcelona would have an unbeatable lead over Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid with four games remaining if they win at RCDE Stadium.
After defeating Osasuna 1-0 last week, the league leaders increased their lead to 82 points. They are now 14 points ahead of Real Madrid, their fiercest rivals, who fell to third after losing to Real Sociedad by a score of 2-0. Atletico Madrid is in second place, 13 points behind the leaders.
If Atletico Madrid loses and Real Madrid loses, Barcelona might potentially seal the championship before the match even starts.
If Getafe wins on Saturday, Real Madrid’s limited prospects of advancing would be over. After the 1-1 draw at Santiago Bernabeu, they will likely rest a number of important players as they prepare for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City on Wednesday.
On Sunday, bottom-dwelling Elche, who were demoted to the second level, will face Atletico Madrid. With only two La Liga losses since the World Cup break and 14 victories in their past 19 league games, Diego Simeone’s team is in excellent form.
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have won the La Liga championship in the previous three years, with Barcelona’s last title coming in 2018–19.
Barcelona struggled on and off the field after a successful period from 2005 to 19 in which they won four Champions League and ten La Liga championships. The COVID-19 pandemic made matters worse for them financially.
They were unable to retain the services of club legend Lionel Messi, who left on a free transfer to join Paris St. Germain in 2021, but their fortunes have since turned around with the appointment of ex-Spanish and Barcelona player Xavi Hernandez as manager in November 2021.
With young stars Pedri and Gavi in midfield and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski in attack, he has assembled a squad that boasts a rock-solid defense captained by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.