With Real Madrid sitting out the upcoming round of La Liga fixtures, Barcelona, Valencia, and Atlético Madrid are seeking to take advantage and extend their lead over Real.
BARCELONA: Real Madrid’s Club World Cup commitments mean Barcelona, Valencia, and Atlético Madrid have a huge chance to put even more distance between themselves and the European champions this weekend.
Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad face off at San Mamés, while newly promoted Girona and Getafe have the chance to move into the top six.
If they dispose of Deportivo la Coruña at the Camp Nou on Sunday, Barça will take a commanding 11-point lead over Real.
Next weekend, Barça travel to the Santiago Bernabéu as the Catalans and Real Madrid end their year with El Clásico.
Even with a game in hand to come, Madrid have never overcome such a deficit to win the league, and to remain in the title race, would realistically need to inflict Barça’s first defeat since they last visited the Bernabéu back in August to win the Spanish Super Cup.
Further aiding Barca’s bid to regain the title is Luis Suárez’s return to form after a poor start to the season.
Suárez struggled for both form and fitness after rushing back from a knee injury suffered as Barça fell to Madrid in the Super Cup.
However, the Uruguayan has scored in his last two outings against Celta Vigo and Villarreal, with the latter strike in particular displaying the touch and speed of movement of Suárez at his best.
Deportivo also tend to bring the best out of the former Liverpool striker, as he has netted six times in his last three meetings against the Galicians.
Athletic and Sociedad are both in need of some festive cheer in the midst of hugely disappointing campaigns so far only propped up by progress to the last 32 of the Europa League.
Both sides have just two league wins each since mid-September and were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by third-tier opposition in Formentera and Lleida Esportiu.
However, with just six points separating sixth from 17th in the table, European ambitions for next season are still a realistic goal for the Basque teams if squads boasting the talents of Spanish internationals Kepa Arrizabalaga, Iñaki Williams, Aritz Aduriz, Asier Illarramendi and Álvaro Odriozola start playing to their potential.
With Girona hosting Getafe before Villarreal’s trip to Celta Vigo on Sunday, a win for either side will take them into the top six for a few hours at least despite having two of the five smallest budgets in the division.
“Money isn’t everything, with humility Girona are competing very well,” said Girona boss Pablo Machín after Monday’s 1-0 win at Espanyol.
In their first ever season in the top flight, Girona’s tiny budget on paper is aided by Manchester City’s part ownership of the Catalans with five players on loan from the Premier League leaders.
After bouncing straight back after relegation, Getafe have learned from mistakes made during their 12-year stay in La Liga between 2004 and 2016, with crowds up at the Coliseum Alfonso Peréz, and José Bordalás building a side that caused even Barça and Madrid problems. Getafe also inflicted Valencia’s only defeat of the season.
Should they end 2017 strongly, Atlético could be very much in the title race come the new year, with nearly 100 million euros (RM482 million) of talent in Diego Costa and Vitolo, who are finally freed up to play from January.
Victory over Alavés in their final home game of the year on Saturday will see Diego Simeone’s men sleep just three points off the top and open up a five-point lead over city rivals Real.
However, despite still languishing in the relegation zone, Alavés pose a more potent threat with Abelardo Fernández in charge. Fernández has garnered two wins from two matches since being named the Basques’ third coach of the season.
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Sumber Barça, Valencia, Atlético aiming to strengthen La Liga position
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