La Liga run-in

two points separate the first 3 teams in Spain.

two more follow just behind.

the table looks like this now.

1 Barcelona 29 56
2 Sevilla 29 55
3 Real Madrid 29 54
4 Zaragoza 29 50
5 Valencia 29 50

games left:

Barcelona: Mallorca (en casa), Villarreal (fuera), Levante (en casa), Real Sociedad (fuera), Betis (en casa), Atlético (fuera), Getafe (en casa), Espanyol (en casa) y Nástic (fuera).

Sevilla: Valencia (fuera), Athletic (en casa), Real Madrid (fuera), Recreativo (en casa), Deportivo (fuera), Zaragoza (en casa), Mallorca (fuera) y Villarreal (en casa).

Madrid: Racing (fuera), Valencia (en casa), Athletic (fuera), Sevilla (en casa), Espanyol, (en casa), Recreativo (fuera), Deportivo (en casa), Zaragoza (fuera) y Mallorca (en casa).

Zaragoza: Nástic (en casa), Celta (en casa), Osasuna (fuera), Racing (en casa), Valencia (fuera), Athletic (en casa), Sevilla (fuera), Real Madrid (en casa) y Recreativo (fuera).

Valencia: Sevilla (en casa), Recreativo (en casa), Deportivo (fuera), Zaragoza (en casa), Mallorca (fuera), Villarreal (en casa), Zaragoza (en casa), Levante (fuera) y Real Sociedad (en casa).

Barcelona does seem to have the easiest schedule with only 2-3 teams from the top half and no direct opponent, but logic dictates quite a few things but not this season's Liga.

I guess we're counting on guaranteed dropped points in all the matches in bold. It means that even in the worst case scenario for us, only one of our contenders can get maximum points.

But of course, we must get the points in our games, which we're not doing.

I think you can take Zaragoza and Valencia out of the equation. With Seville in two other comps, and the most difficult fixtures I can see them dropping many points. So between Barca and Madrid. Barca really should win it, but seem to be a mess this season so I don’t know.

This weekend was the first time I worried a little about Madrid's threat. Because they have a bit of momentum about them now, so that could make it dangerous. Hopefully their matches against Sevilla, Valencia, and Zaragoza bring them firmly back down to earth

It would be the epitome of irony if Madrid still win the league under Capello. I'd laugh my arse off for sure, especially if that makes him stay for a few years longer.

No offence intended Madrid fans though.

I don't know which I would feel more - disappointment or shock. It would be the lowest of lows, that's for sure.

Racing away at the weekend. I think Madrid could be brought back down to earth.

Valencia. Why does the list show Zaragoza at home twice?
I think I would still fancy them for a late charge if they beat Sevilla this weekend. A good chance at the Mestalla.

hala madrid!

blutgraetsche wrote:It would be the epitome of irony if Madrid still win the league under Capello. I'd laugh my arse off for sure, especially if that makes him stay for a few years longer.

No offence intended Madrid fans though.

Believe me, most Madrid fans feel this way. We know that we don't really deserve to win the league because we have been awful all season. But in the end, our opponents have been just as inconsistent as us and we have gotten many good results away from home, including against Barca and Valencia. And remember that for all their "great football", Barca has won the last 2 league titles with no real competition. When we were winning the league, we had to compete with Valencia, Deportivo, Barcelona, and even Real Sociedad in one season.

Torrente wrote:

blutgraetsche wrote:It would be the epitome of irony if Madrid still win the league under Capello. I'd laugh my arse off for sure, especially if that makes him stay for a few years longer.

No offence intended Madrid fans though.

Believe me, most Madrid fans feel this way. We know that we don't really deserve to win the league because we have been awful all season. But in the end, our opponents have been just as inconsistent as us and we have gotten many good results away from home, including against Barca and Valencia. And remember that for all their "great football", Barca has won the last 2 league titles with no real competition. When we were winning the league, we had to compete with Valencia, Deportivo, Barcelona, and even Real Sociedad in one season.

good point.
also some parts of me would hate it if we won by playing so non-madrid type of football. but it would be nice we could get the 4 years of nothing out of the way and make it easier to handle by the board.

Anyone could win it, Madrid have as good a chance as anyone

supermadrid(zizou legend) wrote:

Torrente wrote:

blutgraetsche wrote:It would be the epitome of irony if Madrid still win the league under Capello. I'd laugh my arse off for sure, especially if that makes him stay for a few years longer.

No offence intended Madrid fans though.

Believe me, most Madrid fans feel this way. We know that we don't really deserve to win the league because we have been awful all season. But in the end, our opponents have been just as inconsistent as us and we have gotten many good results away from home, including against Barca and Valencia. And remember that for all their "great football", Barca has won the last 2 league titles with no real competition. When we were winning the league, we had to compete with Valencia, Deportivo, Barcelona, and even Real Sociedad in one season.

good point.
also some parts of me would hate it if we won by playing so non-madrid type of football. but it would be nice we could get the 4 years of nothing out of the way and make it easier to handle by the board.

I have the same feeling, but the fact that our opponents haven't done much better can certainly ease that feeling. For all their "magical football", Barca has really bottled it against the big teams in most games this season. Sevilla has given a new meaning to the word choking and so on.

Also, us going back to normal next year should make us forget our slep-inducing performances this season. I'm pretty confident Capello will get sacked no matter what.

blutgraetsche wrote:It would be the epitome of irony if Madrid still win the league under Capello. I'd laugh my arse off for sure, especially if that makes him stay for a few years longer.

No offence intended Madrid fans though.

Don't worry I will laugh too! Not a good sign for the blaugrana when the worst Real Madrid of the last 10 years can even beat them for the title.

I can see where you are coming from Madrid fans. If you look at it this way, it would be quite funny for you guys as well I guess.

But if you look at this way, yes we have played like shit for most of the season, but if we go on to win the title it will require us to win at least 2 out of 3 against Valencia, Sevilla, and Zaragoza. Let's say we win the two matches at home (Valencia & Sevilla). That would mean that we have beaten Valencia home and away, beaten Barcelona home and drawn away, beaten Sevilla and Zaragoza at home; that is a very good record against the top 4 and we have the best away record by far. We do have some championship credentials even though aesthetically we have been pathetic.

Barça will win it, they have the best calender, imo they will go 5 points ahead again this weekend.

I don't see us losing away to Racing...but the following week, at home against Valencia (no more CL distractions) could be trouble.

And after that you still have to play Sevilla at home and Zaragoza away.

cule wrote:And after that you still have to play Sevilla at home and Zaragoza away.

Sevilla have not been nearly so impressive in the segunda vuelta. And with Capello, I seriously think we can win away to Zaragoza. If we beat Valencia at home (assuming we don't f*ck up this weekend) I might really start to think we have a chance.

I dont see us beating Racing away, Zigic - Cannavaro could be very embarrassing (I'm having visions of Carew - Cannavaro)

i think barca will drop points at villarreal and at atletico. how much i dont know. i think we will get 4 points out of the games with zaragoza,valencia,sevilla. if we get 6 im sure we will win the league but i cant see that happening.

La Saeta Rubia wrote:I dont see us beating Racing away, Zigic - Cannavaro could be very embarrassing (I'm having visions of Carew - Cannavaro)

Perhaps but we do have a good record in Santander. Our last 10 visits:

05/06 Racing 2 Real Madrid 3
04/05 Racing 2 Real Madrid 3
03/04 Racing 1 Real Madrid 1
02/03 Racing 2 Real Madrid 0
00/01 Racing 0 Real Madrid 0
99/00 Racing 1 Real Madrid 1
98/99 Racing 1 Real Madrid 3
97/98 Racing 1 Real Madrid 2
96/97 Racing 2 Real Madrid 2
95/96 Racing 2 Real Madrid 0

Hopefully Munitis will play at the level he did when he played for us!

I am a Barcelona "fan".... But something inside tells me I have to pray Sevilla wins it! Because, it is something new!

Jaime wrote:

La Saeta Rubia wrote:I dont see us beating Racing away, Zigic - Cannavaro could be very embarrassing (I'm having visions of Carew - Cannavaro)

Perhaps but we do have a good record in Santander. Our last 10 visits:

05/06 Racing 2 Real Madrid 3
04/05 Racing 2 Real Madrid 3
03/04 Racing 1 Real Madrid 1
02/03 Racing 2 Real Madrid 0
00/01 Racing 0 Real Madrid 0
99/00 Racing 1 Real Madrid 1
98/99 Racing 1 Real Madrid 3
97/98 Racing 1 Real Madrid 2
96/97 Racing 2 Real Madrid 2
95/96 Racing 2 Real Madrid 0

Hopefully Munitis will play at the level he did when he played for us!

was he really that bad? the only thing i can remember from him was when he got a penalty against lazio.

He used to terrorize us when he played with Racing (before) and then when we signed him he just was very average except for a few memorable moments. Probably in part because he was never playing regularly.

A very interesting game. Very hard to call. Its is even perhaps more interesting than the game from the Mestalla. I can see that being quite a boring affair.

nCfC-CaDiZ wrote:A very interesting game. Very hard to call. Its is even perhaps more interesting than the game from the Mestalla. I can see that being quite a boring affair.

Same here. I think the two teams will be too exhausted both mentally and physically from their European games this week. But like LSR, I'm very interested in seeing the Cannavaro-Zigic battle. Casillas will have to be at his best.

Good fun trying to predict the remaining games:

http://marcawas5.recoletos.es/encuestaliga/Controlador

My predictions gave the following return:

1º Barcelona, con 78 puntos
2º Sevilla, con 77 puntos
3º Valencia, con 75 puntos
4º Real Madrid, con 69 puntos
5º Zaragoza, con 65 puntos

Close run thing!!!

That's funny mine came out like this:

1º Real Madrid, con 81 puntos
2º Barcelona, con 78 puntos
3º Sevilla, con 69 puntos
4º Valencia, con 67 puntos
5º Zaragoza, con 65 puntos

RM to take all points remaining!!!