Barcelona: Real Madrid's victory over Espanyol has set the stage for a potential historic moment in La Liga, as Barcelona could seal the championship in the upcoming El Clasico. Barca, needing only a draw at the Nou Camp against their long-standing rivals, are on the brink of securing the title.
According to Ghana Web, Real Madrid's recent triumph over Espanyol ensured that Barcelona must wait a little longer for the La Liga title, which they could clinch during the highly anticipated El Clasico next Sunday. Vinicius Jr was instrumental in Madrid's win, scoring two second-half goals at the RCDE Stadium. His first goal came after a one-two with Goncalo Garcia, and he added another following a backheeled pass from Jude Bellingham. Earlier in the match, Vinicius had a close call when his deflected strike hit the post, and Omar El Hilali's red card for fouling him was overturned by VAR.
The possibility of making history looms large, as the La Liga title has never been decided in an El Clasico in its 97-year history. Real Madrid's victory over Espanyol allowed them to avoid the scenario of having to give Barcelona a guard of honor as champions before the match. Currently, Barca maintains an 11-point lead over Real and could potentially break the record for the largest title-winning margin, which is 15 points, set during their 2012-13 triumph. Winning their remaining four games would see them finish with a record-equalling 100 points, a feat previously achieved by Real in 2011-12 and by Barca in 2012-13. Additionally, they would set a new record for La Liga wins, having drawn only once this season.
For Real Madrid, the stakes are different as they face the prospect of finishing a season without a trophy for only the second time since 2009-10, having last experienced such a season in 2020-21.