Barça, 79; Atlético, 79; Madrid, 78
First up...Barcelona. Thanks to Luis Suárez they're back on track. The Uruguayan scored four goals (the first one coming after he committed a foul) and provided three assists. He was the heartbeat of an incredible 0-8 win which pulverized Depor. The Catalan side's hunger and ambition to put things right were no match for a Depor side suffering with injuries and with ultimately nothing at stake. The overriding feeling from the game is that Barça have buried the negativity and have kick-started their push for the title where they still hold the advantage. They know they have little margin for error but have just four games ahead.
Next up were Atlético. They, on paper, had the most complicated fixture of the teams at the top with a trip to San Mamés. An away game in Bilbao is never easy for any team but they survived and claimed three points but with a price. Godín is injured and may even miss the Bayern game. A major blow. Maximum points were secured by Cholo's side in a tightly disputed match. In the second half the supporters rallied behind the home side and Atleti were on the ropes but managed to hold out against the onslaught. A Torres goal (who is playing remarkably well and could be an outside option for the Euros) secured the points despite the agony towards the end for Atleti.
Last up were Madrid. This game laced the sparkle of the previous two and was played out in a far from packed Bernabeu. At the time of kick-off, Madrid were aware of the scoreline from Riazor which also detracted form the emotion of the match. They played well, I'd go so far as saying they played functional football with the odd dash of class. Lucas Vázquez took full advantage of Bale's absence and the match official booked Danilo instead of Casemiro (who himself was later booked and should have been sent off) and Cristiano failed to get on the score sheet and worryingly left the pitch with an injury.
