LaLiga
Real Madrid 19-6 Barcelona
Over the past two months, Barcelona’s mid-season slump has allowed Real Madrid to surge to the top of the LaLiga table.
Since mid-November, there has been a dramatic power shift in the race for the LaLiga championship: where once Barcelona were leading the charge for the title, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are now the frontrunners.
Real Madrid go top with Las Palmas win
After beating Las Palmas on Sunday, Madrid have established themselves as the new leaders of the Spanish top flight. It’s the first time this season that Carlo Ancelotti’s men have topped the table without title rivals having games in hand. (Madrid also spent a period in first place earlier this month, but at that point had played one match more than city rivals Atlético).
Barcelona let healthy LaLiga lead slip
Yet just eight games ago, before matchday 13 on the weekend of November 9/10, Barça were six points clear of Madrid and 10 ahead of Atlético.
Since losing to Real Sociedad, however, the Catalans have been in free fall in LaLiga. Hansi Flick’s men have picked up just six points in their last eight league games - a run that has brought just the one win, against Real Mallorca on December 3, and four defeats. The mid-season slump has led Barça to drop from first to their current position of third. If Villarreal or Mallorca win today, the Blaugrana will be closer to the Europa League places than top spot.
Both Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have taken advantage of Barça’s poor sequence of LaLiga form. Over the last eight matchdays, Madrid have racked up 19 LaLiga points - six wins, a draw and a defeat - to turn a six-point deficit into a seven-point lead over their arch rivals.
Atlético, meanwhile, are now five points ahead of Flick’s men, thanks to a 21-point haul (seven wins and a defeat). What’s more, Barça are now level on points with Athletic Club, having been 14 points ahead of the Basques eight games ago.
Barça on relegation form right now
If the LaLiga table only took into account the last eight matchdays of the season, Barça would be in the relegation zone. They have accrued the joint-second-lowest number of points in that period, along with Real Betis. Only Osasuna, who have managed five points, have performed worse.
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