A calendar favorable to Barça

What a few weeks ago looked like a chimera now, after the Clásico, he is a danger to take into account. With permission from Sevilla (who have only won two of their last nine games), the Barcelona becomes the main persecutor of the leader: is approaching twelve points of Madrid with a pending party for the azulgranas and the goal average particular also in the hands of those of Xavi. still an abyss. But Barça, in addition to the meeting has been postponed, faces a more comfortable schedule. Six of the ten games will play at the Camp Nou; The whitesInstead, they only have ahead at the Bernabéu four of his nine appointments. The biggest stumbling block for the Catalans will come precisely on the next day, when they host Sevilla at the Camp Nou (Sunday, April 3, 9:00 p.m.). A duel that can reinforce whoever wins… or put the League downhill for Madrid in the event of a tie. Madrid, which visits Celta in Balaídos that day (Saturday, April 2, 6:30 p.m.), still has to appear at Pizjuán and Wanda. Villamarín and Reale Arena are the most complicated exits that remain for Barça.

The calendar is somehow match in two for the Cup final. A first stretch of four games in which Madrid will only play one game at home, on matchday 31 (April 9-10) against Getafe. Later, two uncomfortable exits: Seville (April 16-17) and Osasuna, on the weekday of April 20. The Barçaafter the duel with the people from Seville, has two duels in a row against teams of Low zone. He will visit bottom team Levante and receive a Cádiz that has never won at the Camp Nou. On the weekend of the Cup final, the Barça will recover the postponed match against Rayo Vallecano in its stadium (Sunday, April 24, 9:00 p.m.).

In the last five days, the two teams will coincide playing at home or away each day. On the weekend of the change of month (April 30-May 1), Madrid will host Espanyol and Barça will host Mallorca. The last four appointments of the championship are condensed in 20 days. The most demanding will be matchday 35 (May 7-8). Madrid will go to Wanda and Barça to the Betis field. On the penultimate day, during the week (May 11), Real Madrid-Levante and Barcelona-Celta. On the penultimate day (May 15), Madrid will pay a visit to Cádiz and Barça to Getafe. Both will close the League against two teams that are fighting for European positions: Betis will go to the Bernabéu (the Verdiblancos, who have scored points in their last four visits to Madrid, will only be guaranteed a place in the Europa League via the Cup if they win the title) and the Villarreal, to the Camp Nou.

The League Judges

Celta, Sevilla, Getafe, Levante, Cádiz and Betis must face both teams. Osasuna, Espanyol and Atlético will only be rivals for Ancelotti’s men. Real Sociedad, Rayo Vallecano, Mallorca and Villarreal will only face Xavi’s men. Athletic, Valencia, Elche, Granada and Alavés have already faced each other.

The difference in ranking

The madridistas advantage came to be 18 points after 18 days. Ancelotti’s men had already played one more game at that time. The distance had grown in the first games of Xavi, who took command of the Barça ship 10 points away. Since the Egarense arrived, Madrid have added two more points (39 to 37), but the Catalans have played one game less. Since the Super Cup (in eight games played by each team), Barça has added 22 points and Madrid, 17.

No team has lost a League having been more than nine points ahead. The biggest comeback, precisely nine points, was made by Barcelona in the 1998-99 season with Mallorca. But that difference was on matchday 14, with 24 ahead. Madrid threw overboard eight points that it had ahead on matchday 26 of 2003-04. Those of Queiroz finished seven points behind the che. Zidane’s Madrid tried in 2015-2016 to overcome twelve points of advantage than Barça had, like now, on matchday 29 of the championship. The whites they were left with honey on their lips: they finished one point behind the azulgranas.