Calendar: a hard sprint for Madrid and an athletic break ball

Atlético de Madrid, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The title of this 20-21 will be settled between the current leader, the dominator of the previous decade and the current current champion. Three teams with three radically different styles and in different situations that, in addition, have pending confrontations with each other.

The rojiblancos and the whites are without a Cup, where Barcelona will try to extend their lives. In turn, Zidane's men are the best placed to continue in Europe while Atlético and Barcelona have to come back in their qualifying rounds. The rojiblancos have an arduous task while the Blaugranas will need, once again, a miracle against Paris Saint-Germain. Thus, the league calendars have been defined. Atlético still have a 'break ball' in their pocket, Zidane's men will have to have good legs until the end and Barcelona could have more games than anyone else … or less. It will depend on them.

Atlético de Madrid: one ball ahead (Leader, 58 points)

The still leader of the competition maintains one more break ball on the calendar than his more direct rivals in the middle of April. On the 25th, the rojiblancos will have to visit San Mamés to face an Athletic that has improved since the arrival of Marcelino (they have not lost since January) but that seems doomed to the middle of the table, given the nine points that it has difference with sixth.

March will define the rojiblanca season in two games: on the 7th against Real Madrid (4:15 p.m.), where they could leave behind a direct rival with a victory Y on March 17, for which they are already preparing for the feat at Stamford Bridge in an attempt to storm the Champions quarterfinals. If they pass (they need to overcome the 0-1 of the first leg), Simeone's men will have an intense April with the Champions quarterfinals (first leg, 6-7 and return 13-14) as well as encounters against rivals that fight for Europe such as Seville and Betis, both away from home. The month will end up hosting Huesca at the Metropolitano, the postponed against Athletic and playing against Eibar at home. If Atlético passed the quarterfinals, they would have to play the first leg of the semifinals on 27-28, thus postponing the match against the gunsmiths.

May, of course, will be final. In red, an appointment, matchday 35 in which he will face Barcelona at the Camp Nou. If they get three points there, it could be a definitive blow to the title. Before, they would have a theoretical semifinal round. Finally, three demanding commitments: against Real, who will play their place in Europe, against Osasuna, who could already arrive saved and against Valladolid, who also fight for permanence.

Barcelona: the Cup loads the calendar (2nd, 53 points)

FC Barcelona is the one that arrives with the most loaded theoretical calendar although its Champions League looks quite complicated after the defeat suffered in the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain. He is the only one of the three, yes, that holds in the Copa del Rey. This week began a March with two laps against Sevilla (3-3, 9:00 p.m.) and against PSG (10-3, 9:00 p.m.), having through a confrontation with Osasuna. The month will end against Huesca at home and against Real Sociedad in Anoeta, a stadium that does not bring the best memories to the Catalans.

On what they do in the Champions League and in the Cup, two qualifying rounds to which they arrive losing by several goals in the first leg, the load of the April calendar will depend with theoretical quarter-finals and even semi-finals of the Champions League and the Cup final on April 17. In League, one date stands out above the others, April 11. That day they will face Real Madrid in a key game for the title with Atlético attentive to the result. In addition, he will have to start the month against a Valladolid that plays everything, an always tough Getafe and two contenders for Europe: Granada and Villarreal.

May will start against Valencia at Mestalla and The most important date will be the 9th, when LaLiga can be decided in the Camp Nou match against Atlético. To finish, two theoretically more affordable rivals that could have their objectives met (Levante and Celta) and another that today could arrive with the need to add to avoid relegation on the last day (Eibar).

Real Madrid: high finish (3rd, 52 points)

Zinedine Zidane's men start today six points away in the absence of what they do against Real Sociedad. With the meeting of this Monday ends February and they will reach the derby, where a victory could LaLiga red hot. If they win, each match will be a virtual battle without losing sight of a Champions League in which they arrive with a good first leg result (0-1) in Bergamo and which they will have to solve on March 16 at home. Before, and after the derby, Elche. Then, Celtic. In the middle of some theoretical quarterfinals will catch the match against Barcelona at home (11-4) the other marked in red to try to revalidate the title. April is presented with rivals that have been improving such as Betis and two 'visits to the dentist' against the walls of Getafe and Cádiz.

With some theoretical Champions semi-finals to finish (first leg, April 27-28, second leg, May 4-5), in May, Real Madrid will have the toughest final sprint of the three candidates: Osasuna, Sevilla, Granada, Athletic and Villarreal. A sprint, of course, which must be reached without breaking down before in this long race for LaLiga.

The three, after one takes the title, are still opting to play the final of the Champions League, which will be played on May 29 at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul.