Barcelona can confirm its dominance of Spanish football by claiming its third straight league title this week.
Second place Real Madrid needs to beat Getafe at Santiago Bernabeu stadium today to keep the title race going until at least the following day, when Barcelona can lift its 21st crown with a draw at Levante.
“Madrid will win,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. “I won’t rest anyone (at Levante) because we still haven’t won anything yet, even though (the league) title is very close.”
Barcelona has fond memories of the Ciutat de Valencia ground. In 2005, a Barcelona side then managed by Frank Rijkaard drew 1-1 to seal its first league title in five years and launch a run of successes that has included two Champions League trophies.
In a season dominated by the two Spanish giants, a league title would tilt the balance in Barcelona’s favour. The Catalan side eliminated Madrid from the Champions League semifinals last week after losing the Copa del Rey to its historic rivals.
It would be Barcelona’s fifth title in seven years and the first time it has collected three straight since the “Dream Team” coached by Johan Cruyff won four in a row in the early 1990’s.
“Even though some people talked about the end of an era, we have shown we are a winning team,” said Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets. “We will have to wait and see if this team is better or worse than the Dream Team, although it is true that the trophies we are winning speak for themselves.”
Wrapping up the domestic competition early would also give Barcelona extra time to prepare for the Champions League final against Manchester United on 28 May.
“For the first time the league is very close,” said Guardiola. “I want to win it as soon as we can.”
Madrid comes off a 6-2 thrashing of Sevilla led by Cristiano Ronaldo’s four goals. While the league looks sure to slip his grasp, the Portuguese forward is within five goals of matching Hugo Sanchez’s league record of 38 goals that has stood since the 1989-90 season.
“(The record) is possible,” said Ronaldo. “It is within reach, but I am not thinking about that. I only want to help the team. We want to win the three games left in the season.”
Villarreal can ensure a fourth-place finish and a spot in the Champions League along with Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia if it beats the already relegated Almeria tomorrow.
With three games left to play, a number of sides are in danger of finishing in the bottom three of the 20-team league and being relegated.
Hercules faces a must-win game against Mallorca tomorrow if it wants a shot at not joining Almeria in the second division next season.
Hercules is six points behind 18th-place Deportivo La Coruna, which hosts Athletic Bilbao.
“We are going to keep firing until we are out of bullets,” Hercules coach Miroslav Djukic said. “We have the professional obligation to keep fighting until the end.”
Zaragoza, which is level on 39 points with Deportivo, visit Real Sociedad.
Also in round 36, it’s: Malaga vs. Sporting Gijon, Racing Santander vs. Atletico Madrid, Espanyol vs. Valencia, and Osasuna vs. Sevilla.