La Liga: Barcelona Challenges Atlético… Real Madrid, the Continental Champion, Faces Sevilla

According to Reuters, Atlético Madrid, under coach Diego Simeone, is currently one of the most in-form teams in Europe, with 11 consecutive wins across all competitions. The team has been thriving thanks to the brilliance of Antoine Griezmann, Julián Álvarez, and Rodrigo de Paul.

While Atlético has won all its matches since late October, league leaders Barcelona have stumbled in recent weeks, delivering a series of poor performances that eroded their comfortable nine-point lead over Atlético.

Barcelona suffered a 1-0 defeat to Leganés last Sunday, marking their second consecutive home loss and leaving them with just one win in their last six league matches.

Currently, Atlético and Barcelona are tied with 38 points each, with Atlético having a game in hand. Real Madrid trails them by just one point in third place.

Adding to Barcelona’s woes under coach Hansi Flick, both Atlético and Real have played one game less, further intensifying pressure on the Catalan team to improve their form at home on Saturday.

Barcelona will also be without Lamine Yamal, who is sidelined for at least three more weeks due to an ankle injury sustained against Leganés. The absence of the young winger, who won multiple awards, including the Best Young Player in the World, has been felt deeply. At just 17 years old, Yamal helped Spain clinch the 2024 European Championship. Barcelona has only managed one win in three matches without him last month, following another ankle injury.

On the other hand, Real Madrid will closely monitor their rivals’ encounter, as they could seize the top spot by beating Sevilla on Sunday, provided Atlético and Barcelona draw.

After a 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano earlier this week, Real Madrid received a morale boost by winning the Intercontinental Cup with a 3-0 victory over Mexican side Pachuca on Wednesday.

Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti became the most decorated manager in Real Madrid’s history with 15 titles, surpassing the late Miguel Muñoz. Ancelotti equaled Muñoz’s record by winning the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta in August.

Meanwhile, Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior won the FIFA Player of the Year award on Tuesday, marking another accolade for the club in a year when they claimed both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League titles.

Apart from the title race, fans in Spain will also turn their attention to Sunday’s match at the Santiago Bernabéu to bid farewell to Sevilla’s legendary full-back Jesús Navas. The 39-year-old will play his final professional match, closing a chapter as the last active player from Spain’s golden generation, which won both the World Cup and European Championship over a decade ago. Navas announced his retirement this season after helping Spain win the European Championship for a record fourth time earlier this year.