The 2020-21 La Liga season has been one of the most competitive in years, and things may just be as tight as they possibly could be during the final stretch of the season.
After Barcelona‘s scoreless draw with Atletico Madrid on Saturday, a result that neither side would have wanted.
They haven’t fallen short in this season’s title race. They’ve had more than one opportunity to deliver a knockout blow to their LaLiga Santander rivals, but they haven’t know how to do it. Now, with three Matchdays left, they don’t appear to have much hope of being crowned Spanish champions.
The title was in Real Madrid‘s hands but there was both euphoria and deep regret for Real Madrid on Sunday night; a strange, bittersweet sensation after stumbling to a 2-2 draw with Sevilla. At once it wrenched the fate of La Liga out of their hands, and yet also ensured they are still firmly in the fight.
Atletico now have 77 points, Real Madrid and Barcelona 75 each, with Los Blancos boasting a better head-to-head record than both of their competitors. Madrid spurned a ‘break point’ in the title race.
The race whistles on, with three matches over three nights giving each of the three contenders a chance of sleeping as league leaders.
If Barcelona beat Levante on Tuesday, they will go top. Should Atletico then draw with Real Sociedad on Wednesday, they will depose the Catalans. And should Madrid then defeat Granada, they can return to the top of the table.
But until and unless that happens, Madrid will be licking their wounds as they stagger towards the finish line, mulling over what might have been.