It was the tale of two halves. The first was a tremendously quick game filled with attacking flair and confidence from both Real Madrid and Barcelona. The second half was a joked dominated by three penalties and some questionable refereeing decisions. The result was a 4-3 Barcelona win, their second Clasico victory of the year.
More importantly the win put Barcelona back in the title race. With 69 points they now trail Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid by just one point. But the three sides still have nine games to play before the season is completely finished. Which side is the favorite to win the title?
Real Madrid does not have to contend with Barcelona or Atletico Madrid for the remainder of the year and that in itself is a blessing; Madrid does have Barcelona in the Copa del Rey but that will have no bearing on the Spanish League title. However, Los Blancos must still visit Real Sociedad and Sevilla before the year is out; both sides are more than capable of taking down Carlo Ancelotti's team.
Madrid will be happy however that its two biggest rivals play each other not once, but three times. The teams will square off in the Champions League quarterfinals and on the final day of the season. The Champions League duels will have no bearing on the title race but they will put the two sides in dire straits as they try to overcome one another for the first time this year. Atletico has battled Barcelona to three draws in 2013-14, an indication that these matches could be devastating to both clubs. The battle of attrition in these matches could, in the long run, create the fall of either side over the League's final nine weeks.
Aside from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid has a few tough encounters to overcome. The team visits Athletic Bilbao on March 29; Bilbao sits in fourth place with a record of 11 wins, three draws and one loss at home. The team managed to tie Madrid at home and defeat Barcelona at their home stadium; do not expect Atletico Madrid to get an easy win there. The team also has to visit Valencia on April 27; the team is only in eighth place but has surged in recent weeks and managed to take down Barcelona earlier in 2014. This is a team on the rise and one that has accumulated eight of its 11 wins at home. Levante also managed to shut down Barcelona at home in a 1-1 draw; that should also be a major test for Atletico; the team also visits Barcelona on the final day. Expect Madrid to lose points in at least one of the three away matches prior to the Barcelona game. If they do not then they deserve to be Champions.
Barcelona's remaining schedule is rather easy compared to its rivals as its away games are against Espanyol, Granada, Villarreal and Elche; Villarreal, which sits in seventh place may be the toughest of the lot but is far from a top contender. However, Barcelona needs its foes to falter in the final weeks in order to win the title; any loss of points for Blaugrana could end their title hopes prematurely.
Who is the top contender?