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| photo by docteur es sport |
- by Allison Norris, writing from Salt Lake City, Utah
One of the more interesting moments of La Liga last season was the ultimate El Classico which pitted FC Barcelona against its heated rival, Real Madrid, in a series of four games in three weeks. For those who watched all four match ups, it seems a miracle no one was seriously injured. Barcelona was, no doubt, trying to obtain the coveted Treble—the La Liga title, the Champions League title, and the Spanish Copa del Rey. Certainly not many people doubted they would repeat their 2008-09 successes but the match for the Copa del Rey said otherwise. The seemingly unbeatable Catalans failed, proving they were not immortal.
Madrid took the trophy home—though they subsequently tossed it off their celebration bus in a form of poetic justice for FCB supporters.
While Barcelona, and certainly Real Madrid remain very dominant contenders for the La Liga title, it’s a little fun to speculate what this season could reveal about the potential of the other Liga teams who would like to close the gap. As it stands, Real Betis and Valencia are at the top of the table with FCB in fourth place and Real Madrid three more down in seventh place. Malaga is in third with Seville and Levante UD, tied for points with FCB, only just ahead of Madrid.
Valencia has always been pushing for that place at the top of the table, with a squad that is willing to go the distance. Their last match against FC Barcelona proved their ambition, keeping their opponents at bay until a late goal from Cesc Fabregas tied the match. A Valencia victory would have been a huge positive for the team but still, the match showed they were able to compete.
Real Betis sits on top of the league with maximum points, surprising everyone with such a brilliant start to the new season. The real test will come in the next few weeks, where they will have the opportunity to demonstrate it hasn’t been all luck.
Barcelona has had trouble securing a win of late and Real Madrid have had trouble even getting on the board. These, of course, are the judgments of only a few matches and the season is still very young. All could be back to “normal” within a few short weeks. That, of course, is what everyone is suspecting.
As entertaining as it is to watch teams like Barcelona or Madrid play the way they do and seemingly glide through their schedules, maybe things would be even more interesting if the tables turned. Besides, when you reach the top there is only one way to go and that’s back down. Has Barcelona reached its peak with nowhere else to go? Is Real Madrid letting their past spoiled chances get to them? Will teams like Sevilla, Valencia and Real Betis be the top competitors for the league’s undisputed champions?
On the other hand, when you look at Barcelona’s stats with seventeen goals scored in four matches, maybe the past speaks for itself. Messi is by no means tiring. Cristiano is no less determined. We’re only at the beginning of the season and the next ninety minutes can change everything.
