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With nine matches remaining in Spain, Barcelona are doing their best to secure a title race, Atletico Madrid are threatening a top-four finish and Girona are hoping not to run out of gas before the final rounds.
During an emotional run of matches, Xavi saw red and the red mist descend on Sevilla striker Youseff En-Nesyri as he walked towards his coach.
Elsewhere, Athletic Club win again and Vini continues to score… and continues to be booked. Here are 10 things we learned from La Liga.
Xavi could stay at Barcelona beyond the summer
“We are the ones who gave him a contract extension,” Deco said after the victory. It is also true that Barcelona director of football and president Joan Laporta were the ones who told him he could only stay until the end of the season after a 5-3 home defeat to Villarreal in January .
It all depends on the fans: if they sing for the club legend to stay, he will. And that’s exactly what they will do if Barcelona compete for the title and the Champions League until the end of the season. Big wins against Napoli and Atletico Madrid have seen him hail the last few days as his best week of the season.
Barcelona are doing their best to win a title race, Atletico Madrid are threatening a top-four finish and Girona are hoping not to run out of gas before the final rounds.
Xavi (above) could still remain in charge of La Liga giants Barcelona beyond the summer.
Xavi has now been booked 22 times and received two red cards since taking over as Barcelona manager – no manager has been more disciplined in that time.
Too bad Xavi missed the second half
Xavi has now been booked 22 times and received two red cards since taking over as Barcelona manager – no manager has been more disciplined in that time.
As a player, he always enjoyed arguing with referees (he famously told the referee during the 2010 World Cup final that yes, he could have his jersey if he blew the whistle early).
But now his willingness to speak out makes him the most ill-mannered coach in La Liga.
Lewandowski can still surpass Bellingham
Lewandowski can still win the “pichichi” award for top scorer in La Liga. He scored his 13th goal of the season in the win over Atletico Madrid and is now just three goals behind top scorer Jude Bellingham.
He also scored two in the 3-0 victory; he’s playing as well as at any time since he signed.
Striker Robert Lewandowski (right) can still win the ‘pichichi’ award for La Liga top scorer
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Simeone has an enemy
Diego Simeone vs.
He has now faced him five times and each time he has lost.
If Atletico Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-finals and Barcelona beat Paris Saint-Germain, these two will meet in the semi-finals – more bad news for Simeone.
He who tinkers loses his momentum
Simeone’s master plan to get the better of Barcelona this time was to play a 5-4-1 with the four midfielders forcing Barca’s four defenders into mistakes as they built from the back.
It failed. Partly because Lewandowski was the perfect ball when Xavi’s side couldn’t build deep and partly because Atletico, while containing the creativity of Barca’s defense, never really threatened to make them difficulty.
Memphis Depay was the catalyst for their epic win over Inter in midweek. The decision not to start with a player who had finished so well in the last match did not pay off. Alavro Morata was equally insipid in his place and by the time the Dutchman replaced the Spaniard the match was almost over.
Diego Simeone vs.
Simeone’s master plan to get the better of Barcelona this time was to play a 5-4-1 with the four midfielders pushing Barca’s back four into mistakes as they built from the back.
Vini is starting to score like Messi, but maybe he should behave a little more like him too
Vinicius now has 18 goals in all competitions and is looking more and more like a player capable of playing as a center forward. Which is convenient because Real Madrid are about to slash their pay scale to the point of exploding to sign Kylian Mbappe – and the best player in the world is going to want to play on the left, where Vinicius has played most of his football for the Real. Madrid to date.
All that is missing is Vini who is no longer reserved. Every time Lionel Messi got angry, he lashed out at the opposition without even changing his facial expression.
Every player is different and no one should expect Vinicius to be anything like the poker-faced Argentine, but 19 yellow cards for dissent in three seasons are holding him back.
The fairy tale fades
Girona is in difficulty. It may not be enough to knock them out of the top four, but four straight losses and a growing injury list certainly creates doubts.
They have nine finals left to play and if they can get Yangel Herrera, Viktor Tsygankov, Miguel Gutierrez and David Lopez back into shape, then everything is still within their reach, but it’s going to be a nerve-wracking affair until the finish.
Vinicius now has 18 goals in all competitions and is looking more and more like a player capable of playing as a centre-forward – but he needs to learn one thing from Lionel Messi
Girona is in difficulty. It might not be enough to knock them out of the top four, but four straight losses and a growing injury list certainly create doubts.
Athletic in the Champions League at the expense of Atletico
Athletic Club want a Spanish Cup and a double for fourth place and after beating Alaves this weekend and Atletico making a mistake, they are now sitting in the Champions League places.
Ernesto Valverde, who won the championship twice in Barcelona and was sacked by Barcelona when he was still at the top of the table, once again proves why so many people think that Manchester United’s one-time target is the best coach of Spain.
Almeria knew how to win
In the 29th time, Almeria have won a football match but it is too late to save them. They may not finish last with just one point now separating them from second-placed Granada, but under new coach Pepe Mel they remain 14 points behind 17th-placed Celta Vigo who won under Rafa Benitez’s sacked replacement, Claudio Giraldez.
Ernesto Valverde proves once again why so many people consider him the best coach in Spain
Youssef En-Nesyri and Quique Sanchez Flores probably won’t be together at Sevilla next season
Seville Fight Club moment eases En Nesyri towards exit
Youssef En-Nesyri and Quique Sanchez Flores probably won’t be together at Sevilla next season. The Moroccan striker is at the end of his contract in 2025 and the club will want to get him a fee this summer.
Sanchez Flores could also leave if Sevilla’s inconsistent form persists until the end of the season. It’s probably for the best as the player spoke to his coach after being sent off on Sunday and had to be restrained by teammate Lucas Ocampos.