There are 11 league matches remaining for most teams in La Liga and while the title race is looking increasingly one-sided – as predicted by this SBOTOP observer last summer – the race for a Champions League spot and the bid to beat the drop remains tantalisingly poised.
Here was another weekend with plenty of La Liga 2022 highlights at both the top and the bottom.
And if you study our La Liga 2022 betting odds, you will notice in many areas it’s too close to call with just over two months of the campaign remaining.
Real in class of their own
It’s easy for me to say now and I was hardly Einstein to predict it back in August.
But one thing I did mention then still stands true for me: that Real will reclaim the title with Carlo Ancelotti’s guile proving a difference.
That was evident again on Saturday night as Real Sociedad were put to the sword with arrogant ease.
The visitors led through a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty after 10 minutes, but there was no panic among the home faithful and that spot-kick actually proved to be Sociedad’s only effort throughout the entire 90 minutes.
Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modric scored brilliant goals from long range for the hosts in quick succession.
Karim Benzema, who had two goals disallowed, added a penalty and substitute Marco Asensio sealed the win from Dani Carvajal’s cut-back.
I read this weekend that Real Madrid are in eternal crisis and it’s true that, in the eyes of certain Spanish media, disaster is always just a step away at this club.
It’s even been rumoured that regardless of whether Ancelotti wins the league this season, if he doesn’t get a certain number of points, he will be sacked.
If true, that would be madness for the wily Italian brings stability and savviness to any club he takes over.
Of course, while Real took advantage of second-placed Sevilla dropping points on Friday night, the result for the opposition should not go unnoticed.
Cadiz and Alaves give themselves a glimmer
That is because in holding Sevilla to a goalless draw, Alaves not only damaged their opponents’ outside title tilt but also helped themselves in their survival bid.
Sure, they have quite some work to do, but the point could prove invaluable as they bid for a seventh successive season in the Spanish top flight.
As for Sevilla, Julen Lopetegui’s men struggled to carve out chances in the Basque Country, but they still hold a comfortable lead over the chasing pack in second spot.
Alaves’ satisfaction at gaining a point would have been dampened somewhat by Cadiz on Sunday afternoon.
That’s after they leapfrogged them and moved to within a point of Granada – who sacked their manager Robert Moreno after a 3-1 defeat to Valencia on Saturday evening.
It was a first league win of the season for Cadiz at their Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla, courtesy of two goals in six second-half minutes from Ruben Alcaraz and Oussama Idrissi.
Los Gaditanos took the lead through an Alcaraz header and the advantage was doubled when Idrissi capitalised on a goalkeeping mistake following a swift counter-attack.
Cadiz move up to 18th position, a point shy of safety against a Rayo Vallecano side who are experiencing an alarming slump, without a league win in 2022.
A tale of two subs as Barca rediscover their mojo
You wouldn’t have necessarily thought so during parts of their match at Elche, but Barca came from behind to win and climb into third spot.
The spirited hosts took the lead just before half-time when Fidel Chaves broke down the left and expertly rolled a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner.
That’s how it stayed until Ferran Torres poked in the equaliser on the hour, reacting quickest to a cross from Jordi Alba which sneaked through the home rearguard.
And there was more. Eight minutes from time the ball struck the arm of the unfortunate Antonio Barragan as he challenged Memphis Depay and the referee was instructed to check the pitchside monitor.
He duly awards a spot-ick which Dutchman Depay, who had only been on the pitch a short time, rocketed into the roof of the net.
Then in stoppage time, Marc-Andre ter Stegen sprang across to his left to make sure of the points against the by then 10-man hosts and ensured the league table looks brighter for those in Catalonia.
Atletico finally knock Betis out of top four
Could Real Betis add the defending champions to their scalps?
That was the question posed before Sunday night’s encounter in the Benito Villamarín Stadium.
In the end, the answer was no. For three days after sealing a place in this season’s Copa del Rey final, this was one game too many for Betis who slip from third to fifth after wins for Barca and this 3-1 home defeat to Atletico.
It wasn’t until Thomas Lemar scored the third 10 minutes from time that victory was assured to add to Joao Felix’s double – he seems to have hit form at just the right time for Los Rojiblancos.
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