The 2025 La Liga title fight has been one of the best in years and, until recently it was a three horse race. But Barcelona visited Atletico Madrid recently and came away with a highly impressive 4-2 win which left Los Rojiblancos four points behind the Catalans and having played a game more.
Diego Simeone’s team aren’t out of the reckoning entirely, but it looks increasingly likely to be an El Clasico duel to decide the title. When Barcelona’s recent game with Osasuna was postponed due to the sad loss of club doctor Carles Minarro Garcia, that left the Blaugrana with a game in hand on Los Blancos and, with a better goal difference the La Liga 2025 betting odds tip the balance towards Catalonia. The Osasuna match is replayed this Thursday and the SBOTOP odds on a home win hint to a three point gap re-opening.
A collection of Galacticos
These two El Clasico teams have been trading blow for blow and with some spectacular results, as you’d expect when both teams have such an array of talent at their disposal. Carlo Ancelotti made the marquee signing of the summer when he brought in France striker Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, a deal which had been bubbling for well over a year. Meanwhile Barcelona’s big piece of recruitment was manager Hansi Flick, who arrived for his first stint in Spanish football, and he has built on the work of Xavi to mould together a team with an exquisite mix of youth and experience.
With a defence marshalled by the experienced Inigo Martinez the Catalans have a base on which its stellar creative group can excel. In midfield the return of Pedri from long term injury has been like a new signing, as has the return to form of Frenkie de Jong and, with the addition of Euro 2024 hero Dani Olmo to the unit, this is a high class trio. Then take a look at Barcelona’s front line of Brazil star Raphinha, the 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski and the teen sensation Lamine Yamal, 19 years Lewi’s junior, and this is a unique attack. Ferran Torres, who scored a brace in Barca’s win over Atleti is a more than capable deputy.
Raphinha linked up with two Real Madrid forwards as Brazil beat Colombia in a World Cup qualifier last week. The Barca man converted a penalty won by Vinicius Junior and then the Los Blancos star scored the late winner, and that after his club-mate Rodrygo had come close for the Selecao. Add Mbappe to those two and there we have another mouth-watering strike trio.
The French captain scored both Real’s goals in a 2-1 win over Villarreal last time out, but there are goals also coming from a midfield of Jude Bellingham, Brahim Diaz and Federico Valverde. And, with former Chelsea colleagues, Thibaut Courtois in goal and Anton Rudiger in central defence this is a team which knows how to defend.
The final ten games are an even contest
After the Blaugrana play Osasuna the El Clasico rivals have ten games each and neither can claim to have a clear advantage, apart from the small matter of a fixture on 11th May when the Catalans host Los Blancos in a potentially decisive clash.
Before that tumultuous meeting Barca have three good tests in the next six games when they meet Real Betis, Real Mallorca and Celta Vigo, sixth, seventh and eighth in the league at the current time of writing, but all these games are at home. The Blaugrana also hosts Girona and visit relegation threatened Leganes and Real Valladolid, the club stranded at the bottom.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos face fourth placed Athletic Club and Celta Vigo at home, as well as relegation battlers Leganes and Valencia, while visiting Deportivo Alaves and Getafe.
After the El Clasico showdown on 11th May, if the title is still in the balance there are three more tantalising rounds to come. Barcelona will first visit relegation strugglers Espanyol and then host fifth placed Villarreal, while Real Madrid host the surprise package of Real Mallorca before visiting a dangerous mid-table side in Sevilla.
If the league title race comes down to the last week it will be a nail-biter as Barcelona visit Bilbao to take on Athletic Club while Real Madrid welcome the other Basque giants, Real Sociedad. We’ll be back with the La Liga 2025 updates week by week until the race is run…don’t take your eyes off it!
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