There is no title race across Europe's top five leagues as close as the fight between Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid to win La Liga.
While the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 title campaigns are all-but over, the Spanish crown is still very much a three-horse race. Only one point separates Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid in the La Liga standings with just 11 matches left to play.
Los Blancos came out of this weekend as the big winners. Not only did the defending Spanish champions collect all three points against Rayo Vallecano, but they made up some ground on Atlético Madrid, who collapsed in their 2–1 defeat against Getafe. Barcelona, meanwhile, did not play this weekend following the death of first-team doctor, Carles Miñarro Garcia.
La Liga Standings
Check out the upcoming schedules for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid as the La Liga season winds down.
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Barcelona's Next Five La Liga Fixtures
What could be a title-deciding fixture is next up for Barcelona. The Catalans take on Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano right before the March international break. Barcelona's last La Liga defeat came against Diego Simeone's men in December and the league-leaders will be on the hunt for revenge. The two sides also just clashed in a thrilling 4–4 draw in the Copa del Rey.
After the international break, Barcelona host a Girona side that has not managed a victory against any of La Liga's top contenders this season. The real test comes the following weekend against Real Betis. Manuel Pellegrini's team just dispatched Real Madrid and has only one defeat in its last six La Liga matches.
Barcelona then take on a Leganés side on the cusp of relegation. The struggling team did defeat Barcelona back in December, though. Then, Barcelona clash with Celta Vigo, who just held Atlético Madrid to a 1–1 draw on Feb. 15.
*Barcelona have not announced the rescheduled date of their clash with Osasuna.*
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Real Madrid's Next Five La Liga Fixtures
Real Madrid have a tough trip to La Ceramica next weekend. Carlo Ancelotti's squad has not won a La Liga match in Villarreal since 2017. The last thing Los Blancos need before the March international break is to drop points the same weekend Barcelona and Atlético Madrid play one another.
When Real Madrid return from the break, they face a struggling Leganés side at the Santiago Bernabéu. Then, Valencia make the trip to Madrid. The last time the two sides played, Real Madrid needed a 95th minute winner from Jude Bellingham to secure the victory.
Like Leganés, relegation candidate Alavés should not pose a huge threat to Los Blancos. The big test for Real Madrid in their next five matches comes against Athletic Bilbao on Apr. 20. Athletic Bilbao took all three points against the defending Spanish champions earlier in the season and have the talent to do so again if Real Madrid are not at their best.
Atletico Madrid's Next Five La Liga Fixtures
Atlético Madrid must follow-up their defeat to Getafe with a match against Barcelona. Simeone's men will hope to produce another victory against the Catalans to get their La Liga campaign back on track. Failing to come away with a positive result could spell disaster for Atlético Madrid's title hopes.
The Spanish giants should have no problems against Espanyol the following the weekend. Sevilla could present a larger challenge for Los Colchoneros; Atlético Madrid just barely defeated García Pimienta's squad 4–3 when they last played in December.
Atlético Madrid's schedule gets much easier at the end of April. Simeone's side should collect an easy six points against relegation-bound Real Valladolid and Las Palmas.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as La Liga Title Race: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid's Next Five Games After Matchday 27.
