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One more point.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are tied heading into the final day of the Primera season, but Los Blancos need just one more point to raise the trophy. The stage was set after Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Celta Vigo on Wednesday, and now a draw with Malaga will grant them their first domestic title since 2012.
Barcelona still have a chance, but would need Malaga to pull of a massive upset. Malaga battled at the Bernabeu earlier this season, but two goals from Ramos gave Madrid a 2-1 win. Malaga have some financial incentive to fight on Sunday, but can finish no higher than 11th in the table.
No matter what happens on Sunday for Barcelona, this season will be viewed as a disappointment. Barcelona were awful in Champions League this season. needing a miracle performance against PSG just to reach the quarterfinals. They were promptly embarrassed by Juventus in the following round, just in time to see the domestic title slip away. Barcelona still have one game left on the schedule, and will be heavily favored in next week’s Copa del Rey final against Alaves.
Here’s how the teams stack up:
1. Barcelona
Points: 87
Last 10 Matches: 10-0-0
Remaining Fixtures: vs Eibar
Worth Mentioning: Other than the PSG win, the moment of Barcelona’s 2016-17 season will be Messi’s winner against Real Madrid. If Madrid slip up against Malaga, that would prove to be a season-winning goal, as it represents the tiebreaker between the two teams. If Madrid wins, Barca can point to three bad losses in the schedule: Alaves, Deportivo and Malaga, as the reasons. Barcelona’s inconsistencies came out against those teams, who finished ninth, sixteenth, and eleventh, respectively.
2. Real Madrid
Points: 90
Last 10 Matches: 8-0-2
Remaining Fixtures: at Malaga
Worth Mentioning: It’s hard to believe with all their success that Madrid haven’t won La Liga since 2012. It’s not like they haven’t contended, as the club has finished in at least the top three every year since 2004. But with a loaded schedule and the added pressure of being Madrid, Los Blancos have struggled to close on a domestic calendar. That ends on Sunday, as Zidane wins the league in his first full attempt as Madrid manager. It will be the 33rd domestic title in club history.