LaLiga updates: Key games left in the title race

With the 2024-25 La Liga season entering its final stretch, the title race is shaping up to be one of the most intense in recent years. Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid are locked in a fierce battle, with just two points separating first from third.

This is the closest title race at this stage since 2013-14, when all three clubs were level on 57 points after 23 matches. That season saw Atlético lift the trophy, finishing three points ahead of their rivals.

The last time a team outside this trio won La Liga was Valencia in 2003-04. Athletic Bilbao last secured the title in 1983-84, while Villarreal came closest in 2012-13, finishing second.

With another three-way battle for the title unfolding—and Bilbao emerging as a potential disruptor capable of overtaking one of the top three to strengthen their Champions League ambitions—we delve into four key table-deciding matches that could shape the outcome of the La Liga title race.

Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao—Sunday, 1st March

Former Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde leads an Athletic Bilbao side striving for a UEFA Europa League final appearance at San Mamés in May, while also keeping pace in the La Liga title race.

Heading into matchday 24, the Basque giants sit just six points adrift of league leaders Real Madrid.

Last season, Bilbao dominated the fixture against Atletico Madrid, winning three of their four meetings across all competitions—their best tally against a Madrid-based club in a single campaign since 1977-78.

However, Diego Simeone’s men are looking to flip the script this campaign, having already won the reverse fixture at San Mamés in September. A victory here would strengthen their league standing and mark their first consecutive league win over Bilbao in a single calendar year since 2018.

This season, Valverde’s men are enjoying an impressive league campaign, currently on a 16-game unbeaten streak. Their record stands at 12 wins, eight draws, and three defeats from 23 matches, earning them 44 points and a spot in fourth place.

With a four-point cushion over fifth-placed Villarreal and sitting just six points behind leaders Real Madrid, Athletic remain outside contenders for the title this season.

The Red and Whites haven’t finished in the top four since 2013-14, enduring mid-table finishes in recent years—11th, 10th, and eighth (twice) in their last five seasons.

The game against Atletico would arguably be the toughest clash in LaLiga matchweek 26, and the result of the game could potentially add another layer of complexities towards the title.

Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano—Monday, 17th February

Barcelona will host Rayo Vallecano at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Monday night, knowing that a win would see them leapfrog Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid to claim the La Liga top spot.

Dropped points for Madrid and Atlético on Saturday have allowed the Blaugrana to take the lead, but they face a tough challenge against a Vallecano side currently sitting sixth in the table.

Both Madrid and Atlético were held to 1-1 draws by Osasuna and Celta Vigo, respectively, leaving Los Blancos at the summit with 51 points, one ahead of Diego Simeone’s Atletico side.

With a superior goal difference over Madrid, a win for Barcelona—who are three points behind—would see Hansi Flick’s team move to the top with 14 games remaining.

The Catalans come into this clash on the back of three straight victories in all competitions, including a 4-1 win over Sevilla last weekend. They are also unbeaten since a 2-1 defeat to Atlético in their final match before the winter break.

Goals have been flowing for Barcelona, with nine in their last two matches, and the stumbles of their title rivals on Saturday will only boost their confidence.

They now prepare for back-to-back league fixtures against Rayo and Las Palmas, leading up to the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final with Atlético Madrid.

On the other hand, Vallecano head into the match on the back of three consecutive league victories over Girona, Leganés, and Real Valladolid, positioning Íñigo Pérez’s team as strong European contenders this season.

Their impressive campaign has seen them register nine wins, eight draws, and six losses from 23 matches, accumulating 35 points—three ahead of seventh-placed Osasuna and five behind Villarreal in fifth.

Having finished 17th in La Liga last season, Los Franjirrojos have never placed higher than eighth at this level. This could be a historic campaign, especially with the fifth-best away record in the league, earning 17 points from 12 away games.

Pérez’s squad can also take confidence from Barcelona’s struggles at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where they have suffered three league defeats this season. However, Vallecano have lost their last two meetings with Barcelona, including a 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Despite those setbacks, Vallecano have had recent success against the Catalans, securing a 1-0 away victory at Camp Nou in April 2022. Between October 2021 and November 2023, they also went unbeaten in five league matches against Barcelona, winning three times in that span.

Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona—Sunday, 16th March

Barcelona will seek redemption for their 2-1 loss to Atlético Madrid in December when they head to the Spanish capital for the rematch.

It promises to be a tough challenge against La Liga’s best defence—one of the most formidable backlines in Europe this season so fans with Barcelona tickets will be fearing the worst.

No team has suffered fewer defeats than the 11-time La Liga champions, with their only two league losses coming against Leganés and Real Betis.

Their 15-game winning streak across all competitions, which included eight La Liga victories, has been crucial in keeping their title ambitions alive.

Barcelona was part of the side Atletico defeated during that dominant run, with Rodrigo De Paul levelling the score in the 60th minute before Alexander Sørloth struck deep into stoppage time to snatch all three points in a heated clash at the Metropolitano in December.

Despite not being widely seen as title contenders before the season, Atlético have put together an impressive campaign, securing a place in the Champions League knockout stage and reaching the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

Their last La Liga triumph came in 2020-21, and avoiding defeat in decisive matches like this will be vital in their push for another league crown.

Barcelona began the season in blistering form but saw their momentum stall following their first loss of the campaign against Real Sociedad in November. That defeat triggered a run of inconsistent results in the fixtures that followed.

They surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Celta Vigo, suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Las Palmas, drew 2-2 against Real Betis, lost 1-0 to Leganés, and fell 2-1 to Atlético Madrid, marking their third home defeat in five matches.

Winning just once in the six games after losing to Sociedad, Barcelona saw their table lead vanish, with Real Madrid and Atlético overtaking Hansi Flick’s side to claim first and second place.

However, their Supercopa de España victories over Athletic Bilbao and Madrid seem to have reignited their form, as they have since gone eight games unbeaten in all competitions—winning six and drawing two.

The showdown with Atlético will be pivotal, with victory for either side strengthening their La Liga title-winning chances.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid—Sunday, 11th May

With 36 La Liga titles, more than any other club, Real Madrid are aiming to extend their record by adding another in 2024-25. Carlo Ancelotti’s men currently lead the standings with 50 points after 23 matchdays.

However, their position is far from secure. A single defeat could drop them to third, allowing both Atlético Madrid and Barcelona to leapfrog them. That vulnerability stems from a three-game winless run, starting with a 1-0 loss to Espanyol, followed by 1-1 draws against Atlético and Osasuna—their lowest points return over a three-game stretch since 2020.

A crucial clash awaits in May when Barcelona and Madrid will face off. Should the title race remain as tight, that fixture could determine the 2024-25 La Liga champion so it’s no surprise that Barcelona vs Real Madrid tickets will be in high demand for this fixture.

When the two sides last met, ten-man Barcelona reclaimed the Spanish Super Cup in January with a 5-2 thrashing of their fiercest rivals in the final. That victory saw Barcelona score at least four goals in back-to-back El Clásicos for the first time, having also beaten Madrid 4-0 in their La Liga encounter earlier this season.

Kylian Mbappe fired Madrid into the lead just five minutes in. Still, Barcelona responded emphatically, netting five unanswered goals through Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha (twice), and Alejandro Balde to surge 5-1 ahead in Saudi Arabia.

A lifeline emerged for Madrid in the 56th minute, when Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was shown a red card, paving the way for Rodrygo to pull one back with a stunning free kick just four minutes later. However, Hansi Flick’s men held firm, sealing a 5-2 triumph to clinch their 15th Spanish Super Cup title—a performance that will go down as one of their greatest against Los Blancos.

For Madrid, this was a missed chance to add a third trophy to their UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup haul. Despite having a nearly full-strength squad, barring Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal, they delivered an uncharacteristically disjointed display.

They’ll be determined to avenge back-to-back defeats against their arch-rivals when they visit Catalonia on May 11—a fixture that could be pivotal in the LaLiga title race.