The race for the La Liga title took another turn this week when Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended for two games after he struck an opponent in a match with Cordoba over the weekend. Real Madrid fans were disappointed but non-Real Madrid fans figured the suspension to be a bit light considering Ronaldo blatantly slapped a player in the face.
At any rate, Real Madrid managed to hang on for an important three points despite being reduced to 10 men in that match but will have to find a way to hold off both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid without Ronaldo in what should be an interesting couple of weeks. They shouldn’t have many problems this week
Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad – Saturday, 10:00 AM ET
La Liga Odds: Real Madrid -598, Real Sociedad +1263, Draw +618
Manager Carlo Ancelotti will have plenty of options to replace his suspended striker but none of them brings to the table what Ronaldo has brought on a consistent basis this season. Gareth Bale helped save Real Madrid with the winning goal shortly after Ronaldo was dismissed in last week’s 2-1 win and will be relied on to help shoulder the brunt of the offensive load with Real Sociedad in town. Next week’s clash with Sevilla is their game in hand on Barcelona and Atletico, and that figures to be much tougher than this showdown.
It’s a good thing Bale has been in fine form of late. Real still has plenty of firepower with James Rodriguez moving forward and Sami Khedira drawing in, and while they will miss the linchpin, they should still be able to secure an important three points this week against a Real Sociedad squad that has yet to win on the road this season (four losses and five draws in nine away games). Pick: Real Madrid
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Eibar vs. Atletico Madrid – Saturday, 12:00 PM ET
La Liga Odds: Atletico Madrid -182, Eibar +549, Draw +270
Atletico is still four points back of Real and having played one more game, they can’t afford many slip ups the rest of the way. Antoine Griezmann’s side has looked good in La Liga with five straight wins since losing to Villareal in mid-December and they will need their strikers to step up again versus an Eibar team that is 3-3-3 at home this season. Atletico responded with a 3-1 win after both Real and Barcelona won last week and considering their current standing, they can’t afford to settle for a draw this week. Atletico Madrid will get its shot to make a move with games remaining against both teams in front of them in the standings but in order for those contests to matter, they have to continue to earn the maximum points with every passing game. Pick: Atletico Madrid
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Barcelona vs. Villarreal – Sunday, 3:00 PM ET
La Liga Odds: Barcelona -546, Villarreal+1164, Draw +589
Barcelona gave pause to its pursuit of Real in the standings to battle them in their Copa del Rey quarterfinal last Wednesday but the focus returns to the league title on Sunday when they host a dangerous Villareal side. Fortunately for Luis Enrique’s side, their opponent has been a far better team at home than on the road. Villarreal is currently sixth in the Spanish Primera table but is 7-0-3 at home compared to 4-5-1 on the road. They average a half-goal more of offense at home (1.9) compared to on the road (1.4) and that has made a big difference.
For Barcelona, their offense has found its rhythm in recent weeks, tallying nine goals in their last two outings. Lionel Messi and Neymar have quickly developed a chemistry that is unrivaled in La Liga and, when they are at their best, they are nearly impossible to slow down. The Catalans can’t afford to concede any more points in the table and by the time they take the field on Sunday, they could have a chance to leapfrog their rivals in to top spot with a win. Pick: Barcelona
