With only a single point separating the top two teams in the La Liga standings, it seems as though the emerging storyline has been a matter of “anything you can do I can do better”. Real Madrid earned a much-needed win over Deportivo last week to maintain its position atop the table but Barcelona matched the three points with its sixth straight win to keep pace with the top seed. The battle for the La Liga title will continue this weekend with both teams in action while Atletico Madrid looks to rebound from an absolutely brutal letdown loss. Each of those three teams are the focus in our three best three La Liga games scheduled for this weekend.
Barcelona vs. Malaga – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET
La Liga Odds: Barcelona -1236, Malaga +1945, Draw +948
Lionel Messi continued his dominance with a hat trick in Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Levante last weekend and he is now tied with Cristiano Ronaldo for the most three-goal games in La Liga history with 23. Messi has scored 11 goals over his last six games and is up to 26 for the season but he isn’t being relied on to do it all on his own either. Neymar and Luis Suarez have shown flashes of how dominant they can be and that’s a big reason why Messi is also tied for the league lead in assists with 13. Malaga is comfortably in seventh in the table but they are also next in line to fall victim to Barcelona’s brilliance up front in what should be a lopsided win for the home team. Pick: Barcelona
Atletico Madrid vs. Almeria – Saturday, 2:00 PM ET
La Liga Odds: Atletico Madrid -520, Almeria +1303, Draw +527
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw0EWLrm8LI
With Barcelona applying the pressure on Real Madrid in the battle for top spot in the table, it’s Atletico looking to bounce back from an absolutely devastating letdown. One week after essentially saving their season with a dominant win over Real Madrid, Atletico fell flat with a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo that dropped them back to seven points behind the La Liga leaders. The fight for a league championship could become a two-team race if Atletico doesn’t pull it together quickly. However, a home date with lowly Almeria will represent the perfect opportunity to get back on track. Almeria is 16th in the table, just four points clear of the relegation zone. Atletico has been downright dominant at home this season (10-1-1) and should stay in the La Liga picture for at least one more week with a dominant win. Pick: Atletico Madrid
Elche vs. Real Madrid – Sunday, 3:00 PM ET
La Liga Odds: Real Madrid -658, Elche +1479, Draw +624
Ronaldo and company bounced back with a much needed win over Deportivo to maintain their position ahead of Barcelona at the top of the table. While they will likely give that lead up for just over 24 hours, since their biggest rivals play the day before, a date with Elche should allow them to retake top spot on Sunday. There were some positives to take from the game including a shutout for Iker Casillas but the fact that Ronaldo was held off the score sheet again has gotten a ton of attention.
Ronaldo has struggled to find his touch up front over the past few weeks and it seems at times as if there could be a lingering problem that is frustrating the reigning Ballon d’Or winner (read: injury). Securing the three points this weekend will be the top priority for Real Madrid and that shouldn’t be a problem against a weakling like Elche. They’re 17th in the table and that’s after back-to-back wins. They still have just three wins in 11 away matches. Real Madrid pounded them 5-1 earlier this season as Ronaldo scored four. Keep an eye on him and whether he is able to bust out of his scoring slump as a secondary storyline that is worth watching. Pick: Real Madrid
