Barcelona come out of the weekend with more than a title
Winning the Copa del Rey was a huge boost to a Barcelona side that had gone nearly two seasons without any sort of silverware.
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The good news for the Catalan club was just beginning as they come out of the weekend in control of their destiny in the chase for the LaLiga title.
Barcelona once again with a clear path towards La Liga title aspirations.
Real Madrid‘s slip-up against Getafe put a dent in their league challenge but it put Barca back in the driver’s seat.
Despite now being five points behind Atletico Madrid, Barca has a game in hand, including one against the Colchoneros.
What this means is that if the Catalan giants can win all of their remaining games, they would finish one point ahead of Atletico and be crowned champions.
Madrid dropping points was crucial considering Los Blancos put themselves in a good position after winning the Clasico just a week prior.
The situation has changed once again with manager Ronald Koeman knowing what his side must do if they want to win the league.
The 4-0 against Athletic Bilbao in the final threw a lot of weight off the players’ shoulders considering they had already lost the Super Cup final against this same side a couple of months earlier.
Mentally, it’s sure to have been a huge boost and bolstered a belief that with a number of games still left, they can win out and overtake Atletico Madrid.
It is a stark contrast to last season when they were in a similar situation. On that occasion, under Quique Setien, the former manager said he did not believe either the Blaugranas or Real Madrid would win out their remaining games after the lockdown.
Barca might not have but Real Madrid did.
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The feeling in the locker this time around must surely be different. There is a renewed sense of hope because they no longer depend on help from other teams. The Catalans again control their own fate.