After a 4-0 thrashing of Real Sociedad, FC Barcelona created distance from Real Madrid in the La Liga title race, but Atletico Madrid remained one point behind Barca, with a crucial 1-0 victory over 4th place Athletic Bilbao, sending a message that they aren´t going away easily.
Atletico already sent that message during the 4-4 Copa del Rey 1st leg tie last week, and as Madrid continue to struggle domestically, it appears Barca and Atletico are prepared to fight this title race out. Let´s look at what lies ahead for both teams before their March 16th La Liga showdown at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Barca certainly has the easier road, with Champions League home and away ties against Benfica and Osasuna sandwiched between at home . While Benfica isn´t an easy task, it´s certainly preferred to what Atletico is facing-two derbies with the reigning Champions League winners and their fierce cross-town rivals.
Atletico plays away to Getafe in between the Real Madrid matches, one of the toughest teams to play against in La Liga, and a match that will force coach Diego Simeone into tough selection decisions. Atletico isn´t as deep as either Barca or Real Madrid and resting his top players against Getafe could prove costly in the La Liga title race.
On the other hand, FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick gave crucial minutes to 3 players that haven´t seen much time in his first IX against Sociedad and all 3 rewarded him handsomely, with Gerard Martin and Marc Casado each scoring and Dani Olmo providing 2 assists.
Flick also gave Eric Garcia, Frenkie de Jong and Ferran Torres 30-plus minutes, and Fermin Lopez and Hector Fort 20-plus minutes, important because he will need to rely on his depth as he navigates three different competitions over the next month.
In 12 days and 3 matches, the magnitude of March 16th to the La Liga title race will be clear, but all signs point to a game worth marking on your calendar as Barca and Atletico roll forward.