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Thursday, May 8, 2014

La Liga Title Fight - Can Atletico Win Title in Sunday Night Thriller?


Sunday, 11 May 2014 is set to be a day to remember for football fans.

Yes, there is the finish to the greatest Premier League season in history earlier in the day but Spain's LFP have taken a step further and has decided to schedule 7 games simultaneously at 7pm local time.

All three title protagonists will kick off at the same time, with Atletico Madrid hosting Malaga, while Real Madrid and Barcelona travel to Celta Vigo and Elche respectively.

Real Madrid appear to have the toughest match out of the three, with Celta Vigo the highest ranked of the 3 opponents facing the title challengers and at home with not really much to play for. The 1-1 draw at Valladolid as their midweek game in hand was not what the Madridistas wanted, leaving them 4 points behind, but in a title race with many twists, Real Madrid must keep winning in case the other two sides slip up particularly as both of them play each other in the final game of the season with Real Madrid at home against Espanyol.

Elche and Malaga on paper should be more straightforward opposition - both sides are pretty much safe and guaranteed top flight football. Atletico Madrid would be expected to beat Malaga in their final home game of the season and go to the Camp Nou with the lead of the league for the final round of the season.

However, Barca's erratic form at the moment means that victory at Elche which would have been straightforward at the start of the season is not a guaranteed outcome. Elche will be keen to finish a successful first season in the top flight with a home win against the side that has been the best in Spain in the last couple of seasons.

An Atletico win and Barca and Real failing to win means the title will be the Los Rojiblancos' for the first time since 1996 - and the first time a side other than the big two has won the league title in Spain since 2004 when Valencia were champions.

But in a season reminiscent to the Premier League's season this time round, don't be surprised if there is a big twist to come.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao have sown up the last Champions League spot with Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Villarreal set for the Europa League. The relegation battle remains close though with only Real Betis definitely down. Three points cover Granada, Valladolid, Almeria, Getafe and Osasuna and all 4 sides are action on Sunday night with Granada playing Almeria in a virtual six-pointer, meaning one of those sides will seal their top flight status with victory.

This has clearly been La Liga's best season in a while and a sizzling hot season is set for the finish it deserves.

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