Afriupdate News
Sunday, June 29, 2025
  • Home
  • NewsNew
    • Headlines
    • Africa
    • Nigeria
    • National
    • World
    • Politics
  • Life
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health & Wellness
    • Love and Relationships
    • Travel and Places
    • Music
    • TV Series
    • What’s New
  • Sports
    • Boxing
    • Football
    • Tennis
    • Other Sports
  • Business
    • Insurance
  • Technology
    • Social media
    • Gadgets
  • Features
    • Guide & Tips
    • Jobs
    • Scholarship
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
  • Submit a News TipGot Tips?
GET NEWS ALARTS
No Result
View All Result
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Afriupdate News
No Result
View All Result
Afriupdate News
No Result
View All Result
ALERTS
  • News
  • Headlines
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Features
  • Life
  • Sports
  • Technology
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Sports Football

The return of La Liga: What’s at stake?

Abraham by Abraham
May 31, 2020
in Football, Sports
0

La Liga resumes on June 11 after a three-month absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have been unable to pull away from each other at the top of the table while Atletico Madrid is involved in what looks like a four-way fight for Champions League qualification.

AFP Sport takes a look at some key issues ahead of the run-in.

Turbulent title race
When Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 1, it seemed they had halted a dip in form and seized control of the title race.

MORE FROM AFRIUPDATE

MADRID, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 15: Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid CF reacts during the LaLiga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and Elche CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 15, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Madrid’s Tchouameni set to miss two months with foot fracture

October 30, 2023
Barcelona players celebrate their win at the end of the UEFA Champions League 1st round Group H football match between FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on October 25, 2023. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)

Barcelona forced to lean on youth in Madrid Clasico battle

October 27, 2023
Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior looks on during the Spanish league football match between Sevilla FC and Real Madrid CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville on October 21, 2023. (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP)

Madrid’s Vinicius highlights racist gesture made by ‘child’

October 22, 2023
Atletico Madrid’s Spanish forward #19 Alvaro Morata celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 2 group E football match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Feyenoord at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on October 4, 2023. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

Atletico produce another comeback to beat Feyenoord

October 5, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT

But a week later, they handed the initiative back as Barca regained first place by beating Real Sociedad and Madrid lost away at Real Betis.

A three-month break means a fresh start but Barcelona’s two-point lead reflects badly on their challengers, given Barca’s own problems off the pitch, including the switch to Quique Setien as a coach in January.

Both sides’ imperfections mean there will be more slip-ups to come but if this Barca makes it five league titles in six years, Madrid will only have themselves to blame.

Unfamiliar homes
Real Madrid has been given permission by La Liga to play their remaining home games at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium at their training ground to allow planned construction work to go ahead at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.

ADVERTISEMENT

With games being held behind closed doors there would have been little advantage to playing at their usual home and the players might even be better off avoiding an empty 81,000-seater stadium that they are used to being almost full.
Unexpected returns

Neither Eden Hazard nor Luis Suarez expected to play much, or perhaps any, part in the run-in after Hazard underwent surgery on a broken foot in March and Suarez had an operation on his right knee in January.

The break has allowed both players to recover and the question now is whether either can find peak form and fitness in time to make an impact in the remaining 11 games.

Suarez’s return could be particularly helpful for Barcelona but Setien has said the Uruguayan, who has often taken time to regain sharpness, is not yet ready.

Real Madrid’s Hazard, plagued by injuries in recent months, has had a nightmare first year in Spain but has an unexpected chance to turn things around.

Fight for Atletico
Atletico Madrid’s momentous win over Liverpool in the Champions League offered Diego Simeone some relief after what has been a disappointing season in La Liga.

His team sit sixth in the table, having long fallen out of the reckoning for the title and facing a fight even to make the top four.

Ahead of them between fifth and third are Getafe, Real Sociedad and Sevilla, and with only two points between the four, Atletico could still scrape in.

But the resilient Getafe and free-flowing Real will both be eager to finish off brilliant campaigns while Sevilla appeared to be hitting their stride before games were suspended.

Atletico cannot afford to be complacent.

Pressure at the bottom
At the other end of the table, Espanyol looks doomed, sitting in the last place, six points adrift of safety. Leganes, who still have to play away at Barcelona before hosting Real Madrid on the final day, are only three points better off.

One point then separates Mallorca, Celta Vigo and Eibar, whose players have expressed concerns about the safety of football returning too quickly. Real Valladolid in 15th have a four-point cushion over the bottom three but two wins in their last 10 games suggest they could easily be pulled in too.

The economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic means the stakes are even higher for these clubs, as they battle to avoid the considerable financial blow of relegation. For all of them, the pressure is on.

Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.

Related topics: Atletico MadridBarcelonaChampions LeaguecoronavirusLa LigaPandemicReal Madrid
ShareTweetSendShare
ADVERTISEMENT
Next Post
Masks and no ablution: Saudis flock to reopened mosques

Masks and no ablution: Saudis flock to reopened mosques

Spanish PM seeks final two-week lockdown extension

Spanish PM seeks final two-week lockdown extension

In Sudan, traced Bashir regime assets ‘tip of iceberg’

In Sudan, traced Bashir regime assets ‘tip of iceberg’

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Afriupdate News. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Login
  • Sign Up
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Headlines
    • Africa
    • Nigeria
    • National
    • World
    • Politics
  • Life
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health & Wellness
    • Love and Relationships
    • Travel and Places
    • Music
    • TV Series
    • What’s New
  • Sports
    • Boxing
    • Football
    • Tennis
    • Other Sports
  • Business
    • Insurance
  • Technology
    • Social media
    • Gadgets
  • Features
    • Guide & Tips
    • Jobs
    • Scholarship
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
  • Submit a News Tip

© 2023 Afriupdate News. All Rights Reserved