How Tough is LaLiga?
Where Spain’s Big Three stand in the 2018/2019 Season
Despite being one of the top 5 leagues in Europe and home to arguably the two greatest sporting clubs in the world, LaLiga has often been critiqued for being a 3-team campaign. The statistics don’t lie either: in the past 6 iterations only Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona have placed in the top three spots. Not since the 2011/2012 season has another team joined the head of the race; Valencia settled for third 21 points behind Real Madrid.
Yet, as the 2018/2019 began unfolding fans were surprised to see Spain’s giants stumbling. Was it a result of the top three’s declining edge, or indicative of LaLiga’s underlying might?
Barcelona remain the best
Early in the season Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde caught some glances after the Blaugrana conceded a 2–1 loss to Leganes. LaLiga’s usual suspects, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao, have also been in form to challenge Barca, managing respective ties. Barca still lead the table in late January, but not as impressively as in the past. New signing Kevin-Prince Boateng also left much to be desired in Barcelona’s surprising first-leg defeat to Sevilla in the Copa Del Rey. What this reveals is not so much a looming issue but something for the team to acknowledge: Barca needs Messi. Barcelona have given up points in a fourth of their games without Messi; the result is a demand for Messi Magic in the second leg of their Copa Del Rey matchup against Sevilla. Nonetheless, Valverde’s squad looks promising, leading comfortably ahead of second place Atletico Madrid by five points. A promising UEFA match against Lyon in the near future should fuel their hopes of securing their fourth Champions League title in the past decade.
Atletico Madrid Chase Barcelona
Although Atletico have had an impressive 17 games without losing, their 8 draws in competition have cost them enough points to trial behind Barca. Astro Antoine Griezmann has proved lethal, saving their streak in a 1–1 draw against Sevilla and netting six goals in the past 6 games. Yet, by the standards of past LaLiga tables they are well behind pace. With 41 points in 20 matches, more and more journalists are having to reassess why Spain’s top dogs are struggling to put away their “easy” matchups. In Atletico’s case, the table reveals a common trend: teams lower in the standings are bringing about surprising results. One such team has been Mauricio Pellegrino’s Leganes, which has produced two deserved ties against Atletico and Sevilla.
Deceptively Tough
La Liga Santander consists of 20 impressive clubs, studded with prolific stars and sharp managerial staff. While most of these teams get hidden behind the shadow of Spain’s giants, you can never truly predict the outcome of a match. Herein resides the enigmatic beauty of football: the game is as unpredictable as it is a delight to watch. LaLiga fans bear witness to these clubs’ massive appetite for points, where matches between first-place and relegation-zone teams still inexorably excite us. Instead of fearing Barcelona’s tremendous firepower, we still see smaller clubs like Girona surging forward with two players in attack. Spain’s football may be notorious for its calm, open demeanor, yet this masks the truth behind LaLiga’s teams: they wage war. This 2018/2019 season we have seen a leveling of the playing field. The top three have had to fend off these teams lower in rank, bracing themselves against their clawing for points. This isn’t to say that these teams aren’t distinguished in their own right. When compared to England’s heavy hitters-the Big Six- most fans would say Spain has only Barcelona, Real Madrid , and the occasional Atletico on the European stage. The truth is, Spanish clubs have likewise triumphed the most both in the Champions league and the Europa league. While England may boast the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester United they haven’t proven themselves in European competitions. In the Champions League era Spain has brought in 13 different clubs to the competition, as opposed to England’s 10. Spanish clubs have reached more second place finishes in the Champions and supposed lesser-ranked Sevilla have won the Europa league 5 times, the most of any team in Europe. The truth of the matter is: Spain’s upper half of the table are incredibly fierce. If this weren’t true, then the Top three wouldn’t have so much work on their hands.
The Fall of a Giant
Under Santiago Solari Real Madrid have attempted to pick themselves up after a horrifying start to the campaign. Following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui after just three months of service, Los Blancos have struggled to regain their footing. After a 0–2 loss to Real Sociedad, their third-place position now seems rocky. Madrid have been plagued by injuries, losing Gareth Bale once again to a calf injury. With the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, the club now lacks a target man- a job that Benzema has been unable to fulfill. Their midfield has also lacked creativity, a surprising reality considering their stellar squad. What remains to be seen is how Solari will amass momentum, especially with a crucial match against Atletico Madrid nearing Feb. 9th.
In LaLiga Real has fallen prey to the smaller teams; in their vulnerability these lower-ranked squads have managed to steal some precious points. Despite this, Real have surprised many in the Champions. Los Blancos finished in the top of their group and now face a powerful Ajax side in February. With the rest of the LaLiga season to go, it’s impossible to write off Real Madrid just yet. While they will have to fight for the third place position in the Spanish league, they remain strong competitors in the UEFA Champions. A club as rich in footballing history as Madrid can prove themselves, even when it seems hopeless. While they may be at a rough patch right now, this team will only climb higher.
The 2018/2019 season still has many questions to be answered. As the campaign progresses, one thing is for sure: LaLiga is no walk in the park, even for Spain’s Big Three.
