What was an exciting La Liga title race is now nothing more than a victory lap for Barcelona in the final month of the season.
Real Madrid’s return to form ahead of the March international break reignited the fight for the Spanish crown, setting up what appeared to be a photo-finish for the second consecutive season. Only four points separated the bitter rivals, and a title-deciding Clásico loomed large.
Yet Los Blancos’ dismal performances against Mallorca and Girona took the sting out the race, all but handing Barcelona the trophy. The Catalans are now six points clear of their bitter rivals, and a win against Espanyol increases the gap to nine.
Suddenly, the next fixtures for Barcelona become more about when they can clinch the title, while Real Madrid’s remaining matches offer opportunities for the team to simply end the season without completely humiliating themselves.
Barcelona, Real Madrid’s Next Five La Liga Games
|
Barcelona |
Real Madrid |
|---|---|
|
Espanyol (H) – April 11 |
Alavés (H) – April 21 |
|
Celta Vigo (H) – April 22 |
Real Betis (A) – April 24 |
|
Getafe (A) – April 25 |
Espanyol (A) – May 3 |
|
Osasuna (A) – May 3 |
Barcelona (A) – May 10 |
|
Real Madrid (H) – May 10 |
Real Oviedo (H) – May 13 |
Barcelona only have a game in hand until Saturday, when they face off with Espanyol in what is always a fiery Catalan derby. Coming off such a devastating Champions League loss to Atlético Madrid midweek and with their eye on the all-important second leg, the defending Spanish champions just might have more trouble than they should dispatching their rivals.
Matches against Celta Vigo and Getafe, two teams that have defeated Real Madrid this season, present challenges as well, though Hansi Flick’s men at their best are more than capable of getting past the two opponents.
Osasuna is another team that found success against Real Madrid this season, showing their quality despite where they sit in the table. Yet facing off with Barcelona is another beast, one the club has only conquered once in its last 12 meetings with the Catalans.
Then the third El Clásico of 2025–26 awaits, but there will likely be nothing more than pride on the line, considering how far back Real Madrid are in the title race. Even a win against their bitter rivals would not be enough to even give the team a fighting chance at the trophy.
Real Madrid’s next La Liga match comes against 15th-place Alavés, a team that in no way should give Arbeloa’s men trouble. Real Betis away, though, is a much more difficult task. Los Blancos have not won at the Estadio Benito Villamarín since 2021.
Then comes a tough trip to Catalonia, where the 15-time European champions will face off with Espanyol and then Barcelona in back-to-back matches. Manolo González’s side has not won a single match in 2026, and will serve as a glorified warm-up for El Clásico.
Just a few weeks ago, Los Blancos viewed their clash with Barcelona as a title-turning opportunity. Three points against the defending champions would have placed intense pressure on Flick’s men to finish out the season perfect. Yet so many blunders from Real Madrid as of late have made the highly anticipated match rather meaningless in the fight for the Spanish crown.
After their trip to the Camp Nou, the 15-time European champions return to the Bernabéu to take on relegation-bound Real Oviedo. Depending on the result of El Clásico, the team could be in for a hostile reception.
