10 Key Issues That Will Shape Destiny of La Liga Title Race
Barcelona moved to the top of the table in La Liga on Sunday, thrashing Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at Camp Nou to capitalise on Real Madrid's loss to Athletic Bilbao a day earlier and usurp their fierce rivals.
It's the first time Luis Enrique's men have sat atop the standings since October, with Sunday's changing of places significantly altering the complexion of this season's title race in the Primera Division.
Just behind Spain's two biggest clubs, Atletico Madrid continue to linger in third place, and despite drawing 1-1 with Valencia on Sunday, they didn't actually drop any further back from the top—the gap is still seven points, only the team to catch has changed.
Across the following slides, we examine 10 key issues that will determine the whereabouts of the league trophy by season's end.
How Quickly Real Madrid's Injured Stars Can Get Back Up to Speed
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Since Luka Modric went down with injury in November, Real Madrid have lacked fluency.
After James Rodriguez joined him on the sidelines in early February, that issue has been accentuated for Los Blancos.
For the European champions, it's imperative both men hit the ground running upon their respective returns to the team if Carlo Ancelotti's men are to maintain their title challenge.
According to Marca, Modric will make his first appearance of 2015 against Schalke in the Champions League on Tuesday—the report also says Sergio Ramos could return against Levante in the following game—while AS (h/t ESPN FC) report that Rodriguez won't reappear until mid-April.
Anticipating the returns of Modric and Rodriguez most eagerly will be Real Madrid's front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, who've seen the quality of their supply diminish without the presence of the team's most gifted distributors in attacking areas.
Depth of Each Team's Champions League Run
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During Real Madrid's charge to the capture La Decima last season, there was a genuine feeling that Los Blancos' obsession with their quest in Europe proved detrimental to their performance in La Liga at the back end of the campaign.
Of course, the theory of Champions League football affecting domestic form doesn't always prove to be true—in all four of Barcelona's triumphant seasons in Europe since 1991-92, they've also won the league.
But European duties are still a possible factor. They could have an influence, particularly if Spain's title contenders have significantly contrasting levels of success in the Champions League.
If one of La Liga's top three bow out of the continental competition far earlier than the others—particularly Atletico Madrid—then that side's focus and preparation for each league contest thereafter could be enhanced.
In a season that's followed a World Cup and has also been interrupted by Euro 2016 qualifiers, the added rest could be prove more influential than it has in other years.
Survival Status of Lesser Opponents in Final Weeks of the Season
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Remember the end of last season in La Liga, when the top three won just a single game between them in the campaign's final three weeks?
Well, that could happen again. And what will play a major role is the survival status of the league's smaller teams set to face Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico in the closing stages of the season.
In their last two games, Los Blancos face Espanyol and Getafe. In the closing stages of the campaign, Barcelona will also face those two teams, as well as Cordoba and Deportivo La Coruna. Atletico, meanwhile, have meetings with Levante and Granada in two of their last three games.
Which opponents will be ready to fight, desperate to maintain their presence in La Liga? Which teams, having already secured survival, will be cruising with little to play for? And which will have had relegation confirmed and have completely given up by the time the last few weeks of the season arrive?
Make no mistake about it, the survival status of the league's smaller teams will have a genuine impact on how difficult the run-in will be for the title contenders.
Barcelona's Slightly Harder Run Home
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Though Barcelona currently sit atop the table in La Liga, the Catalans also have the hardest run home among the title contenders.
Indeed, Luis Enrique's men still have clashes with Real Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla (away) and Atletico Madrid between now and the end of the season.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, having played Atletico twice already, face just three—not all four—of their fellow top-five rivals in the season's run-in.
But it's Atletico who have the easiest schedule ahead, given that Diego Simeone's men have already played Real Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla twice.
That leaves the clash with the Blaugrana at Camp Nou on the season's penultimate weekend as Los Colchoneros' only top-five clash for the remainder of the season.
Can Atletico's Midfield Can Have a Late-Season Resurgence?
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The biggest factor in Atletico Madrid's slump since the Madrid derby has been the team's complete loss of control in midfield.
Against both Celta Vigo and Sevilla (and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League), Diego Simeone's men were comprehensively overrun centrally, with veterans Tiago and Gabi really struggling to make an impact in the absence of Koke due to injury.
If Atleti are going to mount a title challenge, that needs to change immediately.
Positively, Sunday's draw with Valencia featured a vastly improved midfield showing from the defending champions. Though Koke's return was undoubtedly a major boost, Gabi, Tiago and Arda Turan recaptured some of their previous spark to help Atleti dominate the opening hour in general play.
Without Diego Costa, it's imperative for Atletico to build upon that performance, given that Simeone's men are no longer the devastating counter-attacking force they were with Costa leading the line.
If they want to string together six or seven consecutive wins—and that's what they need to do—their midfield has to enjoy a late-season resurgence to establish a sense of control in their games.
Injuries and Suspensions
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Yes, it's said all the time, but it's also true: Injuries can derail the title bids of even the deepest teams around.
For evidence of just how damaging long-term absences can be, you only need to look at how Real Madrid's blistering form has evaporated in the absence of Luka Modric and James Rodriguez.
After a staggering stretch to open the season, Carlo Ancelotti's men have lost all fluency in attack and look the most disjointed they've been at any stage of the Italian's tenure.
The same could easily happen to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid during the season's remaining weeks.
Additionally, suspensions for key games are likely to have an impact.
Atleti badly missed Antoine Griezmann against Valencia, after the Frenchman had picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Sevilla the previous weekend.
At Barcelona, Javier Mascherano, Jeremy Mathieu and Sergio Busquets are just one yellow card away from suspension, while Real Madrid's Rodriguez, Isco, Alvaro Arbeloa and Toni Kroos are in the same position.
With crunch games looming, one-game suspensions because of the accumulation of bookings could prove decisive.
Will MSN's Current Advantage over BBC Continue?
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In the wake of Real Madrid's loss to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, the reaction from Madrid-based daily Marca was extreme.
"Athletic take BBC off the air," read one headline. "Ronaldo freefalling," was another. "Will the Real Madrid please stand up?" asked a third, while one simply remarked "San Ma-mess."
Essentially, there was one question: What has happened to Real Madrid's attack led by Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema?
Since the turn of the year, Ronaldo and Benzema have five goals in La Liga, while Bale has three.
In contrast, Barcelona's front three have been devastating: Lionel Messi has 15 league goals in the same period, and Neymar and Luis Suarez have six apiece.
Collectively, the difference in 2015 has been immense.
If that pattern continues, Barcelona will likely march to the Primera Division title.
Carlo Ancelotti's Ability to Recapture His Team's Early-Season Groove
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After Saturday's defeat to Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was extremely frank with his assessment of his team.
According to Marca, the Italian said:
"We're lacking a bit of effectiveness up front. There's no linking up. We played too individually when we needed other kinds of solutions. What we're doing when we attack at the moment is rather disorganised. It's strange to say that Real Madrid have problems up front when we've scored so many goals, but I think it's the truth.
I have to take full responsibility because this is my team and they're playing poorly.
"
Rather concisely, Ancelotti summed up his team's problem: the early-season groove is gone. And as manager, it's up to him to find a solution.
Of course, Luka Modric's impending return will provide a boost. But Ancelotti is going to need to find other ways of re-establishing a rhythm in this Real Madrid team; Modric on his own can't cure the current slump.
Almost everything about Los Blancos' play feels disjointed at present. Nothing is working in harmony.
Ancelotti doesn't have long to fix that.
Barcelona's Momentum
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Momentum is a valuable commodity in football. But more important than just momentum itself is when a team establishes it.
Right now, Barcelona and Real Madrid are perfect examples of that. In the first half of the season, Los Blancos had it all; as we prepare for the home stretch, Barcelona have wrested it away completely.
That's extremely important in the race for this season's title, because Barcelona simply have to prolong their current form and Real have to drastically turn theirs around.
Thus, though Barca's schedule is slightly more difficult than those belonging to their title rivals in the capital, momentum still gives the Catalans an edge.
El Clasico
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Always action-packed, often controversial and regularly decisive.
That's what El Clasico is, and on March 22, we'll witness the latest edition at Camp Nou.
We know it will be anything other than dull, but will it determine the title?
