Barcelona-Real Madrid Rivalry Heats Up at Top of La Liga

Many predicted that this season would be a two-horse race for the La Liga title between champions Barcelona and big spending Real Madrid.

Week 24 has recently passed and those predictions look to be spot-on.

Barcelona are currently top of the table with Real Madrid only two points behind.

Barcelona overcome Malaga at home, and Real Madrid thrashed Tenerife 5-1 away from home.

The win over Malaga took Barcelona to 61 points—one more than this stage last season when they one the title.

Barcelona have only dropped 11 points all season, losing to Atletico Madrid and picking up draws against Valencia, Osasuna, Bilbao, and Villarreal, and look on course to retain the league.

The level of competition this season is underlined by the fact that Real Madrid, themselves, have set a club record for the amount of points gained in the first 24 weeks of the season with 59 points.

Both clubs have been scoring freely. Real Madrid have a slightly better goal difference but have conceded four more goals than Barcelona.

Lionel Messi's late goal against Malaga at the weekend ensured he overtook Ronaldinho in the club's all time goal-scorers table in the league.

Messi has scored 71 league goals in 129 games—an average of a goal every other game.

Over at Real Madrid, new coach Manuel Pellegrini's decision to give Cristiano Ronaldo a free role behind Gonzalo Higuain has worked wonders.

The strike partnership of Higuain and Ronaldo currently has the highest goal scoring record in Europe's top five leagues.

Even Madrid legend Raul managed to get on the score sheet this weekend.

It was Raul's 227th goal, and he now sits third in the all time La Liga goal scoring chart level with another Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano.

Barcelona are playing as well as last season, and Real Madrid's 'galacticos' appear to be gelling at the right time.

The top two play each other on Apr. 11 at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid will want to avenge Barcelona's 1-0 win when the teams last faced each other.

It could quite easily decide where this season's La Liga title ends up.