Barcelona Struggling Form Helping Fuel La Liga Power Vacuum
There’s an interesting dynamic in La Liga at the moment, and while it might feel like Real Madrid is the team that has taken over from Barcelona, there is still everything to play for as we head into the crunch stages of the season. As week 23 concludes, the Catalonians are eight points behind Carlo Ancelotti’s men and six points behind Girona, one of the league’s biggest surprise packages for a good few years.
Like many top European leagues, La Liga has a setup whereby Real Madrid, Barcelona, and occasionally Athletico Madrid rotate around the top three, with sports betting companies reflecting this in their outright markets before the season’s opening game. These teams consistently make up the bulk of La Liga predictions going into the beginning of the campaign. If anybody told you they had Girona ahead of Barcelona after 23 games, they’ve managed to pick correctly ahead of every other Spanish football fan and expert.
Is Barcelona Solely To Blame For The Power Vacuum?
Xavi has struggled at Barcelona this year, and given that he’s now decided to step down at the end of this season, the head honchos at Barca must ensure they get his replacement right. If you compare their decline with the likes of Chelsea in the Premier League, it’s far from irredeemable. For the right manager, the Catalonians could seal this power vacuum exceptionally quickly.
Although Girona will do extremely well to keep the momentum until the end of the season, they’re probably unlikely to become a permanent fixture amongst the oligopoly of the two Madrid giants and Barcelona; it’s a much more intriguing look to the league than there has been over the last few years.
Other teams have slid into the Girona mold since the beginning of this century, most notably Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna, and Bilbao. However, while there is a cluster of solid teams in the chasing pack, the idea that they could challenge Real Madrid’s dominance is still premature for now.
Other Factors To Weigh Up
Ultimately, Real Madrid would have to buckle and end up in the mix with the top four or five teams. While Girona lingers ominously just a couple of points behind them, the game at the Bernabeu could be the pivotal moment in the title, as a win would put Madrid five points clear at the top. While Barcelona has been staying ahead of the trends off the pitch, signing a multi-year deal with a crypto sponsor and seizing the potential opportunities in the future, their uninspiring football on the pitch is the most alarming.
Final Thoughts
Barcelona’s form is a huge concern for them. Still, in terms of a potential power vacuum opening up, there needs to be another couple of teams doing what Girona are doing, and we also need to see Real Madrid lose their grip on the top spot too. While the wheels may already be in motion, it will take a lot more to see a power vacuum come to fruition, but it’s certainly exciting times in La Liga.
