FC Barcelona secured a crucial 4–3 victory over Real Madrid in a thrilling encounter that reignited the La Liga title race, bringing the trophy within touching distance. After building a significant lead on their biggest rivals, head coach Hansi Flick delivered an important message to his players.
Barcelona found themselves trailing 0–2 just 14 minutes into the match but mounted an impressive comeback, scoring four unanswered goals before Kylian Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute. Despite the French star’s efforts, it wasn’t enough for Real Madrid to turn the tide.
Heading into the match, Barcelona sat atop the table with 79 points—just four ahead of second-place Real Madrid. The high-stakes clash was billed as an opportunity for Madrid to claw back into the race or for Barca to take a decisive step toward the title. With the win at Montjuic Olympic Stadium, the Catalan side now hold a commanding position.
In the post-match press conference, Flick was asked whether he already feels like a champion. His response was measured: “No. It’s football, so you don’t know what will happen. We are in a good position and we need three more points. That’s what we want to do as soon as possible, but every match will be tough, but I think we can reach it.”
With 82 points from 35 matches, Barcelona now hold a seven-point lead over Real Madrid (75 points) with only three games remaining. While some are already ready to crown Barca as champions, Flick is urging his team to remain focused until the job is done.
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Barcelona’s remaining fixtures in the La Liga title race
Just three matchdays remain in the 2024–25 La Liga season, with nine points still on the table. Barcelona could mathematically clinch the title as early as next week—but tough challenges lie ahead.
In Thursday, May 15th, Barcelona will visit Espanyol in the Catalan derby. Despite sitting 14th in the table, Espanyol are not yet safe from relegation and have lost only four times at home this season. Notably, they defeated Real Madrid at the RCDE Stadium earlier in the campaign.
Next week in Sunday, May 18, Barca host Villarreal, a team currently battling to secure a UEFA Champions League spot. In the last match of the league, in Sunday, May 25, Barcelona close the season against Athletic Bilbao at San Mames, where Athletic lost just once at home in La Liga this season, a narrow defeat to Atletico Madrid.
