Final Showdown – Barcelona v Eibar
Much will depend on Real Madrid’s result away at Celta Vigo on Wednesday night, but whatever happens at the Balaídos, the title race will go down to the final round of fixtures this weekend.
Barcelona simply must win at home against Eibar on Sunday night and hope that either Celta Vigo or Malaga can claim an unlikely win over Los Blancos to hand Luis Enrique’s men a 25th La Liga title.
It has been an epic showdown between the two Spanish giants with Barcelona effectively keeping the title race alive with that hair-raising last gasp 3-2 win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in April, but it remains advantage Real as Eibar come to the Camp Nou on Sunday.
Eibar have taken on the big boys in La Liga this season and shone, Sociedad Deportiva Eibar, S.A.D to go by their full name currently occupy eighth in the top flight and can finish no lower than tenth in what is guaranteed to be their best finish in the club’s history.
Head Coach José Luis Mendilibar has turned ‘little’ Eibar (there home ground the Ipurua Municipal Stadium only holds 7083 spectators) into giants in their own rights as the Copa Del Rey Quarter-finalists prepare for their final outing of the season.
Although back to back defeats against Atletico Madrid and Sporting Gijon has seen the Gunners end the season rather disappointingly.
By Contrast, Barcelona have been playing like a poker professional with a Royal Flush playing on this site after six straight wins in the league has kept them in the title hunt.
In fact, the Catalans have amassed a stonking 27 points out of a possible 30 in their last ten games.
In their last six games, Barcelona have found the back of the net an incredible 24 times at an average of 4 goals per game (admittedly seven of those were against bottom side Osasuna).
That kind of form makes Sunday’s result almost a foregone conclusion despite Barcelona still with a Copa Del Rey final against Alaves to look forward to.
Whatever happens on Sunday night, either Real Madrid or Barcelona will be crowned Spanish Champions and it will be well deserved.
But how Enrique must be kicking himself for missed opportunities earlier on in the season that now appear to be telling.
It is not all over yet and the Blaugrana could still sneak an unlikely double, they just need a huge slip-up from arch rivals Real Madrid.