We’re over two-thirds of the way through the 2023/24 La Liga season and, while there is still plenty to play for in the Primera Division, the El Clasico giants have their thoughts elsewhere this week.
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid were held to draws at the weekend, and those results left Los Blancos firmly in charge of the title push, seven points ahead of Girona and eight ahead of the Catalans.
But there was a huge amount of controversy surrounding Madrid’s failure the beat Valencia. Meanwhile, in Catalonia, the money men are readying themselves for another summer of strife.
The current campaign has not been great for the Blaugrana and, while they are still in the title race, the latest La Liga 2024 betting odds are increasingly confident of a Madrid celebration in May.
Barcelona have been away from their spiritual home this season as work continues on the Camp Nou Stadium, and attendances at the Lluis Olympic Stadium have been down. And then in January, manager Xavi announced he will be leaving the club at the end of the season. The Barca board have tried to persuade Xavi to reverse his decision, but he is holding firm at the moment.
Finances are a major headache, and the club is working hard to secure a new, major sponsorship scheme as well as looking for investors for their media channel Barca Vision. President Joan Laporta is making progress according to the Spanish press, and sources at the club say a lucrative deal is inching closer, one which will provide financial stability to the club and that would be music to the ears of the Blaugrana fans.
But on the down side, reports have emerged that super agent Jorge Mendes has had a recent meeting with Barcelona chiefs, and the rumblings are that he has been discussing Saudi Arabia. Apparently, Mendes is trying to find exit routes for Joao Felix, on loan from Atletico Madrid, and Brazilian winger Raphinha.
Barca will certainly need to raise funds or cut costs in the summer, unless a big sponsorship deal exceeds expectations, but none of the club’s major assets, Frenkie De Jong, Ronald Araujo, and Robert Lewandowski, want to leave.
The club has exceeded its salary budget by over €100 million this season, and they will also need to account for Gavi and Inigo Martinez, who need to be registered to play in the 2024/25 campaign.
Here at SBOTOP, we’ll keep watching the developments in Catalonia and their progress in the title run-in. Barca were held to a goalless draw away to fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, and they have a chance to close the gap to the top on Friday night when they host Real Mallorca.
Real Madrid considering Bellingham appeal
The weekend’s La Liga 2024 news headlines were dominated by the incredible scenes at the end of Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Valencia. After Los Ches had raced into a 2-0 lead, Vinicius Junior silenced the Mestalla crowd with a double, the first on the cusp of halftime and the equaliser with a quarter of an hour to play.
That set up a grandstand finish and Jude Bellingham thought he’d grabbed a 99th minute winner when he powered home a header from a Real Madrid corner. But the referee disallowed the goal, blowing his whistle while the ball was on the air and a split second before it hit the net.
Bellingham’s reaction was understandably furious and his language rather colourful and that earned him a red card, but manager Carlo Ancelotti has defended his midfield ace, saying the referees’ decision was an insult and that his player was simply annoyed and did not say anything directly offencive to the ref.
Bellingham’s straight red card could leave him with a three-match ban which would mean he will miss the upcoming match against Celta Vigo, a trip to Osasuna, and then a big game against an in-form Athletic Bilbao. The England star can play in Real’s Champions League second leg against RB Leipzig, but then Madrid are expected to appeal the red card.
On a brighter note for Los Blancos, two long-term absentees are back in training and could be available for the title run-in.
Keeper Thibaut Courtois has been out since the start of the campaign after he suffered an ACL injury, but he is now back on the grass, as is Eder Militao, who has not appeared since August.
Celta Vigo will come too early for those two experienced stars, but we could see them back in action within a month.
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