Barcelona will return to action next week in search of a third successive La Liga title, there are 11 games to play in a mini-season and the reigning champions are in a two-horse race.
They are leading at the moment, though Real Madrid are chasing the Blaugrana hard, and only two points separate the Clasico rivals, with the rest of the field in the distance, a further nine points adrift. It’s Barca’s to lose, but I suspect we may see a few twists and turns and plenty of drama, and the Catalans need a few factors to go in their favour.
Luis Suarez can make an explosive return
One such factor already has. The break in the season following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has given one of the Blaugrana’s key players time to recover from a long term injury.
Following successful knee surgery in January Luis Suarez has returned to full training and the Uruguayan hitman has been cleared to play when Barca face Real Mallorca in six days time. He was in scintillating form before his injury lay-off, scoring 11 goals and making seven assists, playing over 600 minutes fewer than his team-mate and league-leading scorer, Lionel Messi. The Barca skipper has 19 and looks very likely to win the Golden Boot but Suarez would have been right up there if he had been available throughout the season.
He might make up a little ground on Messi because the Argentine is a slight doubt as he is carrying a thigh strain which will need treatment this week. Head coach Quique Setien won’t take any risks at this early stage and he can rely on France international Antoine Griezmann to support Suarez if necessary.
Can Setien handle the pressure?
Following the sacking of Ernesto Valverde in January, more than a few eyebrows were raised when the Catalans appointed Setien to take over at the helm.
The new man has had a modest career, to say the least. His win percentage at Barcelona, 67 per cent, is the first time he’s exceeded 50 in seven jobs, with an aggregate of 38. He is yet to win a trophy as a coach, though he did guide Racing Santander to promotion in 2002 before leaving at the end of the campaign due to pressure.
So far, he seems to be coping at the Camp Nou. He has plenty of experience in his side to call upon. Behind the front three, Sergio Busquets is still a powerful presence in the middle of the park, while the towering Gerard Pique is a great comfort at the back. The 33-year-old central defender has experience in bucket loads with eight La Liga titles and four Champions League medals to his name.
Los Blancos likely Champions League exit
Barcelona still have designs on the Champions League and should navigate a second leg tie against Napoli having drawn the first leg. But Real Madrid have a big uphill task to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit to favourites Manchester City.
That could work in Real’s favour if European commitments play on the minds of the Blaugrana, and Zinedine Zidane’s men also took a psychological advantage just before the lockdown with a 2-0 victory over Messi and Co. Vinicius Junior and Mariano were on the score sheet and that will have been hugely pleasing to ZZ, who has struggled to find a reliable replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo since his departure in 2018.
Karim Benzema has struggled manfully, as a lone striker, and has bagged 14 goals, but big-money players have failed to contribute. In his first season at the Bernabeu Eden Hazard has been unlucky with injuries, while the troubled Welshman Gareth Bale has only made 11 starts. And Luka Jovic’s high profile move from Eintracht Frankfurt hasn’t worked out so far.
The fixtures are in Blaugrana’s favour
While they may have more than one priority, the fixture list looks helpful to the champions. With 11 games to play Barca face the bottom four, including Real Mallorca and Leganes in their first two games after the restart; so we can reasonably assume their opening La Liga 2020 results in phase two of the campaign will yield six points.
Seven of Barca’s opponents are in the bottom half of the table and their biggest tests will come against Sevilla and Atletico Madrid. In contrast, Los Blancos have more teams to play from the top half of the table and face five of the top nine.
Setien’s big club inexperience, compared to Zidane is the most worrying factor for me, but on balance I’m backing Barca to win a third consecutive league title; and the latest La Liga 2020 betting odds here at SBOBET pitch Barcelona at 1.52 with Los Blancos at 2.20.
Take your pick.
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