Barcelona are running away with the 2022-23 title, but it seems that something is still missing, as it will be their first La Liga crown in a while without their beloved superstar, Lionel Messi.
The Blaugrana are on their way after they stretched their win streak to four consecutive matches after beating Elche 4-0 on Sunday to extend their table lead to at least 12 points (71 points total).
If they had it their way, Barcelona would have Messi back on their team since he’s a Barca man through and through, but a possible return is more complex than it seems despite his current situation in Paris.
Meanwhile, their rivals from the Madrid region – Real and Atletico – are also coming off wins against Valladolid and Real Betis, respectively. However, they still have a long way to go to catch up with Barcelona, according to the La Liga 2023 odds.
Here are some of the top La Liga 2023 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Barcelona pushing for a Messi reunion
Barcelona are vocal about possibly reuniting with Lionel Messi this summer when his current contract with PSG expires in June.
In theory, Barcelona could sign Messi on a free transfer, but they must find a way to meet the 35-year-old’s wage demands, which makes this possibility complicated.
Messi reportedly doesn’t intend to take a huge pay cut despite being 36 years old when the 2023-24 season begins, whether he stays at PSG or goes somewhere else.
So, if this is going to happen, Barca would have to offload multiple players and PSG would have to allow Messi to leave rather than activating their option of extending his Paris stay for another 12 months.
PSG fans are torn about Messi’s future since some of them believe that he has not lived up to the hype in Paris, especially after they were eliminated early in this season’s Champions League by Bayern Munich.
As PSG lost to Lyon at home in Ligue 1 on Sunday, Messi received jeers from the crowd at the Parc des Princes. The Parisiens are still on top of the Ligue 1 table with 66 points, but they now have a smaller margin for error with Lens and Marseille catching up.
False dawn for Eden Hazard?
Eden Hazard made his first La Liga appearance in 204 days in Real Madrid’s 6-0 thumping of Valladolid on Sunday, and Carlo Ancelotti then hinted that the Belgian would still play a role for the club going forward.
Hazard came off the bench to replace Vinicius Jr. when the game was out of reach, and the 32-year-old winger dished an assist for Lucas Vazquez to score the final goal of the match.
“Eden has trained during the break. He has played very little, but he has done well, and has given an assist. By training well, he will have opportunities,” Ancelotti told Diario AS.
Hazard has been linked with a move away from Madrid this summer despite his desire to prove his worth for the team. Last month, the Belgian admitted that his relationship with Ancelotti had broken down because his role had diminished.
“I’m not going to say that we talk to each other, because we don’t talk to each other. But there will always be respect, even if tomorrow he doesn’t make me play anymore,” said Hazard in March.
However, with so many games to cover for Real Madrid heading into the final weeks of the 2022-23 campaign, Ancelotti will need a full squad to choose from.
With the La Liga title effectively lost to El Clasico rivals Barcelona, Hazard might get his chance to play more games to keep certain players fresh for other competitions, such as the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid outline their top four credentials
Since losing to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in their last nine La Liga games (W7, D2), recently beating Real Betis 1-0 last weekend.
Angel Correa scored the winner in the 86th minute for his sixth goal this season, which gave Atletico Madrid a huge boost in trying to secure a top four place.
A draw or a loss would’ve been disappointing for Los Rojiblancos because it would’ve meant that they would only have a slender lead over fellow top-four hopefuls, Real Sociedad and Real Betis. Until Sunday, Angel Correa had appeared in 23 La Liga games but only started nine. Despite the lack of starts, the Argentine is an invaluable part of their squad because of his ability to play multiple positions.
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