Madrid - Barcelona suffered a 2-1 loss to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, missing an opportunity to increase their lead in the Spanish league after Real Madrid's setback against Girona. With seven matches left, Barcelona's lead over second-placed Madrid remains at 11 points.
Despite the loss, Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo remained optimistic, acknowledging Rayo's impressive performance and emphasizing the importance of the next two home games. He said, "They played a great match and deserved the win. We still have an 11-point lead, it's a good advantage, and now we have two consecutive games at home and we have to win them."
Barcelona's next two league games will be played at Camp Nou Stadium against Real Betis and Osasuna. Prior to this game, they had won at home against Atletico Madrid, ending a three-game winless streak. However, they couldn't capitalize on Real Madrid's loss as they lost 2-1 to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, leaving their gap to second-place Madrid at 11 points with only seven matches remaining.
Barcelona coach Xavi expressed his disappointment, stating, "It wasn't a good game for us. We are upset because it was a good opportunity for us. It's not over yet." Despite this loss, Barcelona's lead remains comfortable, especially with Real Madrid focusing on the Champions League semifinals against Manchester City and the Copa del Rey final against Osasuna.
Meanwhile, the victory for Rayo Vallecano was their second in three games, allowing them to stay in ninth place. They scored in the 19th minute with a goal from Álvaro García and again in the 53rd minute with a goal from Fran García. Barcelona was able to get on the board late with a goal from Robert Lewandowski, who had only scored two goals in his last ten matches leading up to the game against Rayo.
ATLETICO REBOUNDS
Atletico Madrid bounced back from their loss to Barcelona with a strong 3-1 victory against Mallorca at their home ground. Rodrigo De Paul, Álvaro Morata, and Yannick Carrasco all scored for Atletico, reducing their gap to second-place Real Madrid to just three points.
Securing the second place in the league is especially important for Atletico as it guarantees them a spot in the lucrative Spanish Super Cup that is held in Saudi Arabia. Atletico now has 73 points from 34 games, just three points behind Real Madrid, while Barcelona leads the table with 76 points. The victory against Mallorca will give Atletico some confidence ahead of their next game against Elche away from home.
Atletico Madrid maintained their position at the top of the La Liga table with a 3-1 win against Mallorca at home. Rodrigo De Paul, Álvaro Morata, and Yannick Carrasco scored for Atletico in the match, which saw them cut their gap to second-place Real Madrid to just three points. The victory also marked Atletico's 120-year anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion, the team played in a blue-and-white uniform, which harks back to the club's origins.
Despite their comfortable lead at the top of the table, Atletico's gap to fifth-place Real Betis, the first team outside the Champions League spots, is still a considerable 14 points.
OTHER RESULTS
Almeria and Getafe clashed in a crucial match for their fight against relegation. Almeria emerged victorious with a 2-1 win and climbed to 15th place in the Spanish league, three points above the relegation zone. Getafe, on the other hand, dropped to 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone.
In another match, Celta Vigo secured a 1-0 home win against last-place Elche, which helped them climb to 12th place in the league standings.
