Real out to break records and Barca monopoly
Reuters - Thursday 16 February 2012, 10:49
Real Madrid's 10-point lead
over Barcelona at the top of La Liga should be more than enough
to secure a first title since 2008 and the focus has shifted to
whether Jose Mourinho's fearsome side can smash the records for
points and goals.
On current form - they have won 17 of 18 games since the end
of September - they will easily outstrip the 99 points Barca
accumulated in 2010 and are comfortably on course to beat the
top mark of 107 goals set by John Toshack's Real team in 1990.
Real's consistency owes much to the form of La Liga top
scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 27 goals in 22 matches ahead
of Saturday's game at home to struggling Racing Santander.
The creativity of Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria, who have 24
league assists between them, and solidity of central defenders
Sergio Ramos and Pepe have been key, while strikers Karim
Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain have contributed regularly with
vital goals.
Mourinho appears, too, to have imbued his players with
greater self-belief, which has helped them to some impressive
comeback wins both at home and on the road.
However, Barca's struggles on their travels - they lost 3-2
at Osasuna last weekend and have taken just 17 of 33 available
points - is the principle reason why the battle for the league
title looks to be over with just over half the season played.
"I am sure that the players and the coach will not concede a
centimetre of their advantage," Real Director of Football Miguel
Pardeza said on Wednesday.
"We are well positioned and the 10 points give us some room
for error," the former Real player added.
"But now it's about avoiding carelessness because Barca is
still a great rival and in sport you can't assume something is
over until the goal has been completely achieved."
SPANISH TRADITION
For all their dominance over the rest of the teams in La
Liga, Real face the real prospect of winning the title without
managing to beat their arch rivals.
Barca, who host third-placed Valencia on Sunday, came from a
goal down to secure a 3-1 success at Real's Bernabeu stadium in
December, knocked Real out of the King's Cup over two legs in
January and also beat them to win the season-opening Spanish
Super Cup in August.
However, Real may have already clinched the title by the
time they play at the Nou Camp at the end of April and if the
Barca players have to applaud their rivals on to the pitch, as
is the tradition in Spain, Mourinho and his troops will probably
not care as much about the result.
A win for Valencia at the Nou Camp on Sunday, who are eight
points ahead of their city rivals Levante in fourth, would trim
the gap to Barca to five points.
Levante are at home to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, while
fifth-placed Espanyol play at Getafe on Saturday and improving
Atletico Madrid, in sixth, travel to Gijon to take on struggling
Sporting on Sunday.