Barcelona can win the Spanish league for the 19th time after double champions Real Madrid waved the white flag in the title race with a 3-0 loss at Valencia on Saturday.
Real trail Barcelona by seven points and Pep Guardiola’s side will be crowned champions with three games to spare if they can beat Villarreal at the Nou Camp.
Real were still reeling from their 6-2 drubbing by Barcelona last Saturday in El Clasico and they were outclassed again as two goals in three minutes laid the foundations for a comfortable Valencia win.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Juan Mata, a youth product let go by Real in 2007, scored his 11th goal of the season on 29 minutes before David Silva, a Real transfer target, netted a second in the 32nd minute. Ruben Baraja scored a great second-half volley and it could have been more but for some poor finishing.
It was Real’s first away defeat since mid-December when they lost 2-0 at Barcelona, who are poised to dethrone them as champions.
Valencia move four points behind Sevilla and, more importantly, open a four-point gap over Champions League rivals Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.
“This was a massive win for us and we just have to keep pushing for the Champions League spot,” Silva said. “Atletico and Villarreal are still in the hunt and we will see what they do. We have done our bit.”
Real lost French international Lass Diarra to a bout of flu, so Javi Garcia, a youth team product back at the club after a season at Osasuna, partnered Fernando Gago in a very defensive-minded midfield.
Valencia were on top early on as Real struggled to shrug off their El Clasico hangover and Iker Casillas pulled off a fine save in the opening minutes to stop Baraja’s header.
On 29 minutes, Valencia got the breakthrough they deserved when Mata, capped by Spain for the first time this season, finished with aplomb after a great lay-off from David Villa.
Real tried to sign Villa for a reputed 40 million euros (US$54.5 million) in the summer and are tipped to bid again at the end of this season.
Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Silva was given too much time to shoot and Casillas couldn’t keep out the effort, despite getting a hand on the shot. Real coach Juande Ramos, whose future is looking bleak after recent results, didn’t make any changes at halftime and Valencia continued to carve out the best chances.
Baraja hammered in a great left-footed volley to clinch the game and Real couldn’t wait to get off the pitch.
Sevilla still hold a four-point gap over Valencia after a 3-1 comeback win over Real Mallorca.
Aritz Aduriz put Mallorca ahead, but Sevilla responded through a Freddy Kanoute penalty before second-half goals from Luis Fabiano and Jesus Navas sealed a first home win since late March.
“We are close to our objective [third place] and this win guarantees that we will be third until the penultimate weekend of the season,” Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez said. “It would be tough on our fans if we didn’t finish third.”
Athletic Bilbao warmed up for Wednesday’s King’s Cup final against Barcelona with a 1-0 win over troubled Real Betis.
Ion Velez scored the only goal of the game in the 29th minute to boost Bilbao’s hopes for the Barcelona challenge. Bilbao will start as strong underdogs, but have a great record in the domestic cup, winning it on 24 occasions, although this will be their first final since 1985.
Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros said: “We have to have faith in ourselves and if we are fortunate enough to win, we will also have the satisfaction of beating the best team in the world.”
For Betis, staying in the league is the only priority, with the Seville-based club just three points above the relegation zone.
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