In the upcoming Clasico, if Real Madrid wins, the gap between the top two teams will shrink to just one point.
Real Madrid has reduced the gap to Barcelona after defeating Celta Vigo. However, the La Liga title still remains in Barcelona’s hands. Acknowledging this reality, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says they aim to get closer to their rivals by winning the upcoming Clasico.
On Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid barely held on to a 3-2 win against Celta Vigo after leading by three goals. After Arda Güler put the champions ahead, Kylian Mbappé scored twice to extend their lead.
However, in the second half, Real Madrid lost their rhythm. Goals from Javi Rodríguez and Willi Svedberg brought Celta back into the game. In the end, the hosts managed to escape with a narrow 3-2 victory.
The day before, Barcelona extended their lead over Real Madrid to seven points with a 2-1 win against Valladolid. But Real Madrid’s win against Celta reduced the gap to four points again.
With 75 points from 34 matches, Real Madrid is second, while Barcelona leads with 79 points from the same number of matches.
The two teams will meet in the fourth Clasico of the season next Sunday. If Barcelona wins, they will be close to securing the title. However, a Real Madrid win will reduce the gap to just one point, keeping their title hopes alive.
The match is crucial for both teams. Despite acknowledging its importance after the Celta match, Ancelotti does not consider it a title-deciding game.
“Winning the Clasico is essential. I’m not saying it’s decisive, but almost decisive… The league is still in Barcelona’s hands because even if we win, we will still be one point behind them.”
“For us, this is a great opportunity. We have a week to prepare and make the most of the time available.”
Ancelotti is not giving up on retaining the title. After losing the previous three Clasicos of the season, the Italian coach is preparing for another tough battle.
“We will approach this important match with all our confidence. Playing and fighting there (at Barcelona’s ground) is a great challenge. Just a week ago, we put up a good fight in the Copa del Rey and were very close to winning.”
Ancelotti believes that in the Barcelona match, Kylian Mbappé, who scored two goals against Celta, could make the difference.
“Mbappé will be very important for the Barcelona match. His pace could be decisive against Barcelona’s high defensive line. The more he moves on the field, the better it will be for the team.”
