In the La Liga at dawn on Sunday, the once top matchup between Real Madrid and Barcelona began with a thrilling 1-0 battle, a world-class goal that served as a testament to the gap between the two sides that remains wide open. In the upcoming round of the league, the collision of these two teams will undoubtedly be the focus of this season's title race.
Current leaders Real Madrid will meet Manchester City in a suspenseful Europa League last-eight clash in the early hours of Thursday morning. Real Madrid coach Antonio Ancalotti's handpicked lineup, which featured three strikers - Yannis, Oszulia and Rodrigo Gómez - had only three chances on goal in the first half, none of which hit the target. After the changeover, just three minutes later, midfield centerpiece Cao Yaveney fired a stunning shot from about 30 yards out to break the deadlock for Real Madrid and ultimately maintain the lead. Since 2019/20, Real Madrid have now won 1-0 seven times in all competitions this season, and Antsalotti's tactics were as tasty as boiled sashimi porridge.
Barcelona, on the other hand, will face Paris Saint-Germain in their Europa League one-eighth home game in the early hours of Wednesday morning, where their La Liga ancestor, Orpheus, hooked the ball upside down to beat Cádiz 1-0 and continue their four-game winning streak in the league. Nonetheless, they remain eight points behind Real Madrid, and a win in the early hours of April 22 is essential if Barcelona are to keep their title hopes alive.
