- Barcelona lost to 19th-placed Almeria
- Gap now at 7 points
- Clasico in three weeks
WHAT HAPPENED? Barcelona were humiliated on Sunday, losing 1-0 to 19th-placed Almeria. Los Blancos took heart from the upset, and according to The Athletic, their team chat exploded with belief. The Blaugrana's lead at the top of La Liga has been cut to seven points, and they are without Pedri and Roberto Lewandowski for at least two weeks. Real Madrid, while inconsistent themselves, have a window of opportunity to close the gap.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Barcelona have endured a shaky few days, first crashing out of the Europa League with a loss to Manchester United, then dropping points against lowly Almeria. And with injuries starting to rack up, the next month could be season-defining.
WHAT THEY SAID? Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted that his side are still in the title race, despite facing a seven-point deficit to their arch rivals: "It's more complicated but it's not goodbye, we have to fight until the end and see what happens," the manager said after Real's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid over the weekend.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
@FCBarcelona
Getty Images
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID? Los Blancos and Barcelona will meet in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Thursday, before both continue their La Liga campaigns the following Sunday.