Global, La Liga

Peak time for Barça as momentum carries them towards the title

Barcelona have moved within two points of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga after a potentially critical set of results in February, and Rijkaard’s side could be heading for an unlikely treble. Real seemed destined to make it two La Liga titles on the spin after a fantastic first half of the season that [...]

Barcelona have moved within two points of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga after a potentially critical set of results in February, and Rijkaard’s side could be heading for an unlikely treble.

Real seemed destined to make it two La Liga titles on the spin after a fantastic first half of the season that saw them go nine points clear, along with a 100% home record, over a disjointed and squabbling Barcelona. Few believed Frank Rijkaard would hold onto his job and quarrels were dominating the scene at the Camp Nou.

Yet how things have changed in such a short period, and the smart money is now on the Catalan outfit reclaiming their 2006 crown.

An eight point lead two weeks ago has disintegrated into just two, Real have lost four of their last five games in all competitions, and Barcelona, to rub it in, are finally starting to find form after a disastrous few months.

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La Liga is set to return to the norm of a two-horse race between Real and Barça after Sevilla’s impish attempts last season to usurp the ever-dominant duo and Valencia’s very rapid fall from title challengers to relegation scrappers. Third place Villarreal lie ten points off top spot and Atlético Madrid in fourth are a further five points adrift, leaving the top pair to do battle once again. And after Real broke all sorts of records in 2007, their momentum seems to have been lost at the same time Barça have, for the first time this campaign, found theirs.

February has been a month of contrasting fortunes and a potentially title-deciding one. Barcelona have notched up three wins from four, Real just one; the former have collected ten points, the latter only three. Defeats at Almeria and Real Betis were unexpected but the home defeat against fellow Madrid outfit Getafe was a huge shock. Madrid’s incredible 7-0 scorching of Valladolid has been forgotten and Bernd Schuster’s side are facing up to the prospect of ending the season trophyless.

Along with poor league form, Real suffered a 2-1 reverse at the hands of Roma in the Champions League, although they will be confident of overturning the deficit at the Bernabéu next week, especially with i Giallorossi’s lack of experience in Europe’s premier competition. However, that defeat in Rome compounded the sense that a sea change was in the offing and added to the bafflement of those who had witnessed how commanding Madrid had been up until just a few weeks prior.

Momentum is the intangible base to any title race. Arsenal may have handed it over to rivals Manchester United last weekend - as demonstrated by William Gallas’s astonishing end-of-match sulk - and with Barça seemingly peaking at exactly the right time, a momentum shift appears imminent.

Rijkaard has remained strong and dignified and has earned his reward accordingly

Coach Rijkaard had faced intense criticism at the end of the 2006/7 season after his side threw away the title and that censure continued into this campaign as Real marched on. But he has remained strong and dignified and has earned his reward accordingly.

Tight victories against Osasuna and Real Betis and a draw at Sevilla kept them within distance of top spot and they finally turned on the style against bottom club Levante, hammering the Granotes 5-1.

The full use of the much-fabled ‘Fantastic Four’ has greatly helped Rijkaard’s cause. Thierry Henry joined Samuel Eto’o, Ronaldinho and Leo Messi at the club but the Dutch coach has not been able to call on four at the same time due to injury and, inevitably, one or more of the quartet has been left dissatisfied with a lack of playing time. Yet with Barça on a role, the formerly vociferous moans of discontent have faded into undistinguishable echoes.

Eto’o scored a hat-trick against Levante after his return from the Africa Cup of Nations and Messi notched one as Barcelona regained some of the sophistication for which they are renowned. It followed an impressive win at Celtic Park in the Champions League where Henry and Messi scored while the Frenchman and Ronaldinho were on target in the previous La Liga encounter at Real Zaragoza.

And while Barça’s front men begin to peak, it has gone rather stale in the capital. Although Real notched seven against a very poor Valladolid side, they have scored only once in the three other league games this month.

Rijkaard’s side are 14 games unbeaten in all competitions and can still pull off an improbable treble with a Copa del Rey semi-final coming up.

Real’s two league defeats on the bounce coincided with two victories for Barcelona, ensuring the gap at the summit was hastily reduced from eight points to two. From looking dead and buried, Barça have discovered fresh impetus and could steal the title from Real in much the same manner as Los Merengues did to them last season.

It would be sweet revenge for the Blaugranes but particularly so for Rijkaard, whose job has been on the line for over a year. The title race threatens to go to the wire, and it’s more than probable that the losing coach will also lose his job: a little incentive for Schuster and Rijkaard to ensure that their side are not left questioning at what might have been in the high profile race for domestic glory.

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Who will triumph?
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