When can Real Madrid win La Liga?

Real Madrid’s victory over Barcelona in El Clasico wasn’t just dramatic because of Jude Bellingham’s late winner — it also increased their lead at the top of La Liga to 11 points.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are now well on course for a record-extending 36th Spanish league title. Their Clasico rivals are second with 27 La Liga trophies, while Atletico Madrid have 11.

With a Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich also to come, and having already won the Supercopa de Espana (Spain’s equivalent of the Community Shield in England), Madrid are looking good this season.

Barcelona will almost certainly relinquish the La Liga crown they won last season and Opta’s end-of-season predictions give Madrid a 100 per cent chance of winning the title.

But it’s not sewn up yet.

Here, we explain when they could be crowned La Liga champions.

What is the state of play in La Liga?

Real Madrid are top on 81 points, 11 points ahead of Barcelona on 70.

Girona are third on 68 points after an early title charge faded away, but Michel’s side have now secured European football for the first time in their history and remain on course for Champions League qualification. Atletico are seven points behind them in fourth, with fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao three points further back.

CLASIFICACIÓN | ¡El @realmadrid amplía su ventaja a once puntos y es MÁS LÍDER de #LALIGAEASPORTS! 🔝🤍 pic.twitter.com/9Pzry38Z7Q

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) April 22, 2024

“It’s much closer,” Ancelotti said of Madrid’s title chances after El Clasico, a victory that followed their Champions League penalty shootout win at Manchester City. “Let’s keep going, we have other matches. Now we need to rest well because it’s been a very demanding but unforgettable week.”

What are Real Madrid’s remaining fixtures?

Madrid travel to Real Sociedad on Friday night before the first leg of their semi-final with Bayern at the Allianz Arena the following Tuesday. They then host Cadiz on Saturday, May 4, before the second leg against Bayern at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, May 8.

A trip to Granada follows on the weekend of May 12, before a midweek home game against Deportivo Alaves. They travel to Villarreal on the weekend of May 19 and host Real Betis for their final match of the league season on the weekend of May 26.

There is also the small matter of a potential Champions League final for Madrid at Wembley on June 1, if Ancelotti’s team make it past Bayern.

What are Barcelona’s remaining fixtures?

Xavi’s side have a tricky next three games — hosting Valencia on Monday and travelling to local rivals Girona on Saturday, May 4, before the visit of Real Sociedad on the weekend of May 12.

They then go to Almeria on the weekend of May 15, welcome Rayo Vallecano on the weekend of May 19, and close the season at Sevilla on the weekend of May 26.

* Date to be determined

When could Real Madrid win La Liga?

The earliest Madrid can claim the title is May 4.

If they win their next two games against Real Sociedad and Cadiz and Barcelona drop points against Valencia or Girona, then Ancelotti’s team will be crowned champions on that Saturday evening.

But Ancelotti’s group could even win the title that afternoon — before Barca play against Girona.

If Madrid beat Real Sociedad this week and Barcelona lose to Valencia, one point from Los Blancos’ home game against Cadiz would see them go 15 points clear. Barca would still have five games to play, but if the teams finish level on points, Madrid will come out on top because of their superior head-to-head record this season (which is taken into account before goal difference in Spain).

If Barca keep up the pressure and both teams win their next three games, Madrid would claim the title on the weekend of May 12 by beating Granada away. Barca would not be able to make up the 11-point deficit with nine left to play for.

How can I watch on TV?

In the United Kingdom, La Liga games are broadcast on LaLigaTV through Viaplay UK. Fans based in the United States can watch La Liga on ESPN+.

What will Madrid’s win mean for Spain’s ‘big two’?

Madrid winning the title would be an impressive achievement for Ancelotti’s side. It’s easy to forget they lost their first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and best central defender Eder Militao to anterior cruciate ligament injuries just as the campaign started. They then saw centre-back David Alaba ruled out with one, too.

Bellingham’s goals (17 in 25 La Liga games so far) helped them build momentum, but the Englishman’s stoppage-time effort against Barcelona was his first for Madrid since February. Squad players have made significant contributions and Ancelotti tweaked his system to make the team more defensively sound when they were overrun in a September defeat by Atletico. That remains their only loss of the league campaign.

This would be Ancelotti’s second La Liga title with Madrid, both won in his second spell at the club since 2021. It would reflect well on Los Blancos’ forward planning — key players such as Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga are all 23 and under, with teenager Endrick and potentially Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, 25, to follow this summer.

By contrast, those at Barca will be disappointed not to have built on last season’s La Liga title won under Xavi. They rallied after the legendary former midfielder announced he would step down at the end of the season, but it has not been enough. Their greatest hope in the near future will be La Masia products Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, two of their best players this season at 16 and 17 years old.

(Top photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)