Real Madrid were able to scrape past a tough Athletic Club, who are in contention for the Champions League, via a wondergoal from club hero Fede Valverde in the dying minutes of the game. Without Fede's individual brilliance, though, Real Madrid would have slumped to another lethargic draw and more dropped points in a LaLiga title race that increasingly favors hated rivals Barcelona.
With six games left in the season, Real Madrid have no margin for error against a Barcelona side that has embarrassed them head-to-head twice already. And in addition to a Copa del Rey Final showdown against the Blaugrana this coming Saturday, Real Madrid will face Barca in LaLiga one last time with all the chips on the table.
With 32 matches played, Real Madrid are four points behind Barcelona, and the assumption is that Real, knocked out of the Champions League last week, will have to be perfect going forward in order to have a shot at the title.
The fall of Real Madrid
Their first match will be on Wednesday, Apr. 23 against local rivals Getafe, who are enjoying a pretty good season in 12th in LaLiga and have always been tough customers for Real Madrid with their stingy defensive style. They have a pretty talented side, including some former top Real Madrid prospects, but they haven't played particularly well recently. I think Real Madrid just scrapes by them 1-0.
After that, Real Madrid comes back home to battle Celta Vigo, who have two of LaLiga's biggest attacking names in Borja Iglesias and Iago Aspas. They just took Barcelona to the brink, but I think Real Madrid match up well with them, especially at home. Celta give up a lot of room defensively, and I think Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior will be able to take advantage of the space in a 4-2 win.
Next up, Real Madrid face Barcelona on the road, and, for all intents and purposes, this will be the title deciding match in LaLiga. And between the Copa del Rey Final and this LaLiga battle, I think Real Madrid are more likely to lose this one and the title. They've been consistently outplayed by Barcelona this season, and I haven't seen much fight from this team on the road in big games either, looking at how badly they were eviscerated by Arsenal.
Real Madrid will have to ponder the futures of their stars
To me, the question is, will this game even be close? I think it will be, but, ultimately, I don't think it will be enough, and I can see Robert Lewandowski absolutely torturing Antonio Rudiger and exposing him as a highly overrated defender who cannot mark savvy strikers in the box. Barcelona wins 5-3.
After the loss to Barcelona, I envision Real Madrid giving young players like Arda Guler and Endrick more opportunities, which should have been the case sooner for the Brazilian. Real Madrid will bounce back at home against Mallorca with Endrick getting the start and a brace in a 3-1 win that makes a statement of promise for the future.
Then, Real Madrid will fall back down a peg with a frustrating 1-1 draw at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan against Sevilla, who tend to play a lot better at home. Again, Real Madrid will lack that necessary fire in a tough road environment, as this team is severely lacking in leadership. I think that will be exposed in this game and because of the missed opportunities in attack, I think tensions will finally boil over from the Barcelona loss, leading to serious conversations around the futures of the attacking trio.
Endrick and Arda Guler will end the season as bright spots
Finally, Real Madrid will end a disappointing 2024/25 LaLiga season on a happy note with a 3-2 home win over Real Sociedad, with Arda Guler and Takefusa Kubo going blow-for-blow and putting on a show. Guler assists Endrick twice again, and the two future stars of Real Madrid stake their claims of the team moving on from one of their superstars and instead building around one of them in the attack.
In summary, Real Madrid will win four games, draw one, and lose one. That's not a bad record in six matches against some quality opponents, but the loss to Barcelona will be the one that looms large and costs Los Blancos the season in the end. But going forward, the conversations will continue in the offseason with optimism surrounding the prospects and perhaps some pessimism regarding the three left wingers who just can't get on the same page.