Sport360° view: Barca have a golden chance, but it’s uncertain if they’ll take it

Andy West 12:55 10/05/2014
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  • Chance of the title: Barca will be champions if they win their final two games.

    Both on and off the pitch, this season has been nothing short of a disaster for Barcelona. Aside from the tragedy of Tito Vilanova’s death and the controversies of an investigation into the club’s tax payments after the signing of Neymar and a currently suspended FIFA transfer ban, new manager Tata Martino has endured a desperately difficult campaign.

    With Xavi’s influence declining, Lionel Messi spending two months on the sidelines, Neymar struggling to integrate, Victor Valdes and Gerard Pique missing the final weeks of the season through injury and a number of players failing to consistently find top form, Barcelona have looked a shadow of the side that won two European crowns under Pep Guardiola.

    They have lost league games against Real Valladolid and Granada and drawn at home against Getafe, as well as being knocked out of the Champions League before the semi-final stage for the first time since 2008.

    How bizarre, then, that they could still win La Liga. After last weekend’s draw with Getafe, Barca’s players were lining up to declare the season a failure and write off any lingering title hopes.

    Since then, though, a defeat for Atletico Madrid and a pair of draws for Real Madrid have somehow reopened the Catalan club’s challenge, presenting them with the straightforward equation of needing to win their last two games – at Elche tomorrow and at home to Atletico on the final day – to become champions.

    In seasons past, that would have been a straightforward task. This year, however, it’s far from certain whether they’ll be good enough to win either game.

    Atletico’s threat is obvious, but Barca might not even get that far because Elche will be by no means an easy opponent.

    They are in an excellent run of form at home, where they have avoided defeat in their last nine games and only conceded two goals in the process.

    Furthermore, they have the added incentive of knowing that one point will probably be enough to ensure they avoid relegation.

    After effectively giving up and thinking ahead to the summer – with the majority of the squad heading to the World Cup – the task of readjusting their mentality to the fact that they can still win the league will not be easy.

    If Barca don’t match Elche’s intensity, the title race could be over – this time for good.

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