The tightest Liga BBVA title race in 25 years

News

JUE 28.04.2016

Three matchdays left, three contenders and just a point between them. This is the current state of play in the Liga BBVA title race – a situation that is unprecedented in LaLiga in the last 25 years. It is absolutely nip and tuck between FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid with the campaign on the brink of its conclusion.

Looking back over the Liga BBVA annals, there have only been three seasons in the last quarter of a century when the situation was similar to the current one. In other words, only three times in the last 25 campaigns has the league seen a three-horse race in which, with three rounds of games to go, the title-chasing trio have been separated by three points or fewer.

After a thrilling evening of football, nothing has changed at the top of the Liga BBVA. pic.twitter.com/wjvT1sMBkA
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) April 23, 2016

The most recent such scenario came in the 2006/07 season, when Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla FC were all within just two points of one another going into Matchday 36. In that instance, Los Blancos and Los Azulgranas were neck and neck, just like the Catalans and Atletico are currently. Ultimately, Fabio Capello's Madrid side completed a stunning turnaround in the Liga BBVA to make off with the trophy.

Rewinding even further, we find two examples in the early 1990s of three-horse title races that were on a knife-edge in the final weeks. Both the 1991/92 and 1992/93 campaigns were poised comparably to the current one. On both occasions Real Madrid and Barcelona made up the top two ahead of Matchday 36, while Atletico and RC Deportivo respectively sat in third, three points off the summit. It is worth remembering, though, that victories were only worth two points at that time (the introduction of three points for a win took place in 1995/96 in Spain).

In both of the above-mentioned seasons, 1991/92 and 1992/93, Johan Cruyff's Barça ended up claiming the crown by capitalising on slip-ups by Real Madrid on the final matchday. Curiously enough, it was in Tenerife that Los Blancos came a cropper both times.

Three matchdays to go, nine points and a title up for grabs. The stage is set for what could be a more tantalising, nail-biting climax than we have ever seen before.