Chronicle of a death foretold. The title of García Márquez’s novel perfectly sums up Real Madrid’s season. When the novel begins, we already know that the Vicario brothers are going to kill Santiago Nasar—in fact, they have already killed him. We know the ending before we start reading how it got there, and that’s pretty much how the season has been for the Whites, whose fate has been sealed for months.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team has been leaving clues with its poor performance this season. They lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Barça in convincing fashion; they had to play an extra round against Manchester City in the Champions League after failing to qualify among the best; in the next round, a penalty against Atlético was disallowed, which is what got them through; they allowed Barça to come back from ten points behind in La Liga; they were knocked out of the Champions League in emphatic fashion by a much superior Arsenal; and they lost the Copa del Rey final to Barça in Seville.
With all these signs, what happened yesterday was to be expected, especially with the Whites going into the game with a defense in tatters. Mbappé responded, the Mbappé we expect in big games, with a hat-trick that puts him top of the scoring charts, but it wasn’t enough for Real Madrid, who took a 2-0 lead but failed to defend well, allowing Eric García, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha to score four goals to turn the score around, with the Frenchman scoring his third to reduce the deficit.
With this result, Barça are now seven points ahead of Real Madrid with the goal difference also in their favor with nine points still to play for. The Azulgranas could be champions this week if the Whites don’t win on Wednesday or, regardless of Ancelotti’s side, if they win on Thursday in the Barcelona derby against Espanyol in Cornellà.
But what about Madrid? Do they still have a chance? A slim one. The Whites need the impossible to win the league title. Carlo Ancelotti’s team must win their three remaining games and hope that Barça do not pick up more than two points in theirs, which seems unlikely. In other words, a comeback by the Whites would be an epic miracle, while the Catalans are on the verge of victory, as they will be champions if they manage at least two draws.
Real Madrid schedule
- Matchday 36: vs Mallorca (May 15, Santiago Bernabéu)
- Matchday 37: vs Villarreal (May 18, Estadio de la Cerámica)
- Matchday 38: vs Athletic Club (May 25, Santiago Bernabéu)