La Liga Betting: Advantage Real Madrid as Barcelona are held

Spanish Football / Michael Lintorn / 09 January 2012 / Leave a Comment

This is the only time since Guardiola first took charge of Barcelona that Real Madrid have led at this stage

"In a league where the last two winners have won at least 30 of their 38 matches, every minor stumble has a major impact."

The halfway stage hasn't been reached yet, but Real Madrid will feel like it's their title to lose this season in Spain after pulling further clear of Barcelona...

Jose Mourinho is a step closer to achieving what might go down as the greatest achievement of his managerial career, ending the La Liga dominance of Barcelona, after his Real Madrid side reopened a five-point lead on the first matchday of 2012.

Barcelona took over as favourites after last month's 3-1 Clasico win at the Bernabeu, but Mourinho's men have reacted to what could have been a critical blow superbly, maintaining cool heads and the belief that they can negotiate a way through the rest of the field more convincingly than their rivals.

They took full advantage of playing first this weekend, thumping a Granada team who had conceded just one goal fewer than them over the opening 16 games of the campaign 5-1, Karim Benzema scoring twice.

It took the capital club's tally for the term to 61, a full ten strikes more than Barcelona's expensively assembled attack, and 11 of those have come in the two fixtures since the Clasico loss that was meant to signal the beginning of the end.

Replying in kind was always going to be tough for the champions away to neighbours Espanyol, who are fairly formidable at their Estadi Cornella-El Prat and were determined to halt a run of three straight derby defeats.

When Cesc Fabregas nodded the visitors in front with his third goal of the week and 14th of a season which is already the second most prolific of his career, things looked good, however a late Alvaro Vazquez leveller saw them fail to cut the gap to a satisfactory extent.

One draw can't cause too much damage though? Don't be so sure, as in a league where the last two winners have won at least 30 of their 38 matches, every minor stumble has huge consequences. As if to prove the point, Real Madrid are in to [1.69] to finish first, with Barcelona out to [2.46].

Real Madrid are now ahead by a big enough margin to be able to lose to Pep Guardiola's side and stay top. That's provided they obliterate the rest of the opposition of course, but their remaining fixtures look preferable to Barcelona's.

Besides the holders, Osasuna are the only top-eight club that they have to travel to, whereas Barca face four of them on the road, a worry heightened by the fact that they have claimed victory in just three of their first eight away games.