Thirteen games into the La Liga season and the table looks pretty predictable. Barcelona is currently at the top of the table with 37 points, winning all their games except for one draw. Three points behind Barcelona is a team from Madrid. However, it’s not the team from Madrid that you would expect. Atletico Madrid has won 11 games, losing once and drawing once. So where is Real Madrid, the team that won La Liga last season? They sit in third, 11 points behind rival Barcelona. So everything in La Liga is not as predictable as usual so far this season.
The poor start to the season has some people questioning Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.
“I am simply an employee of the club, like everyone else. I do my best. At the end of the season, we can make calm judgments,” Mourinho said in an ESPNFC story. “It is possible that at the end of the season the club are not happy with my work, and see things they would like to improve. I am here giving my all as always.”
Until Real Madrid’s Nov. 24 loss to Real Betis, the club had been on a good run, winning all five of their games since they drew against Barcelona Oct. 7. However, things change fast in professional sports and with Madrid’s most recent loss, the pressure is back on.
An eleven-point deficit is not impossible to overcome, especially with so many games left in the La Liga season. However, when you are chasing a team as talented as Barcelona, the challenge is much more difficult.
The rest of the La Liga season should be entertaining to watch and keep an eye on Madrid to see if they can claw their way back into contention for La Liga. Their next game is against Atletico Madrid on Dec. 1, which will be no easy task. Mourinho’s seat could get even hotter if Real Madrid fails to win.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
