This past weekend, Real Madrid closed in on the title by racking up their ninth consecutive win in La Liga. Thanks to early goals from Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy, they managed a 2-1 victory over Granada. With only two matches left on the calendar, one more win will guarantee them the trophy. Although La Liga is known for being one of the longest seasons, the title race is wrapping up remarkably quickly. It has been a perfect summer run for the team, as they have remained undefeated and have never fallen behind in a match.
When football returned after nearly 100 days of lockdown, Madrid found themselves in second place. Given that they had only won two of the previous eleven La Liga seasons, it seemed they might miss out again. Yet, the unusual, condensed 11-game format actually worked in their favor. Sergio Ramos mentioned after the game that the objective is now clear and the team is in the best possible position to win. Zidane's side arrived in Granada with eight wins in a row and five consecutive clean sheets, leaving Barcelona trailing and fighting an uphill battle with only one game's cushion.
Ahead of Real Madrid's fixture, Barcelona faced Valladolid on Saturday in a high-stakes game where victory was the only option to stay in the title hunt. In the 15th minute, Arturo Vidal netted the game's only goal to secure the win for the Catalans, capping off a play assisted by Messi. Riqui Puig earned a spot in the starting lineup, while Luis Suarez remained on the bench for fitness reasons. Puig was a constant threat from the start, nearly giving Barcelona an early lead in the 5th minute with a great opportunity.
With his assist in this game, Messi reached a historic milestone, becoming only the second player this century to record 20 goals and 20 assists in a single league season. The only other person to achieve this feat was Thierry Henry during the 2002/03 season with Arsenal. With Barcelona and Real Madrid now locked in a tight battle, La Liga could officially crown its champion as early as this Thursday.