The 2022-23 La Liga title is arguably Barcelona’s to lose, as they extended their lead in the table following last weekend’s games. They took care of business by convincingly winning against Sevilla last night, and it helped that their rivals all dropped points at the same time.
Real Madrid missed their chance to trim Barcelona’s lead when they were shocked by Mallorca. On the other hand, Atletico Madrid were held to a draw by 19th-placed Getafe at home.
With 18 matchdays left, there’s still enough time for the chasing pack to catch up, but the La Liga 2023 odds back a Barcelona title, assuming they keep this up.
So, without further ado, continue to read below as SBOTOP brings to you the latest La Liga 2023 updates.
The winning never stops for Barcelona
Sevilla held Barcelona scoreless in the first half, but the Blaugrana kicked things up a notch in the second half against Sevilla, which resulted in Jordi Alba, Gavi, and Raphinha finding the back of the net.
Franck Kessie should be given a shoutout too, as he was responsible for setting up Jordi Alba for the first goal. The former AC Milan midfielder came in to replace the injured Sergio Busquets earlier in the game, and he displayed nice footwork and ball handling throughout the match.
Despite winning 10 in a row across all competitions after they beat Sevilla on Sunday, Xavi believes that Barcelona still have a long way to go before they claim their first La Liga championship in four years.
What he’s saying is that while the winning feeling is nice, comebacks are no longer new in La Liga, so they must stay even-keeled. He also said that Real Madrid are still the favourites since they’re the defending champions.
Barcelona will face Villarreal, who’s on a two-game losing streak, on Sunday for their next La Liga game. That match is the perfect warm-up for their blockbuster clash against Manchester United in the Europa League.
They already won the Spanish Super Cup last month, and the good news for Xavi is that they have a realistic chance to bring home more silverware in the La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Europa League.
Real Madrid dealt with huge transfer blow
It looks like Real Madrid are slowly accepting that they won’t sign Jude Bellingham anytime soon.
They have long identified Bellingham as a priority signing. But with Premier League teams such as Manchester City and Liverpool going all-in, Real Madrid feel that they can’t compete in a possible bidding war for the 19-year-old wunderkind.
Bellingham is tipped to leave Signal Iduna Park this summer, with BVB expecting to fetch at least €150-M from the team that will get his services.
Real Madrid have brought in Eduardo Camavinga in 2021 and Aurelien Tchouameni last year, but they’re still on the lookout for midfield reinforcements since the contracts of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric expire in the summer.
In other transfer news, World Cup 2022 standout Josko Gvardiol is reportedly eager to join Los Blancos this summer, according to Calciomercato via AS.
The 21-year-old centre-back is tied to RB Leipzig until 2027 and has a release clause of €110-M. Real Madrid admire Gvardiol, but he’s not a priority at the moment since they’re stacked at the backline.
Overall, Los Blancos are struggling lately, having won only one of their last three La Liga matches, and it doesn’t help that their injury list keeps on growing.
And what’s weird about Real Madrid’s situation is that Carlo Ancelotti’s job is reportedly in “serious danger” if they don’t win the Club World Cup.
Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema, Eder Militao, Lucas Vazquez, and Ferland Mendy will not make the trip to Morocco on Monday when Real Madrid compete in the Club World Cup semi-final against Al Ahly, but the first three players may be available for the final on Saturday if they advance.
Atletico Madrid eyeing reinforcements
MARCA reported that Atletico Madrid have offered Dani Ceballos a contract, as the soon-to-be free agent is still waiting for Real Madrid to submit their own offer.
Los Rojiblancos are also looking at Chelsea’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and N’Golo Kante, as they haven’t featured much this season.
Aubameyang was left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad, plunging his future at Stamford Bridge into doubt. On the other hand, Kante has had an injury-ridden campaign this term.
There are no imminent deals for these two at the moment, but Atletico Madrid can get them both at low prices if Chelsea decide to part ways with them this summer.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
