Barcelona is threatening to run away Spain, as it now sits 14 points clear of fourth-place Real Madrid (which has a game in hand) after a 3-0 win at the Bernabeu on Saturday, with Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal getting on the scoresheet. Making matters better for Barcelona, second-place Atletico Madrid lost for the first time on Friday, meaning that the undefeated Catalan power will have at least an eight-point lead by the end of the week, while putting Real Madrid effectively to the sword with five months to go in the season.
Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid, fresh off another Club World Cup title, instead finds itself in an uncharacteristic fight for a top-four place while perhaps shifting the entirety of its focus to the Champions League, where it must face mighty PSG in the round of 16.