Madrid have a game extra at home in the title run-in

With ten matches remaining this season, everyone is looking at the fixture calendar to see who Barcelona and Real Madrid have left to play. At first glance Madrid seem to have the more favourable schedule owing to playing one match more on home soil and facing fewer pitfalls than Barça. Yet they will go into the final sprint four points behind Barcelona. This is the biggest advantage for Luis Enrique and his men, who have two opportunities to drop points before giving up the lead. On Madrid’side is the head-to-head goals scored, with Ancelotti’s men winning that by four goals to three.

Madrid will play at home against Granada, Éibar, Málaga, Almeria, Valencia and Getafe and will visit Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Espanyol. The trip to the Sánchez Pizjuán and the visit of Valencia are Madrid’s most difficult matches. Barça, meanwhile, will play at home against Almería, Valencia, Getafe, Real Sociedad and Deportivo and visit Celta, Sevilla, Espanyol, Córdoba and Atlético. The two key dates in which Madrid have hopes of cutting the gap will be April 11 and 19, when they host Éibar and Málaga in quick succession at the Bernabéu, while Barça travel to the Sánchez Pizjuán to face Sevilla and then host Valencia at the Camp Nou.

Barça and Madrid are also involved in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and that can also influence the league. The first legs against PSG and Atlético take place on April 14 and 15 before Barça welcomes Valencia to the Camp Nou and Madrid host Málaga. A week later, with the matches on April 21 and 22, Madrid visit Celta and Barcelona visit Espanyol. In case they make the semi-final, the first leg will be played on May 5 or 6, with the second leg on May 12 and 13. Hypothetically before Barça host Real Sociedad and before they travel to the Calderón, while Madrid could play these semi-finals before welcoming Valencia and visiting Espanyol.

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