The La Liga title race has been fascinating all season and it took another turn on Saturday as Real Madrid moved ahead of Barcelona as they beat Ulmeria 4-0 while Barca were shut out for the second straight game, this time 1-0 to Granada.
Barcelona, knocked out of the Champions League by Atlético Madrid in midweek, would have gone above Diego Simeone’s side and to the top of the league with victory against Granada. But for the fifth time this season, Barca lost in the league virtue of Yacine Brahimi’s neat finish from a narrow angle after 16 minutes.
Gerardo Martino , who surely will be fired at the end of the season has once chance to turn Barca’s season around when they meet Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Final on Wednesday. It has all gone wrong for Martino in recent weeks, as his tactics have drawn criticism from the media, while the players were greeted with abuse by Barca fans after arriving back in Barcelona after the game.
With a 12 month transfer ban in place, a squad that desperately needs up updating and potentially their fourth manager in two years, are we seeing the start of the decline of FC Barcelona?
Real Madrid capitalized on Barca’s defeat by comfortably beating Ulmeria even without Cristano Ronaldo. Ángel di María put Carlo Ancelotti’s side ahead after 28 minutes. Gareth Bale’s low shot and Isco’s smart finish made it three soon after the interval, before Álvaro Morata added a late fourth.
