Barcelona chasing record gap to Real Madrid as title permutations examined

Barcelona have just one thing to focus on this season, which is securing the La Liga title. With a 12-point gap to Real Madrid, Barcelona are eyeing up a number of records and possibilities.

Perhaps the sweetest in terms of feeling is the potential scenario in which Barcelona win the La Liga title at the home of rivals Espanyol, with four matchdays to spare. Should Barcelona beat Girona on Monday night, then match Real Madrid’s results until then, they will have the chance to do so.

If Real Madrid drop more points, they could win it at home to Osasuna the previous week, or if they lose more points than Los Blancos, then Real Sociedad attend Camp Nou the following week.

Equally, as per MD, there are two records that Barcelona are hunting down too. Their biggest gap towards rivals Real Madrid ever was 19 points in 2018-19 under Ernesto Valverde, as was their second-biggest gap, 17 points the previous year under Ernesto Valverde. Before that, Tito Vilanova’s 2012-13 side had a margin of 15 points to Real Madrid, the same gap that would open up with victory over Girona.

In the case that Barcelona take 30 points from the remaining 33 available, they would surpass the all-time points record in La Liga, set at 100 points by that Vilanova side, and Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid the previous season.

While Barcelona have not been perfect this season, least of all in cup competitions, Xavi can point to the numbers so far and claim that it is hard to equal or better the pace they are setting. All of those previous records included Lionel Messi two, whom Xavi does not have at his disposal.