La Liga turned into a two-horse race this weekend with Atletico suffering a defeat at the hands of Levante while Barcelona and Real Madrid both winning their respective fixtures. Real Madrid narrowly emerged victorious in their match against Valencia which ended in a 3-2 scoreline.
Gerard Pique spoke to journalists after the Catalan giants thrashed Espanyol 5-0, ensuring that the title goes down to the wire.
He spoke to AS about Barcelona being wary of Granada, saying, “They'll have their reasons to win - they'll be motivated. They are playing at home against the league leaders and they will want to bid their fans farewell in style. I expect they'll want to put in a good performance. We have to go there and play like we did today, and win”.
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Upon being questioned as to whether the season could be called as a successful one, he talked about the possibility of a double, saying “We're very proud to be in the running for two major trophies. We don't really care who wins the Champions League - we are no longer in that competition, but winning the league and the Cup and continuing to make history at this great club makes us hungry for more success.”
If they (Real Madrid) are in the Champions League final it's because they've done a great job: Pique
Pique surprisingly applauded Real’s impressive finish to the season, who have a chance to add a record 11th Champions League title to their trophy cabinet and are a point behind Barcelona, “Every team does its work to reach the end of the season with objectives in mind. Some manage to do that and others don't.
“They have reached the final day of the season with a chance of winning the league although it doesn't depend on them.
“If they are in the Champions League final it's because they've done a great job. They've racked up 12 consecutive wins in the league - that's an incredible run. If we win, it will be more merit to us for the work we have done. ”
Pique also wished Spain teammate Alvaro Arbeloa the best for the future, who played his last match in the famous white shirt at Santiago Bernabeu, “I wish him the best wherever he goes. If they have given him a great send-off, it's because he deserves it.
“At times, the ribbing was too much and we should have toned things down - we shouldn't have done it. He's has a great career and won major trophies - the World Cup in particular, so wherever he goes next, I wish him all the best.”
Also read: Arbeloa and Pique reignite feud as La Liga title race heats up
Going into the final day of the season with everything to play for, Pique hoped that no “suitcases change hands” and the more deserving team take the honours home with no doubts in anybody’s mind.
Real Madrid face Deportivo in their last fixture of the season and will be looking for a big favour from Granada. The coming weekend sure promises to give a nail-biting finish and a fitting treat to La Liga fans across the globe.
