'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona is marching towards the La Liga title. They are yet to lose a La Liga game this season, having won 17 and drawn 3. They currently sit at the top of the La Liga table with 54 points, 11 points more than Atletico Madrid, who are in the second place.
It is easier said than done. UEFA Champions League games are starting in February and it will make things tough for the Catalan giants. Valencia is not playing in Europe while Atletico Madrid is out of the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid too will not go down without a fight.
Although it's highly unlikely that Barcelona will surrender their huge lead, anything can happen in football.
On that note, let's take a look at the five remaining games that could impact the title race.
#5 Celta Vigo (A), 18 April
Balaidos is a nightmare venue for Barcelona in the past. In their last 2 La Liga games at the Balaidos, the Catalan giants finished on the losing side. Celta Vigo thrashed them 4-1 during the 2015/16 season and 4-3 during the 2016/17 season.
In 2017/18, Barcelona played Celta Vigo three times and was able to beat them only on one occasion. Also, not less than 3 weeks ago, Celta Vigo held Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw at the Balaidos. Juan Carlos Unzue's men are hard to beat at their home ground.
Celta Vigo is currently eighth in the La Liga table and playing some excellent football. With 4 goals and 9 assists, Pione Sisto was the star of the show for Celta Vigo. Unzue's side is a fearless unit and Barcelona will have to be wary of their away fixture.
#4 Sevilla (A), 1 April
Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium is a tough place to play for an away team. Teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid have lost games at the Pizjuan Stadium in the last few years.
In their last two visits to Sevilla, Barcelona won a game 2-1 and lost the other 1-2. Also, Real Madrid has lost 4 of their last 5 fixtures at the Pizjuan Stadium. Vincenzo Montella's side is currently sixth in the La Liga table and pushing for a Europen spot next season.
This game comes just 2 days before UEFA Champions League quarter-finals match day and Barcelona's Champions League ambitions will have a say in this La Liga fixture. All in all, this is one of the most important games of Barcelona's La Liga campaign.
#3 Valencia (H), 15 April
This is a tricky home game for Barcelona. Valencia is currently third in the La Liga table and playing some wonderful football this season. Though Barcelona is playing some sublime football at the Camp Nou, this game could be a potential banana skin for the Catalan giants.
In their last four La Liga games at the Camp Nou, Valencia managed to beat Barcelona on a couple of occasions. They have the quality and depth of their squad to cause an upset. Simone Zaza will be the key again.
If Barcelona qualifies for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, this game will be played just days after the quarter-finals second leg. Valencia is not playing European football this season and that could prove to be a decisive factor in this tie.
#2 Atletico Madrid (H), 4 March
Diego Simeone's side is currently second in the La Liga table and anything less than three points in this fixture will more or less end their title race. For Atletico to challenge Barcelona for the title, they cannot afford to make any more mistakes for the remaining of their La Liga campaign.
Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are the two best defensive units in La Liga this season. Atletico Madrid has lost only once in La Liga this season and boosted by the return of their talismanic striker Diego Costa.
The Los Rojiblancos are out of the Champions League this season and Simeone's complete focus will be on the domestic league. This is going to a challenging fixture for Ernesto Valverde and Barcelona's squad depth will be truly tested.
#1 Real Madrid (H), 6 May
Barcelona moved on from the departure of Neymar Jr and is playing some wonderful football this season. On the other hand, the defending champions Real Madrid is struggling in La Liga this season. They are precariously placed at fourth place in the League table.
If Real Madrid can't defeat their rivals at Camp Nou, the title race is most definitely over. On top of that, they simply cannot afford to lose any more of their remaining 18 La Liga games.
El Clasico's are always close encounters and can go either way. It depends on who plays better football on that particular day. There is no lack of quality in either team and once again, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will highlight the fixture.
Though it is mathematically possible, Real Madrid's title race is well and truly over at this stage. On the other hand, it is Barcelona's title to lose and a lot of things will have to go against them for the title race to become alive again.
