Is this La Liga title race more about Barcelona’s excellence or Madrid & Atlético dropping points?

Madrid – With 23 match-days gone, Barcelona sit one point above Real Madrid and 13 ahead of Atlético Madrid, yet the story of the season is anything but linear. After October’s Clásico, Real Madrid opened a five-point gap at the summit by beating Hansi Flick’s men 2-1 at the Bernabéu. Since then, the capital clubs have stumbled while the Catalans have surged.

Real Madrid’s slide began off the pitch. Xabi Alonso was dismissed in January after barely eight months in charge; Alvaro Arbeloa took over, but doubts persist about his capacity to steady the ship. Across town, Atlético have won only 13 of 23 fixtures, and marquee summer signing Julián Álvarez has not found the net in La Liga since November.

Barcelona, by contrast, have lost only once in the league since that October defeat—away to Real Sociedad in January—and have taken maximum points from all 11 home games at Montjuïc. The blend of defensive resilience and youthful verve has allowed Flick’s side to capitalise on every Madrid misstep.

The numbers frame the debate: have Barcelona seized the summit through their own brilliance, or have Real Madrid and Atlético simply failed to hold their ground? The answer, at this stage, appears to be a bit of both. Yet with 15 rounds still to play, the reigning champions’ wobble leaves the door ajar for a resurgence—or for Barcelona to pull away entirely.