Barcelona in sight of La Liga title a week before El Clasico with Real

Barcelona face Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday where a win will heap more pressure on Real Madrid at Espanyol on Sunday.Barcelona coach Hansi Flick is targeting a second La Liga in his first two years in charge of the Catalan club [Albert Gea/ Reuters]Published On 1 May 2026Barcelona could clinch a second straight La Liga title this weekend if it maintains its winning form and Real Madrid endures another stumble.The Catalan club leads Madrid by 11 points with five games left.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Salah ‘deserves big send-off’, says Liverpool boss Slotlist 2 of 4Trump says ‘let them play’ after FIFA confirms Iran World Cup games in USlist 3 of 4Iran will play World Cup games in US according to FIFA chief Infantinolist 4 of 4Iran, protests, human rights – all to know about the 76th FIFA Congressend of listIf Barcelona wins at Osasuna on Saturday, then Madrid must also win at Espanyol on Sunday to prolong the title race for at least one more round.If everything goes Barcelona’s way this weekend, then it will host Real Madrid in a Clasico in the following game as the newly crowned champion.While Hansi Flick is on the cusp of a third major title, including the 2025 Copa del Rey, in his two years in charge of Barcelona, Madrid is facing a second straight season without a major piece of silverware.How do the teams shape up for the La Liga weekend?Barcelona is running away with the domestic title.It has won nine straight in La Liga, a domestic winning run marred only by a loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals, costing them their place in the competition.The Catalan club cannot expect an easy victory in Pamplona, however, as they attempt to heap the pressure on second-placed Real Madrid.Ninth-placed Osasuna has lost only twice at its El Sadar Stadium this season and is on a run of 10 straight home matches without defeat.Madrid, meanwhile, has only one win in its last six games across all competitions as it limps to the finish of a disappointing season in which Xabi Alonso was fired and — barring a drastic change of events — Alvaro Arbeloa will also be ousted in the offseason.Espanyol has been in an even bigger rut than Madrid.Espanyol was in fifth place at the start of 2026, but it has yet to win this year, an astonishing run of 16 games, and fallen into the large group of teams trying to avoid relegation.Atletico Madrid plays at Valencia on Saturday before Diego Simeone’s team visits Arsenal next week with their Champions League semifinal poised after a 1-1 first-leg draw.Who are the key players this weekend?Barcelona’s 22-year-old midfielder Fermin Lopez, who is expected to play for Spain at this year’s World Cup, is finishing the campaign as one of its most incisive attacking players.His goal in the 2-0 win at Getafe last Saturday was number 13 for Fermín this season to go with 16 assists.While Madrid struggles, Vinicius Junior is keeping up his good form with two goals in his last two league games.Raphinha’s return softens Yamal’s loss for BarcelonaLamine Yamal is out for the season for Barcelona with a muscle injury, but coach Flick is celebrating the return of winger Raphinha from injury.Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Brazil in March, which left him sidelined as Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico.“Rapha is a player who always gives us 100 percent, when he’s on the pitch or in training,” Flick told reporters on Friday.“His mentality, his attitude, is always 100 percent and that helps us a lot. This season he has … had to suffer [from injury], so for us, it’s important to have him back.“He will also travel with us and we’ll see what happens [against Osasuna] … I think also for the team it’s great to have him back, because he’s one of our captains, he’s positive and can give us these things that we need.”Flick also added the Yamal is recovering well from his hamstring injury, which is not expected to threaten his World Cup chances.“He’s doing good, so the evolution is good, I think we will see him in the World Cup,” said Flick.“He has time, more time, to recover, to come back. And this is what he wants.”Are Barcelona within sight of a La Liga record?If Barca win their remaining five league matches, they will reach the 100-point record first set by Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid in 2012 and then matched by Tito Vilanova’s Barcelona side in 2013.“We are only focussed on the next match, [but] of course, we want to win every game between now and the end of the season,” said Flick.“For me, it would be perfect when we can win every game, but also, we have tough opponents. Our job is, in every match, to play on our best level, to learn from the game for the next game and for our training.