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Will Leagues Be Won This Week?

Manchester United and Celtic both go into crucial derby matches against their local rivals knowing that a victory can go a very long way to seeing both clubs retaining their title.

These games are always notoriously hard to predict and anything other than a victory can see their respective leagues become far more competitive and in Celtic’s position, see them lose their top of the league status if they succumb to defeat.

Wins would be gratefully accepted by the fans of both clubs but regardless of the outcome of these matches, nothing will be decided in England or Scotland this weekend.

This is not the same in Spain and Italy where if results go in a certain manner, champions could be crowned before people return to work on Monday.

Barca Within Touching Distance
Starting in Spain, Real Madrid’s hopes of overturning Barcelona in La Liga were cruelly extinguished in the Santiago Bernabeu last week when Barcelona arrived in the midst of their Champions League semi-final ties with Chelsea.

Given that Real Madrid had been on a phenomenal run of winning games in their domestic league, there was a quiet optimism about the club’s chances of beating Barcelona and pulling themselves to within one point of the leaders. Things were looking good when Real Madrid took the lead but the roof soon came crashing in.

Barcelona eventually won 6-2 and set up the prospect of having the league title wrapped in a very short space of time. Real Madrid travel to Valencia on Saturday night and anything but an away victory will give Barcelona the opportunity to clinch the title on Sunday.

Even if Real get a draw and cut Barcelona’s lead to six points with three games to go, Barcelona can take it to nine with a home victory over Villarreal, which isn’t an easy task admittedly.

No Goal Difference In Spain
In some leagues, a nine point lead with three games remaining can be overturned on goal difference but this isn’t the case in Spain. The head to head results are taken and as Barcelona have won both of their matches versus Real Madrid; they are assured of the title if the results go their way this weekend.

Not that goal difference would have saved Madrid considering the goal machine that is Barcelona has a goal difference that is about thirty better off than Real Madrid’s.

Inter Inching To Another Triumph
Over in Italy, quite a similar situation is unfolding in Milan where Inter look to be cruising to yet another title triumph. Jose Mourinho has had his critics this season and an inability to improve the sides’ performance in the Champions League will undoubtedly be held against him but he could very shortly be a champion in Italy too.

Victory for Inter Milan away to Chievo would leave his team on the precipice of victory. With city, and stadium rivals, facing Juventus at home, there could just be enough to ensure the Black and Blue half of Milan are celebrating once more.

The gap is currently seven points with four games to go so an Inter victory with an AC defeat would make it an insurmountable ten point gap with nine remaining. Inter struggled to clinch the title last season and required a final day double from returning hero Zlatan Ibrahimovic to settle their nerves and clinch the points that kept them in front of Roma in the race for the Scudetto.

AC Have the Stars, Inter, the Trophy
It shouldn’t require anything like that drama this time around with Inter’s procession to the title being quite solid and unspectacular. AC Milan have grabbed the attention from the press and the paparazzi with Beckham, Ronaldinho and Kaka but when it comes to winning matches and grabbing three points, Inter Milan have yet again been the team to live up to.

So much so that it appears that Carlo Ancelotti will be moving on from the role of managing AC and is hotly tipped to take over at Chelsea. This will see him filling the shoes of the man who has trumped his this season but could also see him trying to fill the void left by Guus Hiddink, who could still have a glorious end to his Chelsea reign.

Speculation remains over whether Mourinho will be in charge of Inter next season with moneybags Manchester City waiting in the wings but you get the feeling that Jose may hang around to prove the Italian critics wrong. The problem lies in the fact that the English and Spanish leagues are so strong these days that it will take a monumental performance for Inter to crack into the semi-finals of the Champions League, let alone win the trophy.

Given the fact that he walked out on Chelsea believing he had taken them as far as he could, is Mourinho realistically able to take Inter Milan much further?

Victory Again for Mourinho
At the very least, Mourinho should be celebrating being a title winner in a third different country and no doubt wherever the special one ends up next season, he is likely to be in demand and keeping sports writers in a job. Say what you want about Jose Mourinho but he is never boring and for that reason alone, it would be good to see him back on a bigger stage as soon as possible.

There are always likely to be a few twists and turns in the final stages of the football season that prolong the agony and ecstasy felt by many fans and no doubt many neutrals will want the chasing teams to get the results they need to raise the hope of a final day title decider. There is nothing more exciting than a final day shootout that decides who wins the silver but for fans of the teams involved, they can be very nervy occasions. Barcelona and Inter Milan fans will be hoping that their teams leap over the finish line in style this weekend but everyone else may be hoping that their celebrations are put on ice for a little while longer yet.

by Andrew Reilly

for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk

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