Barcelona could win the league by a record margin, Xavi has the measure of Carlo Ancelotti and Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema CAN'T be relied upon for the next three years...10 THINGS WE LEARNED from LaLiga

  • Barcelona could win LaLiga by a record margin after beating Real Madrid 
  • Xavi managed to get the better of his opposite number Carlo Ancelotti again 
  • Sergi Roberto stated that Barcelona would welcome Lionel Messi's return 

The Clasico dominated everything so it makes up eight of the ten things we learned from La Liga this weekend.

The 2-1 win for Barcelona was more proof that Xavi might be just out of school but he already has the measure of the maestro Ancelotti.

The Clasico might have answered the question of who will win the league but it asked more questions than it answered – can either side rely on their number nines into next season?


Sergio Roberto thinks Messi’s return might be the answer but then a dramatic late victory can do strange things to players in post-match interviews.

Elsewhere Valencia and Sevilla continue to slide and the latter couldn't even change coach to try to avoid the drop.

Barcelona could win LaLiga by a record margin following their victory against Real Madrid

Barcelona could win LaLiga by a record margin following their victory against Real Madrid

Barcelona could win league by record margin

The gap is 12 points but it might end up being much worse for Real Madrid. If their attention now turns to the Champions League and Barcelona don’t let up in the domestic competition then the record could be in sight. Barcelona finished 15 points clear of Real Madrid in 2013 under Tito Vilanova – Xavi could better that.

Xavi has the measure of Ancelotti

It’s now 5-2 to Xavi since taking over. He lost the first Clasico in the Spanish Super Cup and earlier this season Barcelona were beaten 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the league but there have now been five wins for Xavi. 

He won at the Bernabeu last season. He won the US friendly in the summer. He won the Spanish Super Cup final in January. He won the first-leg cup semi-final two weeks ago and on Sunday night he got the better of Ancelotti once more.

Barcelona manager Xavi managed to get the better of Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti again

Barcelona manager Xavi managed to get the better of Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti again

The result was good news for the Brazilian Football Confederation

Ancelotti is their first choice and he’s there in a heartbeat if there is a way out of the final year of his contract at Real Madrid. Losing the league by a big margin and not making up for it with a Champions League win would mean he is shown the door to Brazil anyway.

Lewandowski will not cut it for three more years

When Barcelona signed the Pole last summer they gave him a four-year contract despite his age. The 34-year-old remains La Liga’s top scorer but he has slowed post-World Cup and his better days this season have come against La Liga’s lesser lights – in Europe and against Real Madrid he has made less of an impact. His quality is not in doubt and he’s done as much as anyone to take them towards the title, but Barça will not threaten in Europe in the coming seasons if he is spearheading their attack.

Barcelona can't rely on Robert Lewandowski as their main goalscorer for the next three years

Barcelona can't rely on Robert Lewandowski as their main goalscorer for the next three years

… neither will Benzema

Real Madrid have resisted signing a replacement for the 35-year-old, holding out for Kylian Mbappe and hoping the Frenchman repeats last season’s brilliance. They can’t go into next season with only Karim as their centre forward. If Mbappe can’t arrive – and it’s unlikely PSG will let him leave – they need to look elsewhere for a new No 9.

Similarly, Real Madrid cannot rely solely on Karim Benzema as an attacking option

Similarly, Real Madrid cannot rely solely on Karim Benzema as an attacking option

Barcelona got almost every signing right last summer

They had a big rebuild to get through last summer and brought in eight players. Youngster Pablo Torre, signed from Racing Santander, has not convinced Xavi yet. And Hector Bellerin did not work out. 

But Franck Kessie (Milan), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Raphinha (Leeds), Lewandowski (Bayern) Jules Kounde (Sevilla) and Marcos Alonso (Chelsea) have all been successes. The clubs those players have left have also suffered difficult seasons without the departed players. The bad news is that Barcelona’s director of football Mateu Alemany must do much the same this summer, and with even less money.

Sergio Roberto high on his own supply

When the Barcelona midfielder said: ‘Of course we would be happy with Messi’s return. We are waiting for him with open arms,’ it was maybe the adrenaline talking. He had just scored his first goal in a Clasico and it had put his team on course for the title. Of course he would like his old pal back. Barcelona having the finances to make it happen, and Messi wanting it to happen are two very different things.

Sergi Roberto stated that Barcelona would be delighted to have Lionel Messi back at the club

Sergi Roberto stated that Barcelona would be delighted to have Lionel Messi back at the club

Paris Saint-Germain star Messi has been linked with a sensational return to Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain star Messi has been linked with a sensational return to Barcelona

Next month’s cup second-leg could be lively

Gavi barged Dani Ceballos off the ball, Dani Carvajal’s fuse blew in added time, and Barcelona’s reserve keeper Arnau Tenas went for him after the game. Ancelotti claimed foul play with the offside call, and Xavi didn’t much like the insinuation. It won’t be a return to the dirty wars of the Guardiola-Mourinho era but the next Clasico could be as rough a ride as we’ve seen for a while.

Everything but the title up for grabs

After Atletico’s 3-0 win over Valencia they move five points behind Real Madrid and could catch their neighbours. Betis and Real Sociedad both won and will now fight it out for the fourth Champions League place. 

Sevilla were beaten by Getafe down at the bottom and from Elche upwards it left seven teams with just three points between them. The race to get out of trouble will go to the last game and their could be tears at one of Spain’s biggest clubs.

And we might not have seen the last of the managerial changes

Sevilla will consider Jorge Sampaoli’s future on Monday. If it were not for the €10m pay-off the decision would already have been made.

Sevilla are considering the future of Jorge Sampaoli, who would get a 10m euros pay off

Sevilla are considering the future of Jorge Sampaoli, who would get a 10m euros pay off