All that and it comes to this. After 37 exhausting weeks, a title race full with so many turning points no one knows which way it’s facing any more, and every moment spent on edge, it all rests on a single evening and two locations, 195km apart; 3,330 minutes down, 90 to go. Time enough for anything to happen still, one more wild chapter in a story full of them.
At 6pm local time on Saturday a day earlier than advertised, Atlético Madrid kick off in Valladolid knowing a victory would make them champions. At the same time, Real Madrid play Villarreal at Valdebebas, aware that the slightest slip from Atlético would allow them to reclaim the title with a win – the city rivals’ head-to-head record means if the teams finish level they would emerge victorious.
