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How does the La Liga table look ahead of season restart?

On the day La Liga returns following a three-month siesta, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how things stand in the Spanish top flight.

Thursday's derby between Sevilla and Real Betis will kick off a football feast in La Liga, with the remaining 110 games set to take place over the space of just 39 days.

After a three-month siesta, the Spanish top flight will spring back into life with a host of issues and questions still to be resolved throughout the table.

The title race, battle for Europe and relegation scrap all remain fiercely contested ahead of the restart, with the increased intangibles of coming out of lockdown only likely to add to the twists and turns still ahead.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the La Liga table stands ahead of the resumption of play.



TITLE RACE

LL top 2

No-one will be surprised to see Barcelona and Real Madrid battling it out at the top of the table again, but neither of them are quite a vintage crop and the lead changed in each of the three gameweeks immediately prior to lockdown.

Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona lead the way by two points, but the fact that they have lost five matches and conceded 31 goals - the most in the top six after Real Sociedad - proves that they are far from invincible.

Indeed, Lionel Messi-reliant may be a more accurate description of Quique Setien's side, although Luis Suarez's return from an injury which otherwise looked likely to keep him out for the remainder of the season will help the iconic number 10 to share the goalscoring burden.

Real Madrid will also benefit from players returning to fitness, most notably their big summer signing Eden Hazard, who is yet to really get going since joining from Chelsea.

Los Blancos will hope that the Belgian could prove to be the difference between winning the title and missing out once again, although they have dropped points in 11 games themselves this term.

> Click here to see all of Barcelona's remaining fixtures this season

> Click here to see all of Real Madrid's remaining fixtures this season



TOP-FOUR BATTLE

LL Top 4

Arguably even more fascinating than the battle at the top is the one between those immediately behind them.

Only two points separate third-placed Sevilla from sixth-placed Atletico Madrid, the latter of whom have failed to showcase the sort of form that saw them knock holders Liverpool out of the Champions League on a consistent basis domestically this season.

Los Rojiblancos have their lowest points tally at this stage of a campaign since Diego Simeone took over but know that a Champions League spot is still very much in their grasp despite scoring just 31 goals so far - in the top 12 only Athletic Bilbao have managed fewer.

Real Sociedad were in fine form before lockdown - no team has amassed more points from their last five La Liga games - and so will be desperate to pick up where they left off, while Getafe are enjoying another superb season as they look to improve on last term's fifth-placed finish.

Valencia are by no means out of the equation either - just three points separate them from Atletico - but it is Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla who are currently in pole position for third place, which would be their highest finish in more than a decade.



RELEGATION BATTLE

LL relegation

The big underachievers this season have been Espanyol, who finished seventh last season and have not ended a campaign lower than 14th since 2005-06.

Not since 1992-93 have they been relegated from the top flight, but they will resume rooted to the bottom of the table and with six points separating them from safety - although home games against fellow strugglers Leganes, Eibar and Celta Vigo mean that their fate is still in their own hands to a certain extent.

No team in the bottom half will be resting easily just yet, but it is those from 15th down who will be looking most nervously over their shoulders.

Real Valladolid are four points clear of danger and could quite easily get sucked in, while Eibar and Celta Vigo are teetering even closer to the edge.



FULL LA LIGA TABLE

LL table

> Click here to listen to our podcast looking ahead to the return of La Liga

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Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde in action with Barcelona's Jordi Alba on March 1, 2020
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid29226164204472
2Barcelona29197360342664
3GironaGirona29195559342562
4Athletic Bilbao29168550262456
5Atletico MadridAtletico29174854342055
6Real Sociedad291210742311146
7Real BetisBetis29101273433142
8Valencia28117103232040
9Villarreal29108114751-438
10Getafe2991193742-538
11Las PalmasLas Palmas29107122932-337
12Osasuna29106133343-1036
13AlavesAlaves2988132635-932
14Mallorca29612112535-1030
15Rayo Vallecano29611122538-1329
16Sevilla29610133644-828
17Celta Vigo2969143244-1227
18CadizCadiz29313132040-2022
19Granada2828183058-2814
20Almeria29110182857-2913


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