The influence that Real Sociedad is having in the final development of the national league championship is tremendous. In the midst of their struggle to repeat in the Europa League next season, the txuri-urdin team has been the true judge of relegation in the last three days, something that will momentarily park during a match, because after it will be the table of Salvation to which the teams involved in the fight for permanence are looking to host Valladolid at the Reale Arena on Sunday. But during the week, the Donostiarras will become one of the judges of La Liga with their visit to the Wanda Metropolitano.
Real Sociedad will play this Wednesday from 10 pm at the home of Atlético de Madrid in the middle of a fierce fight to be League champion. After a last day that was presumed to be key and that ended without any tumble, due to the two draws in the matches between the first four, the hardest obstacle that seems to be left to those of Cholo Simeone is the visit of the fifth classified, on a stage where last season the Donostiarras were already able to scratch a very valuable draw in extremis that led them to qualify as sixth classified to play the group stage of the Europa League. The context is totally different now. Last year was the last day, Atlético did not play anything because they were classified for the Champions League, and Real needed to score to enter Europe. With that point, the donostiarras added 56 points. This year they arrive more comfortable, coincidence with 56 points, thanks to the drive they have hit in the last days. But in the same way they need to score, because Betis and Villarreal are making the fifth place prize more expensive.
Real Madrid and Barcelona look with relative hope to that match, aware that they have let slip the possibility that they had this past weekend of becoming dependent on themselves. Now it is Atlético who goes hand in hand, as in almost the entire League. And he must click so that his pursuers have a chance. La Real is almost his last hope. And they have the same reason to believe that to expect nothing from the txuri-urdin in that match. We explain ourselves. If it is true that Real is going to become a judge in La Liga, the Catalans and Madridistas must show that Real has already been able to turn the fight for relegation upside down in recent days, being able to beat Eibar in Ipurua and Elche at the Reale Arena, but losing at El Alcoraz. In other words, the Real has cost very valuable points to teams that are fighting to save themselves. But the not so positive part of having to trust Real to take points away from Atlético in the fight for La Liga is that this season they have not been able to beat any of the four teams that are in Champions League positions. He lost in Anoeta against Atlético, fell at the Camp Nou and was thrashed by Barça in Donostia. And only Real Madrid was able to subtract points, tying him both at the Reale Arena and Valdebebas. Maybe that is also the culés and whites, because the tie can also serve them.
But, above all, what must be taken into account is that the Real can leave its presence in Europe almost finished in the Metropolitan Wanda. Like a year ago. If it is capable of achieving a historic triumph, the royalists could be mathematically among the top six if Villarreal is also unable to win in Valladolid. So Real is playing a lot again against Atlético. And it should not be forgotten that Imanol Alguacil has also set the goal of finishing fifth, improving his classification from last year, because since the Oriotarra took the reins of the first team he has improved his position each season. And economically they would also mean 8 million euros more in income, an amount that for a club like San Sebastian is very important. Curiously, the next realistic rival, Valladolid, will also look askance at Metropolitano, because if Real wins and Pucela sum against Villarreal, they could travel to Donostia without their next rival playing anything, something that could seem key in the fight to save himself. Well, that, the Real, the unexpected judge of the relegation will also be it of La Liga this Wednesday.
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