Spanish Football 
/ Michael Lintorn / 27 February 2012 / Leave a Comment 
Pep Guardiola expects to miss out on the title for the first time as a coach
"The holders will be desperate to stop Real Madrid from extending the gap. Not out of belief that they can overtake but fear of them being crowned with five fixtures to spare, forcing Barcelona’s record breakers to form a humiliating pasillo (guard of honour)."
Pep Guardiola was forced to concede that he no longer expects to top La Liga, despite an impressive victory away to Atletico Madrid...
Barcelona won only four of their first 11 La Liga away games, and yet held at 1-1 with ten minutes to play at a ground that they often lose at by Atletico Madrid, who were unbeaten in nine under new coach Diego Simeone, they found a way to win.
And what a way to win, as predictably it took something sensational to overcome an Atletico side who had conceded just twice in the first nine matches of their exciting new era, a wonderful Lionel Messi free-kick.
Yet before the Catalan press could begin saluting the kind of victory that usually gets referred to as bearing the mark of champions, Pep Guardiola wrecked the party by admitting that it is very unlikely that they will eradicate Real Madrid's ten-point advantage.
The leaders had a hard time continuing their charge to a first title in four years earlier on Sunday, requiring a second-half stroke of genius from their main man too, as Cristiano Ronaldo broke Rayo Vallecano's resistance with a second-half back-heel.
They got the job done though, prompting a rare yet understandable display of defeatism from Guardiola, who said: "I don't think we will win the league, but we will fight until the end. We have passed a difficult test against a very tough opponent."
That fight was very much in evidence at the Vicente Calderon, however punters agree that it will almost certainly be in vain, with Real Madrid [1.09] to Barcelona's [11.0].
But the holders will be desperate to stop Jose Mourinho's team from extending the gap. Not out of belief that they can overtake but fear of them being crowned with five fixtures to spare, forcing Barcelona's record breakers to form a humiliating pasillo (guard of honour) for their foes at the Camp Nou in the final domestic Clasico of the campaign, as they did at the Bernabeu in 2008.
For Atletico meanwhile, the loss hasn't had too big an impact on their prospects in the remarkable scrap for the final Champions League spot, which they are [2.62] to claim.
Incredibly, having at last been removed from the position after an 18-match occupancy last weekend, Levante [[4.2]] regained it with a first triumph in nine away to the club who replaced them, Espanyol.
Tobias Gourlay can find fewer reasons than usual to doubt Barcelona away from home, but he does have questions about Real Madrid's ability to deal with Rayo Vallecano's burly forwards...
The fourth meeting between the sides this season should be yet another interesting battle between two fine tacticians, says Michael Cox....
The slaughter at the Bernabeu has become ritual. Tobias Gourlay performs a pre-mortem autopsy on Racing Santander, the next victims of Real Madrid....
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