Diego Simeone has a new touchline enemy, Girona’s fairytale isn’t ending happily – and what Vinicius Jr must take from Lionel Messi’s game… TEN THINGS we learned in LaLiga

With nine games to go in Spain, Barcelona are doing their best to serve up a title race, Atletico Madrid are threatening to blow a top four finish and Girona are hoping they don’t run out of gas before the last laps. 

In an emotion-charged round of matches Xavi saw red and the red misted descended for Sevilla striker Youseff En-Nesyri as he went for his coach. 

Elsewhere Athletic Club win again, and Vini keeps scoring.. and keeps getting booked. Here are 10 things we learned from La Liga.

Xavi could stay at Barcelona beyond the summer

‘We are the ones that gave him a contract extension,’ said Deco after this win. It’s also true that the Barcelona’s director of football and president Joan Laporta were the ones who told him he could only stay to the end of the season after a 5-3 home defeat to Villarreal back in January. 

It all depends on the supporters – if they sing for the club legend to stay then he will. And they will do exactly that if Barcelona contest the title and the Champions League until the end of the season. Big wins over Napoli and Atletico Madrid had him hailing the past few days as his best week of the season.

Xavi (above) could still stay in charge at LaLiga giants Barcelona beyond the summer

Xavi has now been booked 22 times and received two red cards since taking over as Barcelona coach – no manager has been disciplined as much in that time

Shame Xavi missed the second half

Xavi has now been booked 22 times and received two red cards since taking over as Barcelona coach – no manager has been disciplined as much in that time. 

He always loved a chat with the referees as a player (famously telling the referee in the 2010 World Cup final that yes, he could have his shirt, if he blew the full-time whistle early). 

But now his willingness to talk is making him the worst behaved coach in La Liga.

Lewandowski can still outscore Bellingham

Lewandowski can still win the ‘pichichi’ award in La Liga for top scorer. He scored his 13th goal of the season in the win over Atletico Madrid and is now just three goals behind top scorer Jude Bellingham. 

He also set up two in the 3-0 victory; he is playing as well as at any point since he signed.

Striker Robert Lewandowski (right) can still win the ‘pichichi’ award in La Liga for top scorer

Simeone has a nemesis

Diego Simeone vs Xavi is proving some battle in the technical area – and so far it is one that the Atletico Madrid coach always loses. 

He has now faced him five times and each time he has been the loser. 

If Atletico Madrid get past Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarterfinals and Barcelona see off Paris Saint Germain then these two will meet in the semi-final – more bad news for Simeone.

He who tinkers loses momentum

Simeone’s masterplan to get the better of Barcelona this time was to play a 5-4-1 with the four midfielders pressing Barca’s back four into making mistakes as they built from the back. 

It failed. In part because Lewandowski was the perfect out ball when Xavi’s team could not build from deep and in part because Atletico, while containing the creativity of Barca’s defence, never really threatened to hurt them. 

Memphis Depay was the catalyst for their epic win over Inter in midweek. The decision not to start with a player who had finished the last match so well did not pay off. Alavro Morata was as insipid in his place and by the time the Dutchman came on for the Spaniard the game was as good as gone.

Diego Simeone vs Xavi is proving some battle in the technical area – and so far it is one that the Atletico Madrid coach always loses

Simeone’s masterplan to get the better of Barcelona this time was to play a 5-4-1 with the four midfielders pressing Barca’s back four into making mistakes as they built from the back

Vini is starting to score like Messi, but maybe he should behave like him a bit more too

Vinicius now has 18 goals in all competitions and is looking more and more like a player who can play as a free-scoring centre-forward. Which is handy because Real Madrid are about to squeeze its salary scale to the point of popping in order to sign Kylian Mbappe – and the world’s best player is going to want to play on the left, where Vinicius has played most of his football for Real Madrid to date. 

All that’s missing is that Vini stops getting booked. Whenever Lionel Messi got riled he used to take it out on the opposition without so much as a change of facial expression.

Every player is different and no one should expect Vinicius to be like the poker-faced Argentinian but 19 yellow cards for dissent in three seasons is holding him back.

The fairytale is fading

Girona are having a wobble. It might not be enough of a wobble to knock them out of the top four but four straight away defeats and a lengthening injury list are certainly creating doubts. 

They have nine finals to play and if they can get Yangel Herrera, Viktor Tsygankov, Miguel Gutierrez and David Lopez all fit again, then it’s all still within their grasp but it is going to be nervy to the finish.

Vinicius now has 18 goals in all competitions and is looking more and more like a player who can play as a free-scoring centre-forward – but he needs to learn one thing from Lionel Messi

Girona are having a wobble. It might not be enough of a wobble to knock them out of the top four but four straight away defeats and a lengthening injury list are certainly creating doubts

Athletic in the Champions League at Atletico’s expense

Athletic Club want a Spanish Cup and fourth place double and after they beat Alaves at the weekend and Atletico slipped up they are now sat inside the Champions League places. 

Ernesto Valverde, who won the league twice at Barcelona and was sacked by them while still top of the table, is proving once again why so many feel the one-time Manchester United target is the best coach in Spain.

Almeria have remembered how to win

At the 29th time of asking Almeria won a football match but it’s too late to save them. They might not finish bottom with only one point now separating them from second bottom Granada but under new coach Pepe Mel they remain 14 points from 17th place Celta Vigo who won under sacked Rafa Benitez’ replacement Claudio Giraldez.

Ernesto Valverde is proving once again why so many feel he is the best coach in Spain

Youssef En-Nesyri and Quique Sanchez Flores probably wont be together at Sevilla next term

Sevilla’s fight club moment eases En Nesyri to the exit

Youssef En-Nesyri and Quique Sanchez Flores probably wont be together at Sevilla next season. The Moroccan striker is out of contract in 2025 and the club will want to get a fee for him this summer. 

Sanchez Flores might also move on if Sevilla’s inconsistent form continues until the end of the season. It’s probably for the best after the player went for his coach after being taken off on Sunday and had to be restrained by team-mate Lucas Ocampos.