A wicked deflection of Toni Kroos’ stoppage-time shot kept La Liga’s insane title fight from including four teams with three matches left.
Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla on Sunday in Madrid didn’t completely kick the visitors out of the picture, but it very much cements Real’s place in the top three.
However, Atletico Madrid is very much in the driver’s seat for a first La Liga crown in seven years, holding a two-point lead on Real and Barcelona.
If Real does win the title, they can thank Kroos.
The German has been absolutely sensational this season, and he set up Marco Asensio’s 67th-minute goal before taking the shot that turned off Diego Carlos to give Real its second equalizer against a Sevilla trying to move four points back of Atleti.
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🍀 Lady Luck smiles on EDEN HAZARD as the Belgian inadvertently deflects a wayward Toni Kroos shot into the onion bag! All square! #RealMadridSevillaFC pic.twitter.com/VflS9rYNY6
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 9, 2021
Instead, Sevilla is six points behind Atleti and four behind Barca and Real.
Atleti passed its biggest hurdle on Saturday when it held Lionel Messi off the scoreboard in a 0-0 draw with Barcelona, but it’s not an easy road home.
Diego Simeone’s men are home for two-straight, against fifth-place Real Sociedad and 12th-place Osasuna, before finishing at a Real Valladolid who could be fighting for its top-flight life.
Barcelona goes to 14th-place Levante and then hosts 8th-place Celta Vigo before finishing away to last-place Eibar, who at the time of this post is two points back of 17th.
Real, who has tiebreaker joy on both, goes to 10th-place Granada and ninth-place Athletic Bilbao before finishing with sixth-place Villarreal, who is staying sharp for a Europa League Final with Manchester United.
La Liga run-in: Matches for Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona
Matchweek 36
Tuesday
Levante v Barcelona -- 4pm ET
Wednesday
Atletico Madrid v. Real Sociedad -- 4pm ET
Thursday
Granada v Real Madrid -- 4pm ET
Matchweek 37
Athletic Bilbao v Real Madrid -- 12:30pm ET
Atletico Madrid v Osasuna -- 12:30pm ET
Barcelona v Celta Vigo -- 12:30pm ET
Matchweek 38
Eibar v Barcelona -- Noon ET
Real Madrid v Villarreal -- Noon ET
Real Valladolid v Atletico Madrid -- Noon ET