La Liga: Barcelona manager Setin expects a close finish in Spanish league

A three-month football break caused by the coronavirus pandemic doesn't seem to have dulled Barcelona and Real Madrid to fight for the Spanish league (La Liga) title.
 
Both teams had comfortable victories over the weekend as the league returned to action in empty stadiums. Barcelona won 4-0 at Mallorca and Madrid easily defeated Eibar 3-1 at home.
 
The results kept Barcelona two points ahead of Madrid with 10 rounds remaining.
 
It's going to be a fight in which we both feel that we can't fail again, Barcelona manager Quique Setin said Monday.
 
Barcelona manager hopes that the advantage we have right now will be enough to secure us the title. But there are many things that will be out of our control in this final month.


 
Barcelona will host relegation-threatened Legans in an empty Camp Nou on Wednesday at 1:30 am Indian Standard Time (IST), while Madrid welcomes seventh-place Valencia on Thursday again at its training centre while the Santiago Bernabu Stadium remains under renovation for the rest of the season. 

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid got a boost during the break as Luis Surez and Eden Hazard had time to recover from injuries that were expected to keep them out for the season.
 

Hazard performed well in his return by setting up two goals in Madrid's win over Eibar, while Surez also showed good form in Barcelona's victory.
 
There had been some concern about Lionel Messi's return as well, especially after he sustained a small injury not long before the league resumed, but the playmaker scored a goal and set up two others on Saturday. 

Messi is the league's leading scorer with 20 goals and has directly contributed to 15 of the team's last 18 goals (seven goals and eight assists). He has scored 20 or more goals for 12 straight seasons in the league.

 Both Setin and Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane took advantage of the five substitutions available to coaches after the pandemic, and Setin said he plans to rotate the squad often to guarantee his players remain fit through the end of the season.
 
Barcelona manager Setin defends Griezmann ahead of Leganes tie
 
Quique Setin defended striker Antoine Griezmann ahead of his side's second game in the return to La Liga action.
 
Barca entertain struggling Leganes in an empty Camp Nou Stadium on Tuesday night following its 4-0 win in Mallorca on Saturday night.
 
He was asked about striker Griezmann, who has only scored eight league goals since his move from Atletico Madrid last summer and whose place would be under threat after Luis Suarez's recovery from a knee operation.
 
"Griezmann's place is unquestionable, he is a great footballer and we knew that when we signed him," insisted Setin. "He is important for the club and for the team, but we will have to also use other players," he added, announcing changes to the side which won on Saturday.

 

Jordi Alba is suspended, while Clement Lenglet is available after suspension and others such as Ivan Rakitic, Nelson Semedo or Arthur Melo will also hope to start.
 
"There are going to be changes and they will continue as we continue to play so many games. We have to see how the players react and recover as I don't want them to get exhausted."
 
"We want to avoid injuries and for the players to be as fresh as possible. You have to count on all of your players, but then you have to adapt to circumstances," said the Barca coach.
 
What are the chances for other teams?
 
Third-place Sevilla also won in its return 2-0 over city rival Real Betis on Thursday but it remains nine points behind Madrid. It can temporarily cut the difference to six points when it visits midtable Levante on Monday.
 
Fourth-place Real Sociedad, fifth-place Getafe and sixth-place Atltico Madrid all failed to win this weekend. Atltico, the usual challenger to Barcelona and Madrid, was held to a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao for its third straight draw in the league. It next visits Osasuna on Wednesday.
 
It's always harder when you don't win, Atltico coach Diego Simeone said.
 
We have to find a way to overcome this. It will be difficult until the end.
 
The Spanish league is scheduled to end on July 19.