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The day after Atlético's victory, Barcelona's thirty-fifth round fixture kicked off.
At home, Messi's goal secured a 1-0 win over Levante. The four-point gap remained intact.
But while Atlético could focus solely on the league, Barcelona had to shift their attention to Europe.
The Champions League semi-final first leg arrived.
Barcelona hosted Liverpool at the Camp Nou. When the final whistle blew, the stadium erupted into jubilation. An outsider might have thought they'd already won the trophy.
The celebration wasn't entirely unwarranted. The scoreboard read 3-0. Barcelona had dismantled the Premier League side at home. With that cushion, they felt they already had one foot in the final.
At the post-match press conference, Valverde made a pointed declaration.
"We have absolute confidence that we will travel to the Wanda Metropolitano and lift the trophy there. I believe that will be more memorable than anything."
The comment contained a barb aimed at Atlético Madrid. This season's Champions League final was scheduled for their home ground.
Online, Barcelona and Atlético supporters engaged in a war of words. With the 3-0 scoreline behind them, the Barcelona fans held the upper hand.
Radical supporters created cartoons depicting Barcelona lifting the European Cup while Atlético players watched enviously from the stands. Others dreamed of overtaking Atlético in the league and completing an historic treble.
Messi added fuel to the fire in a post-match interview.
"Nothing is decided yet. But after working hard all season, I believe we'll get the result we deserve. In the final three rounds, both teams will face enormous pressure. But I think we have a significant advantage—Atlético have much less experience in title races. There's a high possibility they'll make mistakes."
Spanish media fawned over Barcelona. As the only Spanish club remaining in the Champions League, their prospects looked excellent.
What happened in the thirty-sixth round seemed to prove Messi right.
Atlético travelled to the RCDE Stadium to face Espanyol.
On paper, it should have been routine. Espanyol sat eleventh. The remaining fixtures looked manageable: after this, fifth-placed Sevilla, then fifteenth-placed Levante.
Only Sevilla posed a genuine threat.
After the Valladolid victory, a relaxed atmosphere had settled over the squad. Even club staff were reportedly preparing for the championship parade.
Sometimes excessive tension affects performance. But sometimes excessive relaxation leads to complacency.
And complacency comes at a price.
After ninety minutes, Simeone sat in the stands with a face like stone.
When the final whistle blew, the Atlético players hung their heads. They hurried toward the tunnel as though fleeing a crime scene.
The scoreboard burned into every Atlético supporter's memory.
Espanyol 3-0 Atlético Madrid.
A complete humiliation.
In the words of the television commentary, Atlético had performed like an amateur side. Errors littered the pitch—baffling, inexplicable mistakes. By the twenty-sixth minute, a defender had cleared the ball directly into his own net.
Even André, the wonderkid who carried the weight of expectation on his shoulders, had been anonymous.
Marca published a scathing report the following morning.
"This is not the performance of a championship team. I saw no urgency. No professionalism. They think the trophy already belongs to them. They think they're already the best. What they don't realise is that one match can destroy everything they've worked for. If a team like this wins the title, I would feel sorrow for Spanish football."
Mundo Deportivo, predictably, revelled in the schadenfreude.
They published a survey claiming to have interviewed twenty thousand fans across Spain. One question, three options: Who will win the league? A) Atlético Madrid. B) Barcelona. C) Real Madrid.
According to their results, seventy-three percent believed Barcelona would win the title and complete the treble. Only twenty-five percent backed Atlético. The remaining two percent abstained.
Including Real Madrid—thirteen points adrift with two rounds remaining—was pure provocation.
Barcelona's jubilation wouldn't last long.
Their thirty-sixth round fixture took place a day after Atlético's collapse. The Barcelona camp saw opportunity. A victory would reduce the gap to just one point.
One point with two matches remaining.
The title race would be blown wide open.
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