Barca move closer to La Liga title thanks to Atletico draw

In preparation for the Europa League semi-final first leg against Arsenal, coach Diego Simeone decided to withdraw Antoine Griezmann, Koke and Godin from Atletico's starting lineup. Diego Costa was also absent due to injury. As a result, Atletico could only draw 0-0 at home at the Metropolitano Stadium in round 34.

Due to not getting maximum points, Atletico only shortened the gap with the leading team Barca to 11 points. This is the condition for Barca to be crowned early by earning just... one more point in the remaining five matches (besides points, Atletico also lost the direct head-to-head record).

Due to the postponement of the 34th round (against Villarreal) to the final of the King's Cup, the leading team will play the next match in the 35th round as a guest at Deportivo. With just a draw, coach Ernesto Valverde's team will be crowned champions four games early.

If they win La Liga, Barca will have a double in the 2017-2018 season. On April 21, Iniesta and his teammates won their first title when they defeated Sevilla 5-0 in the King's Cup final.

Barca currently has 24 La Liga titles, the most recent being in the 2015-2016 season. Real is still the team with the most titles with 33.