With Real Madrid enjoying a whopping 15 point lead at the table's summit, it's safe to say that Los Blancos will be clinching the league title this season.
However, that doesn't mean the season still doesn't have other storylines to be explored. For starters, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Atletico Madrid are all involved in a close battle for second spot, while Real Betis, who have been doing quite solidly all season, still are not out of the hunt for a Champions League berth.
At the opposite end of the table, Mallorca, Cadiz, and Granada will all be battling to avoid joining Levante and Deportivo Alaves, who appear set to be relegated to the second tier at the end of this season. Depending on how things turn out, it's still possible that Levante and Deportivo could pull off a great escape, but time is running out for them to achieve that.
Here's all you need to know ahead of matchday 34 in La Liga.
La Liga standings heading into matchday 34
Here's how the table looks ahead of the next round of fixtures.
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 31 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 67 | 20 | +47 | 78 | WWWWD | |
| 2 | Barcelona | 31 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 62 | 34 | +28 | 70 | WWWWD | |
| 3 | Girona | 31 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 63 | 39 | +24 | 65 | LWLWL | |
| 4 | Atlético Madrid | 31 | 19 | 4 | 8 | 59 | 36 | +23 | 61 | WWLLW | |
| 5 | Athletic Club | 31 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 51 | 29 | +22 | 57 | DLWWD | |
| 6 | Real Sociedad | 31 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 45 | 33 | +12 | 50 | DWWWL | |
| 7 | Valencia | 31 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 34 | 32 | +2 | 47 | WWDLW | |
| 8 | Real Betis | 31 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 45 | WLLLL | |
| 9 | Villarreal | 31 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 49 | 54 | -5 | 39 | DLWWW | |
| 10 | Getafe | 31 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 37 | 43 | -6 | 39 | DLWLD | |
| 11 | Osasuna | 31 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 36 | 44 | -8 | 39 | LWLLW | |
| 12 | Las Palmas | 31 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 29 | 35 | -6 | 37 | LLLLD | |
| 13 | Sevilla | 31 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 39 | 44 | -5 | 34 | WWLDW | |
| 14 | Deportivo Alavés | 31 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 26 | 38 | -12 | 32 | LLLWL | |
| 15 | Mallorca | 31 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 36 | -11 | 31 | LDWLW | |
| 16 | Rayo Vallecano | 31 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 38 | -13 | 31 | DDWLD | |
| 17 | Celta de Vigo | 31 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 33 | 46 | -13 | 28 | LDWLW | |
| 18 | Cádiz | 31 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 21 | 41 | -20 | 25 | LWLWD | |
| 19 | Granada | 31 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 32 | 60 | -28 | 17 | WLLLL | |
| 20 | Almería | 31 | 1 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 62 | -32 | 14 | DLWDL |
La Liga games you won't want to miss on matchday 34
Sevilla vs Cadiz: Cadiz narrowly find themselves just outside the drop zone, and could very well be among the teams facing relegation if they fail to beat Sevilla this Friday. Neither Sevilla nor Cadiz come into this game in the strongest of form, with Sevilla winning just two of their last five, while Cadiz have posted the same results as of late. Could this be a chance for the relegation candidates to snatch some vital points, or will Sevilla, who are keen on pipping Barcelona to second, get back on track?
Real Madrid vs Espanyol: Having wrapped up the league title race, Real Madrid will likely rotate against Espanyol, especially considering Los Blancos face a tough semi-finals second leg clash against Manchester City next week. And with Espanyol closer to the drop zone than anywhere near a European football berth, Carlo Ancelotti could certainly afford to rest a few key players in order to make sure that everyone of note is fighting fresh to take on Manchester City in Madrid next week.
Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid: The reigning La Liga champs won't be able to defend their title, as it's mathematically impossible at this point. 17 points behind cross town rivals Real Madrid with just five games to go, Diego Simeone's side can, at the best, hope to finish in second, albeit they'll need to pick up maximum points against Athletic Bilbao and hope that Barcelona and Sevilla both slip-up in their respective matches against Mallorca and Cadiz.
Athletic Bilbao, for their part, aren't out of the running for a European football spot just yet. Although they're currently in eighth position, if they can string a couple of positive results together, they just may be able to squeeze into a Europa League or a Europa Conference League berth for next season.
Barcelona vs Mallorca: It's been a bitterly disappointing season for Barcelona, who are set to finish the season sans a single trophy after first failing to get out of their Champions League group and then being dumped out of the Europa League. In addition, the Blaugrana, despite recording a stunning 4-0 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid in El Clasico last month, won't be getting their hands on the league title, as Real Madrid have established a very comfortable and insurmountable 15 point lead with five matches to go, especially following Barca's 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano recently. As such, Xavi's side will now need to focus on ensuring they can at least hang on to second place, especially with teams like Sevilla and Atletico Madrid still very much in the hunt to finish as high in the table as possible.
As for Mallorca, they, too, have their fair share of concerns, but for different reasons. Currently in 16th spot, Los Piratas are just two points away from the drop zone and could very well find themselves sucked into an unwanted relegation fight if they can't get their act together quickly.
Getafe vs Real Betis: Both teams find themselves in very interesting positions ahead of this match. Getafe, who've won just two of their last five, sit in 15th spot, with a five point gap between themselves and 18th-placed Granada. On paper, they may appear to be safe, but only just - considering that there are five more games between now and the end of the season, Los Azulones will need to be very careful they avoid any unnecessary slip-ups if they want to totally guarantee their top flight status for next season.
Meanwhile, Real Betis, who have been among the surprise packages this term, are winless in their last two, but as they are sitting in fourth, just four points behind Atletico Madrid, Los Verdiblancos are not totally out of the running to make a late push for a surprise Champions League berth.
Team news for matchday 34
*All info as of 29 April 2022
Real Madrid: Nacho Fernández (Suspended), Éder Militão (Suspended), Eden Hazard (Ankle injury), Mariano Díaz (Knock), Luka Jovic (Dental surgery)
Barcelona: Samuel Umtiti (Fractured toe), Óscar Mingueza (COVID-19), Martin Braithwaite (COVID-19), Moussa Wagué (Fitness issues), Sergiño Dest (Muscular injury), Sergi Roberto (Muscular injury), Pedri (Hamstring injury)
Sevilla: Fernando (Ankle injury), Karim Rekik (Muscular issues)
Atletico Madrid: Héctor Herrera (Muscular issues), João Félix (Muscular issues), Thomas Lemar (Muscular issues), José María Giménez (Muscular issues)
Real Betis: Martín Montoya (Achilles tendon issues)
Real Sociedad: Nacho Monreal (Knee injury), Ander Barrenetxea (Thigh muscle rupture), Carlos Fernández (Knee injury), Mikel Oyarzabal (Knee injury)
Villarreal: Alberto Moreno (Knee injury)
