Barcelona’s Polish ahead Robert Lewandowski netted a brace towards Girona final weekend to maintain his benefit on Kylian Mbappe (LLUIS GENE)
Simply three factors separate leaders Barcelona from Actual Madrid on the prime of La Liga in a gripping marketing campaign and three targets additionally divide their essential marksmen.
Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski is the division’s prime goalscorer with 25 and Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe trails him on 22, including one other side to the engrossing battle.
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The Catalans host hovering Actual Betis, sixth, on Saturday, shortly after champions Actual Madrid welcome relegation-battling Valencia to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Final weekend after Mbappe notched twice towards Leganes as Madrid scraped a 3-2 win, Lewandowski responded with a brace of his personal in Barcelona’s 4-1 rout of Girona.
Within the last levels his group spurned alternatives to attain extra targets and Lewandowski highlighted that.
“Within the final minutes there was more room and extra likelihood of scoring,” famous the 36-year-old Poland worldwide.
“If we had a greater last ball we might have scored one or two extra targets.”
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Lewandowski has netted 9 targets in his final 9 league video games and has 38 strikes from 43 matches throughout all competitions.
Regardless of his age, he believes he nonetheless has the standard to make the distinction at an elite membership for years to come back.
“I do know lots of people are speaking abut my age, however I am working since (I used to be) 21, 22, till now and I need to play extra years on the prime degree.
“I really feel excellent bodily, I feel wanting on the stats there is not any distinction now to some years in the past.”
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick insisted the striker was targeted on group success in addition to battling for Spain’s “Pichichi” award.
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“He is match, he is one hundred pc, I do know he desires to win the Pichichi,” stated Flick.
“However like I’ve all the time stated an important factor is the group… and that is what I can really feel extra, that he thinks in regards to the group and focuses on the group and helps the group.”
Not far behind him is Mbappe, who boasts 33 targets in 46 video games this season,equalling the tally Cristiano Ronaldo produced in his first season for Actual Madrid.
Mbappe idolised the Portuguese striker, who joined Los Blancos in 2009 from Manchester United and stated it was “very particular” to match him.
Actual Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated this week Mbappe might go on to develop into a “legend” like Ronaldo was on the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The Al-Nassr striker netted 450 targets to develop into Actual Madrid’s all-time prime goalscorer.
Mbappe stated he isn’t setting limits for himself this season by way of targets, whereas Vinicius Junior stated in January Madrid gamers would do “every thing we will to make (Mbappe) the highest scorer in all competitions”.
Valencia’s go to presents an honest likelihood to bolster his numbers as Los Che trio Jose Gaya, Luis Rioja and Dimitri Foulquier have been all booked final weekend and can miss the sport.
No participant has scored extra league targets in 2025 than Mbappe with 12, forward of Lewandowski’s seven.
Participant to look at: Ayoze Perez
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Villarreal and Spain striker Perez has been in excellent kind this season when he has been in a position to play in between just a few spells out injured. The previous Newcastle and Leicester ahead has netted 12 targets in 22 league video games for his membership and the Yellow Submarine, fifth, will want him at his greatest as they host fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Perez netted and arrange one other aim as Villarreal beat Getafe final weekend.
Key stats
3 – video games Valencia have misplaced underneath Carlos Corberan in La Liga from 12 performed, a drastic enchancment on 9 defeats of their first 17.
7 – Osasuna’s Ante Budimir has transformed all the penalties he has taken this season within the prime flight.
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521 – appearances for Antoine Griezmann in La Liga, greater than every other participant from overseas after overtaking Lionel Messi final weekend.
Fixtures
Friday
Rayo Vallecano v Espanyol (1900)
Saturday
Girona v Alaves (1200), Actual Madrid v Valencia (1415), Mallorca v Celta Vigo (1730), Barcelona v Actual Betis (1900)
Sunday
Las Palmas v Actual Sociedad (1200), Sevilla v Atletico Madrid (1415), Valladolid v Getafe (1630), Villarreal v Athletic Bilbao (1900)
Monday
Leganes v Osasuna (1900)
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