Defeating Real Madrid, Barcelona will officially be crowned at Camp Nou

Given Real Madrid's repeated slip-ups, Barcelona stands before a massive chance to clinch the La Liga championship ahead of schedule, possibly even during the monumental El Clasico match next month.

The race for the La Liga crown this season is witnessing Barcelona's absolute dominance. Real Madrid's latest draw against Girona is not only a shocking result in terms of the scoreline but also a decisive turning point that allows Xavi Hernandez's team to comfortably advance toward the finish line.

Currently, the Catalan giants lead their rival by 6 points and still have one postponed match against Espanyol. Winning this derby would extend the gap to 9 points with only 8 rounds remaining in the league.

Although mathematically, the championship is not yet officially secured for Camp Nou, the team's confidence is soaring higher than ever. While Barcelona maintains stable form with favorable results, their direct competitors are beginning to falter at the most critical moments. Real Madrid's decline acts as the catalyst making the belief in an early title increasingly realistic.

All attention is now focused on round 35, where the second leg of El Clasico will take place on May 10th. This is considered the "final" of the entire season. At that point, only 12 points remain to be contested. If Barcelona maintains a 9-point gap before kick-off, a victory over Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou would allow them to officially be crowned three rounds early.

However, this scenario still harbors complex variables related to head-to-head statistics. In the first leg, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory. This means if the two teams are tied on points, Real Madrid would rank higher. Therefore, to definitively end all hopes of their rival right at El Clasico, Barcelona needs a win by a margin of at least two goals to reverse the head-to-head advantage, or hope to widen the point gap beforehand.

Even a more "sweet" scenario could unfold: Barcelona being crowned without waiting for the result of the grand clash. If Real Madrid continues to drop points in the upcoming rounds and the gap expands to 13 points before round 35, Barcelona will officially become the new champion.

In that case, the El Clasico on May 10th would transform into a celebratory ceremony, where Real Madrid players might have to perform the honor guard ritual (Pasillo) to welcome the champion right on their rival's sacred ground.