Barcelona (AFP)

Change of leader?

Atlético Madrid, hung (0-0) by FC Barcelona on Saturday at Camp Nou, is now under threat from Real Madrid who can take the lead in the Spanish Championship on Sunday if they win against Sevilla.

Luis Suarez - Lionel Messi, the duel of the "goleadors" best friends did not find a winner.

The two scorers remained silent on Saturday and froze the positions of their respective teams at the top of the standings, Barça still trailing Atlético by two points (75 against 77).

A status quo that suits Real Madrid's affairs well: eliminated Wednesday in the Champions League semi-final by Chelsea (1-1, 2-0), Zinédine Zidane's men (74 pts) could take advantage of this draw to take the top of the standings (on goal difference) in case of victory against Sevilla FC, Sunday evening (9 p.m.).

Despite the lack of goals and a bit of a show, the 0-0 at Camp Nou has the merit of maintaining all the suspense for the final sprint in La Liga.

Three days from the end, the calendar seems beneficial to Barça, who will face Levante, Celta Vigo and the red lantern Eibar for the last three days of the championship ... but the suspense remains.

- Mute "Goleadors" -

The long-awaited duel between Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi was ultimately not prolific in goals: the Uruguayan and the Argentine, best friends in life since Suarez's six-year spell at Barça (2014-2020), are offered a warm hug just before kick-off.

But for their first club clash, neither managed to gain the upper hand over the other.

It was also the great return of the "gunslinger" to Camp Nou and the first match of his career against Barça, since he had missed the first leg because he was infected with Covid-19.

The Catalans welcomed him by broadcasting a video tribute to the warm-up.

Messi did have a final opportunity at the last minute (89th), but his free kick touched the edge of the Madrid cages.

Throughout the match, both sides had chances, but the excellence of goalkeepers Jan Oblak and Marc-André ter Stegen, or the awkwardness of forwards, kept the score 0-0.

- Lemar and Busquets, injured -

The first period was also marked by two substitutions.

On the Atlético side, Thomas Lemar sat on the ground for a long time after a collision with Pedri (12th), holding the back of the left knee, looking annoyed.

He left the field two minutes later with a slight limp, replaced by Saul Niguez (14th).

An exit to watch, because a knee injury could deprive him of the three league matches remaining at the "Colchoneros", but especially the Euro with the France team, which begins in a month (June 11 - July 11).

On the Barça side, it was Sergio Busquets who could not continue the game: the Blaugrana vice-captain suffered a shock to the head during air contact with Stefan Savic (27th), then was examined by the doctor of the club, who gave him the green light to regain the pitch.

But after a few seconds in play, Busquets again stretched out on the ground, unable to continue, then ended up giving way definitively to Ilaix Moriba (31st).

He was transferred to a Barcelona hospital in the wake, even before the final whistle, to sit for exams.

Two hard knocks that could weigh in this thrilling final sprint for the La Liga title, and which would put the three favorites on an equal footing: on Saturday morning, Real Madrid lost again its captain Sergio Ramos, hit in the hamstrings of the left leg.

And this La Liga will be played on details like this.

© 2021 AFP