Madrid's "Real" enjoyed success in the first half of the season, but at the moment they are going through a real crisis of the game. Yesterday, the "white" team failed to beat Valencia's "Levante" team and lost two important points in the fight for a higher position. With a successful performance in today's match, "Barcelona" could gain a record lead over the Spanish champions. "Barcelona" will face "Espanyol" in the city derby today. In case of victory, "Barca" will have a 21-point advantage over "Real" in fourth place, which has never happened in the history of their rivalry. "Real" once had a 21-point gap with Madrid's "Atletico", but "Barcelona" has never had such a points advantage over their biggest rivals. This is the worst season for "Real" in history considering the results shown by their competitors. Such poor results of the "Real" team are hard to understand, as last year the Madrid team had the best season in their club's history and improved their unbeaten streak in Spain. "Marca" in their publication cannot explain the reason for this team's decline, but they mention physical and motivational problems, and who is to blame - players, coaches or managers - is also unclear. The Madrid team still has 17 matches in the Spanish league, but with their current form, they do not promise anything good. "Real" is currently in fourth position and is forced to fight for a place in the Champions League. The only hope for this club is the UEFA Champions League tournament, where they triumphed in the last two years. However, even there their chances are not considered high - they will face PSG in the quarterfinals.
