Real Madrid and Barcelona will have tougher tests to come but emphatic victories on their return to action at the weekend suggest there may not be much margin for error in what is left of LaLiga’s title race.
Both performances erased fears that had arisen during the three-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, which saw La Liga go without competitive matches for 93 days.
Madrid looked comfortable in their new home at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium – part of their training complex – while Lionel Messi looked fit, with no sign of the tightness in his thigh that was bothering him earlier this month.