Will today's LaLiga head-to-head be decided in the Luis Suarez zone?

Leaders Atletico can clinch title with win at Valladolid, but any slip can let Real in, who face Villareal

Sat, 22 May, 2021 - 09:25

Larry Ryan

As far as the pundits are concerned, this afternoon’s LaLiga finale is going to go deep into the ‘Luis Suarez zone’ — and don’t rule out the Uruguayan becoming Atletico Madrid’s title-winning hero.

With all matches involving the title, Europa League, and relegation races kicking off simultaneously at 5pm Irish time, leaders Atletico know a win at Valladolid will seal their 11th title and first since 2014.

However, the home side also need to win to have any chance of staying up. And should Atletico slip up, second-placed Real can slip in for their 35th title by beating Villareal.

But the Yellow Submarines also have much to play for. Just four days before their Europa League final with Manchester United, Unai Emery’s side must win to have a chance of returning to that competition via the league.

Premier Sports 1 will show Real Madrid v Villareal live, with Valladolid v Atletico on Premier Sports 2. While the LaLigaTV channel will broadcast a special Multigoal show, bringing instant updates from all the grounds.

Promoting the coverage this week were popular LaLigaTV pundits Guillem Balagué and Andrea Orlandi, who both put the irrepressible Suarez right at the heart of this story.

Suarez left Barcelona an unwanted figure at the end of last season, much to his chagrin and the dismay of his great friend Leo Messi.

But while Barca finally slipped out of the title race with a home defeat by Celta Vigo last week, Suarez kept Diego Simeone’s side on track with the winner against Osasuna two minutes from time.

Suarez now has 20 goals in all competitions this season, though they had dried up since March until last weekend’s dramatics that he celebrated wildly.

“The Luis Suarez story is the amazing one,” Balague says. “If Atletico Madrid manage to get the title, many people will ask how is it possible that Barcelona let the guy that helped them win the title four times in his time at the club go to another team that can challenge for the title, while Barcelona haven’t been able to do so.

“Messi and Suarez had dinner together this week. I’d imagine they couldn’t do that before, not publicly anyway, while they were fighting for the same title. So I wonder what type of conversation went on.

“But it’s one of the threads of this season. As has happened with Luis Suarez in his whole career, he appeared at the right time.

“Simeone calls it the Luis Suarez zone — at a time when he is needed he comes in and helps.

“He had got stuck on 19 goals since March 21 and he wasn’t scoring. The team still struggled on, managed to get the points recently, and he goes and scores a crucial goal that allowed Atletico Madrid to have the title in their hands.

“A draw is no good for either of these sides, win for Atletico and they win the league, win for Valladolid and they have a chance of survival.

"It's like a cup final, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

This weekend 🔥

Follow all the action on #LaLigaTV, including special Multigoal coverage LIVE from 5pm BST tomorrow! 🍿 pic.twitter.com/y0q3D1A8IV
— LALIGA TV (@LaLigaTV) May 21, 2021

Orlandi, who played for Swansea and Brighton, having begun his career at Alaves and Barcelona, has had a premonition involving more late drama and a typically ebullient Simeone celebration.

“I don’t think it's going to be easy. In the last four games, Atletico have been brilliant in the first half but haven’t been able to finish teams off. And I think it’s going to be the same at Valladolid, where they are going to dominate but Valladolid are playing for their lives and will make it difficult.

“I think it’s going to go down to the last minute, as Diego Simeone, says, the Luis Suarez zone.

“Luis Suarez knows what to do and how to do it. It’s like a deja vu, we had it with David Villa when he left Barca and joined Atletico Madrid and I think they have done the same piece of business with Luis Suarez and we might have the same outcome.

“I think they’ll win the title and honestly believe they deserve to, I can see them starting well, as they have in the last few games, not killing the game off, Valladolid getting back into it and then…

“In every season they have needed a hero. They had Godin scoring at the Camp Nou when they drew to win the title. And it might be another Uruguayan in Luis Suarez. I can see it coming and a very happy Simeone running up and down the pitch.”

Some argue it hasn’t been a vintage LaLiga campaign, despite the big three remaining in the race until the penultimate weekend, with Sevilla tagging along just behind.

The top three have each suffered spells of inconsistency, and European exits have underlined that some rebuilding work awaits all three. But Balague suspects we view past campaigns with rose-tinted glasses.

“I think we’re like spoilt children. We think you have to be like Manchester City, or Liverpool last season, or Barcelona of 2009 or 2012. And that’s the exception.

“Actually most of the time there are ups and downs. The season is very long. And we idealise, looking back at the history of the leagues.

“When Barcelona won it four times in a row, weren’t they great. Were they? Actually they could have lost it on three of the four seasons on the last game. That’s the norm.

“Lately we think unless you win it with 120 points, you’re just not good enough. I think we are focusing too often on the negatives, talking about inconsistencies, crisis, problems, difficulties, let’s get rid of those players.

“Football is a mirror of society, we are just spoilt children. And none of it is real life. Let’s not focus on inconsistencies and focus on how well Atletico Madrid have managed to battle the two giants.”