Close menu

Did Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale define Spanish title race?

Last updated on .From the section European Footballcomments350

Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar
The front threes of Real Madrid and Barcelona have scored 195 goals between them this season

Barcelona won the Spanish title on Sunday with a game to spare after a dominant second half of the season.

Heading into the winter break in December, the Catalans were a point behind league leaders Real Madrid, who also had a game in hand.

At that stage, Real's attacking trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale were outperforming their Barcelona counterparts Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez by a distance. In La Liga and the Champions League, the Real trio had a combined total of 52 goals in 21 games compared to their Barcelona rivals' tally of 40 in 22.

Real Madrid and Barcelona goals before the winter breakGraphic showing Real and Barca's records before the winter break

Those goalscoring exploits put Real in a position of dominance. But after the winter break, all that changed as Barca overtook their rivals and went on to reach the Champions League final while Real went out at the semi-final stage.

The reason? Well, in part at least, the answer lies with Suarez and Bale. After three goals in 11 games before the break, Suarez returned in the new year - playing more regularly in a central striking role - and scored 19 in 24.

Just as Suarez helped the Barca trio raise their goals-per-game ratio from 1.81 per 90 minutes to 2.37 (64 in 27 in 2015), so Bale's dip in form led to his pre-break record of nine goals in 17 games - more than one in two - dropping to six in 23, roughly one goal every four games.

That had a major impact on the overall scoring rate of Real's front three and, despite Ronaldo continuing to score at a prolific rate, including a hat-trick on Sunday at Espanyol, their strike rate per 90 minutes dropped from 2.47 goals to 1.39 (39 in 28 in 2015).

Real Madrid and Barcelona goals after the winter breakReal Madrid and Barcelona's record after the winter break

So, why the change in fortunes?

Spanish football writer Andy West explains: "It really has been a season of two halves for both clubs, with Barcelona coming together superbly after January, while Real Madrid have headed in the opposite direction.

"The key for Barca was Luis Enrique finally toning down the rotation policy which bizarrely saw him pick a uniquely different starting XI in each of the first 28 games of the season.

"From January onwards they have developed coherence and consistency, with Messi's new position on the right wing fundamental.

"Real have suffered from a string of injuries - especially Luka Modric - and a dip in form for some key individuals such as Ronaldo and Bale.

"Those factors have gradually eroded their confidence and diminished their effectiveness as a team unit."

Could tiredness be a factor?

Table

How the table looks

La Liga table

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

350 comments

  • Comment posted by FootieFan81, at 16:31 18 May 2015

    No. The entire Real Madrid and Barcelona squad defined their season. The loss of Modric was a huge blow to Real Madrid. For me, the signing of James moved Real Madrid close to a new galacticos with Bale and Ronaldo. You need talented players but you need a team with balance that functions as a unit both in attack and defence.

  • Comment posted by User0397986204, at 16:57 18 May 2015

    - Barcelona have conceded 19 league goals this season.

    - Madrid have conceded 35.

    - Barcelona play every game with a recognised CDM.

    - Madrid do not.

    - Clearly Bale's fault.

  • Comment posted by User0397986204, at 16:34 18 May 2015

    Bale having a bad season: 28 games: 13 goals, 8 assists.

    Hazard having the best season of his career: 35 games: 14 goals, 8 assists.

    I agree Suarez has been a massive factor in Barca reclaiming the title, but from Madrid's perspective, I think their inability to defend as well as Barcelona has cost them the title rather than 'out of sorts' Bale..

  • Comment posted by User0532541719, at 16:20 18 May 2015

    Real Madrid has one exceptional player (Ronny Ego).

    Barcelona has three (Messy, Jaws & The Other One).

    Simple maths.

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 16:37 18 May 2015

    I've actually enjoyed watching Barca recently. Under Pep you couldn't question their achievements but the football was pretty dull at times. Now with Luis Enrique as manager there is a lot more flair and dynamism in my opinion. Crucially the front 3 seem to work really well together while at Real it seems to be a collection of extremely talented individuals.

  • Comment posted by OGG- OrigiGoalGangsta, at 19:26 18 May 2015

    So Suarez is a hero now? Now being recognised as one of the best players on the planet? What a difference a year makes... Send McNulty over to Marca on a free transfer, & Suarez will once again be the dispicable pantomime villain the hacks loved to sledge for cheap hits.

    In fact, just send McNulty anywhere for that matter! He's a big reason why the BBC have no cred on BBC Football anymore!

  • Comment posted by Alan, at 22:31 18 May 2015

    Another journalistic masterclass not worthy of comment.

    Re. Sterling, he isn't the sharpest and unfortunately he seems to be receiving poor advice. Within 2 years he will be languishing in the backwaters of one of the big teams and will have lost his England place. Sad to see, but no great loss for LFC, I think they have got the most out of him. Greedy hangers on

  • Comment posted by N-, at 16:50 18 May 2015

    lets be honest here, how many of us actually watched more than 5 Madrid and Barca games this season? And about Suarez and Bale: if you didn't know Suarez was the superior player already you know nothing

  • Comment posted by jacks raging colon , at 17:10 18 May 2015

    Messi and Ronaldo - the 2 greatest talents that I've seen in my time watching football.

    The difference is that Messi is:-

    a) a team player
    b) not a diver/whinger/cheater/sulker

    Messi, thank you for restoring my faith in football.

  • Comment posted by LS, at 16:43 18 May 2015

    Ronaldo record fee after winning 3 leagues and Champions league with MU. Bale record fee after running past few defenders in matches and over hyped by British media.Bale is good, but no where near a world record fee.

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 17:17 18 May 2015

    @50 Guernsey Red

    Kroos definitely isn't a DM. He was playing in front of Khedira and Schweinsteiger at the WC.

    The problem is Real have too many similar players. James wants to be playing in a CAM role as does Isco. The only DM of note is Khedira who seems to be completely out of favour.

  • Comment posted by Richard, at 16:38 18 May 2015

    Bale main problem is the fans expect him to be Ronaldo or messi and despite being one of the best players in the world he is not at their level. 49 games 19 goals 11 assists, is not a bad season.

  • Comment posted by DMT, at 17:34 18 May 2015

    You get the feeling that if you were trying to settle into a team you would find it easier to do so alongside Messi than you would alongside Ronaldo, Perhaps this is where Suarez has an advantage, Ronaldo always gives the impression that he begrudges any other Real player getting some of the limelight, and god help that you should play the wrong pass, or take a shot yourself.

  • Comment posted by a_proud_devil, at 16:25 18 May 2015

    Overanalysis. Barcelona won the title. it has not changed the price of beef at my local superstore.

  • Comment posted by Gordian Knot, at 09:27 20 May 2015

    De Gea was clapped are cheered last night despite his inevitable move to Real Madrid. Sterling was booed and jeered by Liverpool fans, even though both players won player of the year awards.

    This shows the gulf in class between Liverpool and Man Utd fans. Huge difference...

  • Comment posted by User0593433342, at 19:44 18 May 2015

    122. what,u don't think rooney is a fantastic,world class player who would walk into any team? no,i don't either,is a mystery to me how posters on here rate him like a god,and if van gaal makes him the focal point of his team,dont think Chelsea need worry about losing the title next year. whether in midfield(if he dropped any deeper he would be in the back 4),or up front,he has been poor

  • Comment posted by Zee Zee Top, at 19:34 18 May 2015

    Real Madrid have a big name player that's often the cause of their problems, but it isn't Bale. It's Ronaldo - for all the goals he scores when the big occasions happen he goes quiet and has minimal impact on the game, and then has a sulk when he doesn't receive the ball despite being selfish with it himself. Bale gets made a scapegoat when Ronaldo often does absolutely zero with no effort at all.

  • Comment posted by Markyp1965, at 19:00 18 May 2015

    If you want to see where the problem lies, just look at the respective 'teams'. Even with the individual talents of their front three, Barca are a team. With Real, it's Ronaldo plus 10 others. Everything revolves around him and it undermines them when things go wrong.
    Was Ronaldo on the pitch commiserating his teammates when they went out against Juve?
    Nope, he went straight down the tunnel.

  • Comment posted by Postie501, at 01:30 19 May 2015

    Barca stiffened up the team, Suarez in particular has made a big difference.RM have had more injuries, Modric was a huge loss.
    Barca are also a "team", always congratulate each other when they score, the scorer always go straight to the player who assists, without exception.

    RM do not do that.

  • Comment posted by zeezoo, at 06:52 19 May 2015

    The wheels actually started to come off for Real Madrid when James Rodriguez got injured.

    Anywho...Messi is better than Ronaldo. Suarez is better than Benzema and Neymar is better than Bale. No big surprise than Barcelona won the league.

Top Stories