How can FC Barcelona win La Liga this weekend?

With 26 wins, 5 draws and just 3 defeats, Barça go into the last five games of the Liga season knowing it is really just a matter of time before they are crowned champions. And with an amazing 60-11 goal difference, there is no arguing that the team fully deserves to be in the position that it is in right now.

And this Sunday they go to Espanyol knowing that the game presents the first opportunity to be mathematically crowned champions. Although that might have already happened before they even kick a ball:

Real and Atlético Madrid slip up...

If neither of the two Madrid clubs collect points this weekend, then Barça would already be champions. Real play first, at home to relegation-threatened Getafe on Saturday at 9pm CEST. Unless they win that game, they will be out of the equation.

But whatever the outcome at the Bernabéu, Atlético Madrid would still be in the chase. They are away to bottom-of-the-table Elche on Sunday at 4.15pm CEST. The situation is the same. They need to win that match to keep alive any chance, no matter how slender, of pipping Barça to the Liga title. Draw or lose, and they too are out of it.

If neither Real nor Atlético have won, then Barça will be taking to the field in the RCDE Stadium stadium Cornellà as the new Liga champions.

... or Barça win the derby

But regardless of what the two Madrid clubs have done, Barça will be confirmed champions if they beat Espanyol in the derby.

In fact, the only way Barça can NOT be confirmed champions this weekend is if both Madrid clubs win their games and they themselves get beaten. In which case, we'd move on to the next round of matches where the exact same scenario would be repeated. And there would still be three more chances to come after that. Fact is, La Liga 2022/23 is already looking very, very blaugrana indeed.