Barcelona and Real Madrid face major rebuilds after Champions League exits
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are facing crucial summer evaluations following their humiliating quarter-final eliminations from the Champions League last week.
The two heavyweights of European football must now refocus their attention on the domestic title race.
Both clubs suffered damaging home defeats to exit the premier continental competition after initially working their way into winning positions.
Atletico Madrid secured a 3-2 aggregate victory over the Catalan side, while Bayern Munich ousted Los Blancos in a thrilling 6-4 encounter.
La Liga title race resumes
The domestic campaign restarts on Tuesday with the capital club hosting Alaves.
Hansi Flick’s league leaders will then face Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.
The Blaugrana currently hold a commanding nine-point advantage at the top of the table with just seven matches remaining.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s squad are hoping to achieve a monumental comeback, though no top-flight leader has ever surrendered such a significant margin this late in the season.
Internal reviews required
Despite their strong position domestically, the current league leaders have appeared vulnerable throughout the campaign.
The Camp Nou outfit remain heavily reliant on their famous youth academy to plug gaps in the first-team squad.
Meanwhile, their eternal rivals possess immense financial power and a modernised stadium but find themselves in a precarious sporting situation.
Both Spanish institutions must use these painful European exits to forensically examine their underlying structural deficiencies.
