Real Madrid players celebrated Sunday's 2-0 victory over Racing Santander as if they had won the title and it seems only a matter of time before they wrap up their 31st league championship. Sunday's win left Real 10 points clear of second-placed Villarreal and 11 ahead of arch-rivals Barcelona with five matches to play.
Real, who have led the table since the early part of the season, could retain the title if they beat Athletic Bilbao next Sunday and Villarreal and Barcelona fail to win their respective matches at Real Betis and Deportivo Coruna.
"We are very close to winning the title, we aren't going to deny it," goalkeeper Iker Casillas told reporters after the game. "We aren't letting this league slip out of our grasp and we are only a step away from winning it.
"We are going to finish the season on a high but without getting carried away by any euphoria." If Real do go on to take the championship it will be the first time that they have achieved back-to-back titles since they won the league five times in a row between 1986 and 1990. Coach Bernd Schuster, who took charge after Fabio Capello was sacked at the end of last season promising the team would play more attractive football than under the Italian, remained cautious.
"We still have to play the games and so I don't want to evaluate the season just yet," the German told reporters. "We've built a new team with new players and we are all doing our work. No one has given us anything. "We have to improve next year but we have done some important things with the team. Attractiveness is a different matter, however."
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