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La Liga Lowdown
Another Messi hat-trick, another step towards the title for Barça... Matchday 28 recap!
You might as well just give Barcelona the title now. With 10 games to go they're 10 points clear, after another Lionel Messi-inspired display at Real Betis. That 4-1 win, coupled with Atlético Madrid's 2-0 defeat at Athletic Club means that the title race is effectively over, barring a total implosion from the champions.
Real Madrid have got Zinedine Zidane back in the dugout, so we chat about the impact he's had already, how it might affect Gareth Bale and Marcelo's futures at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, as well as youth development - at least Zizou kicked off with a win second time around, as Madrid beat Celta 2-0 at home.
Sevilla and Alavés both won to put pressure on 4th-placed Getafe, who drew at Valencia in a relatively dull game...and just up the road, Villarreal came from behind to defeat fellow relegation strugglers Rayo Vallecano 3-1. Elsewhere, Real Valladolid scored twice in stoppage-time to win at Eibar - a huge result.
LaLiga now takes a break as we turn our attention to the Spain national team. Don't forget to listen to our bonus podcasts here at La Liga Lowdown, as well as checking out our Twitter feed - you can find us at @LaLigaLowdown on Twitter.
Enjoy!
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