A four-way battle for LaLiga Santander

It has been a long time since Spanish football has seen a LaLiga Santander title race quite like this one. With the season coming to its end and five matchdays to come, four teams are still very much in the hunt.

Each of Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Sevilla have five games to play, though Barcelona have the edge due to having a game in hand over all of their fellow contenders, which they'll play against Granada on Thursday.

Inigo Martinez's late winner for Athletic Club against Atleti on Sunday night has turned the title race upside down. The four teams in the running are separated by just three points: Atleti are top on 73, Real Madrid have 71, and both Barcelona and Sevilla sit on 70.

To find a similarly close race with five games to play, you have to go back to 2006/07, when Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia were split by just six points.

Both Madrid sides are showing signs of choking in this final stretch. Los Rojiblancos have picked up more points than they might have expected to, but the loss at San Mames was a serious blow to their chances, added to other slips against Real Betis, Getafe and Sevilla lately that have lost Diego Simeone's side 10 points.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have also dropped points unexpectedly against Getafe and Betis in consecutive weekends, reducing their chances of winning the title.

Barcelona and Sevilla are coming into the final stretch at full steam. Only Real Madrid were able to stop the Catalans, while the Andalusians have won five in a row and are real contenders.

A straight shootout in Matchday 35

The top four all face off on Matchday 35, to be played on May 8 and May 9.

Real Madrid will host Sevilla at Valdebebas on May 9, while Atletico Madrid travel to the Camp Nou the day before in the afternoon's 16:15 CEST kick off.

Whatever happens that weekend, though, this title race will still be alive until the very last round of fixtures on Matchday 38.

A wasted advantage

At the end of January, Atletico had more than one hand on the title. Los Colchoneros had a 10-point lead over the Clasico duo, and they had a game in hand as well.

But, somehow, Simeone's side have collapsed and opened the door for three teams to get back into the race.

Atleti still have to face Elche, Barcelona, Real Sociedad, Osasuna and Real Valladolid between now and the end of the season, whereas the Catalans will play Granada (their game in hand), Valencia, Atletico, Levante, Celta Vigo and Eibar.

Osasuna, Sevilla, Granada, Athletic and Villarreal are Real Madrid's opponents, and Sevilla will hope to continue their winning run against Athletic, Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal and Alaves.

Whoever wins it, this title race is going to run until the very end.