Barça galvanised by chance to triumph in a tight race in La Liga

The Catalans are driven by the opportunity to win the closest title chase in recent memory, with three games left and the top three contenders separated by just one point

There are three games remaining in the 2015/16 La Liga and there are three teams in the chase for the title, all but ensuring a nail-biting, photo finish that may be up in the air until the last minute.

At the bottom of the standings, teams struggling to avert relegation will be fighting tooth and nail to stave off mandatory trip to the Second Division. At the top of the classification, it will be just as intense, as three title contenders are separated by a single point with three games left to play — meaning nine points are still on the table. It is the closest race for the La Liga title since the turn of the century. Luis Enrique and his team know this and are using it as a point of motivation. Wins at Betis, home versus Espanyol and at Granada are the only thing standing between Barça and a second consecutive title, which would be their seventh in the last 10 seasons (see table below).

Only in the 2012/13 and 2007/08 seasons was La Liga already wrapped up by this point in the season.

In every one of the last nine years the team in first heading to the final three games eventually won the championship.

Here's a look at the league standings heading into the final three games in the last nine seasons. Teams that had already clinched heading into the last three games in BOLD.

Season	1st Place	Points	2nd Place	Points	3rd Place	Points
15/16	FC Barcelona	82	Atlético Madrid	82 (-0)	Real Madrid	81 (-1)
14/15	FC Barcelona	87	Real Madrid	85 (-2)	Atlético Madrid	76 (-11)
13/14	Atlético Madrid	88	FC Barcelona	84 (-4)	Real Madrid	83 (-5)
12/13	FC BARCELONA	91	Real Madrid	78 (-13)	Atlético Madrid	69 (-22)
11/12	Real Madrid	91	FC Barcelona	84 (-7)	Valencia	58 (-33)
10/11	FC Barcelona	91	Real Madrid	83 (-8)	Valencia	66 (-25)
09/10	FC Barcelona	90	Real Madrid	89 (-1)	Valencia	65 (-25)
08/09	FC Barcelona	86	Real Madrid	78 (-8)	Sevilla	65 (-23)
07/08	REAL MADRID	78 (+10)	Villarreal	68 (-10)	FC Barcelona	64 (-14)
06/07	Real Madrid*	69	FC Barcelona	69 (-0)	Sevilla	67 (-2)

*Despite being even on points, Real Madrid were ahead on goal differential over the two games they had played against FC Barcelona that season

from News at FCB http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/fc-barcelona-galvanised-by-chance-to-triumph-in-a-tight-race-in-la-liga