It's fun to dream, which is exactly what Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid's title hopes are now. Or pipe dreams of you want to qualify them even further. Really it has been that way since Barcelona took the top spot in the league standings a few months ago, but now the burial plots has been picked and dug out. All they're waiting for are the bodies.

Midweek Barcelona played an extra game to put them on par with the rest of the league. Thus their lead increased to six over second-place Atlético. Then Saturday Barcelona traveled to the Canary Islands for a match against Las Palmas, who are currently one of the three teams in the relegation zone.

Arguably the best team in Europe playing a soon-to-be relegated team, put two and two together and you get a W in the Barcelona column. Behind goals by Luis Suarez and Neymar that is exactly what happened, although the hosts were able to pull level early in the first half.

Now with 13 matches left in the season, Barcelona leads Atlético by eight points and Real Madrid by nine. No team in La Liga history has ever overcome a nine point deficit, so things don't look very good at all for los madristas. The largest deficit any Spanish team has overcome to win the crown is six, done by Real Madrid in the 2006-07 season.

Therefore that leaves only the Champions League as the only available trophy for either Madrid team. For Barça, it's not inconceivable to think that they could win the treble two seasons in a row, something that I'm not sure has ever happened in soccer history.

For Real Madrid, what lacks this season is continuity. Whether it be on the sideline with their coaching staff, or on the pitch. Gareth Bale is out with yet another injury, and his absence is hurts more than anyone else's this season. Cristiano Ronaldo has visibly regressed, even though he still fills up a stat sheet he lacks the speed we're used to seeing that allows him to take over games. Bale is younger and has that pace that Madrid need, especially as their attack is driven by outpacing their opposition. This differs from Barcelona, who still prefer the tiki-taka tactic, picking a defense apart with their passing.

Madrid will need Bale back if they want to take home the Champions League for the 11th time, their attack is not deep enough to compete with someone like a Barcelona, who's attacking trident of Messi, Suarez and Neymar can win the Balon D'Or any given year.

Otherwise, Barca will be posing with more trophies while Madrid is left with none for a second straight year.

Photo: Flickr