You are right. 9 points is a huge interval in the table. Barcelona are in very good form this season; they are in form where they can beat any team that they play with. Barcelona will not make any mistake to lose three matches and leave the space for Real Madrid, where as I’m still doubting if Real Madrid will be getting back and get the first position, because while they are in the process of restoring their performance, Barcelona will still be getting more points that will make it difficult for Real Madrid to catch up on the table.
Real Madrid will most likely start to improve again. Because I'm sure they won't be down for long after the two bad results they got in the last two matches, namely in El Clasico and in the UCL. And currently Real Madrid's position, which is 9 points behind Barcelona, is quite sad. but Real Madrid still has 1 match postponed due to the flood disaster that occurred before the match against Valencia a few days ago. And if Real Madrid manages to win in the postponed match, Real Madrid will narrow the point difference from 9 points to 6 points. But still, a difference of 6 points is also quite a big difference if you look at Barcelona's current consistency. Because I think Barcelona is like a team that will not lose anytime soon. And it is possible that Barcelona will continue to increase their points advantage and make the distance between them and Real Madrid even further.
Real Madrid must avoid losing or drawing matches if they are to win the La Liga this season. If Real Madrid loses a game and Barcelona gains 9 or 10 points in the league, I doubt Ancelotti will win the trophy this season. Barcelona is now leading by 9 points because they have not yet played Valencia; however, if they play the game and lose by 9 points, they should forget about the league crown and instead focus on the UCL and Copa del Rey. Real Madrid and Manchester City have suffered back-to-back losses, despite their strong performance last season. This is due to player ailments. And the coaches believe they will come back strong since they are the best two clubs with more essential players than the rest, allowing them to compete again in the league. Let us watch how Madrid performs against Osasuna this weekend if they have the possibility to get three points.
With Barcelona's current great performances and the way Real Madrid is performing, I don't think Real Madrid can even catch up with Barcelona, even with this six-point gap. Whenever Barcelona is in great form and topping the table, it is always hard for Real Madrid to catch up and win the La Liga title. So, now I don't think Barcelona will want to give Real Madrid any chances to win La Liga. Currently, I see Barcelona as the team with the best chance to win the league.
As I look at Real Madrid now, Ancelotti really needs to identify the causes of the team's recent performance issues and solve them so they have a chance to win a trophy this season. But if they continue like this, they might not win even one trophy. Even in the Champions League, Madrid is starting to mess up; imagine that Real Madrid has played four matches and already lost two. That’s a bad record for them.