Reviewers have called it a dramatic, highly imaginative first novel where the author delivers an explosive thriller.

Well, Shuman now has some competition.

And it comes from sunny Spain, where the Primera Liga season goes right down to the absolute wire and going into today's final day encounter looks set to remembered as the best one in living memory.

Real Madrid lead the table and only need to win their tie against mid-table islanders Mallorca to guarantee a record 30th triumph. Barcelona on second need to win against relegated Gimnastic and hope the Merengues lose. And if that's not enough for entertainment, third place Sevilla could yet hold an outside bet if they win their encounter and both the eternal rivals lose.

Imagination doesn't get better than this, its all knife-edge stuff.

But more to the point the 18 second allusion.

The penultimate matchday of the La Liga season and Barcelona and Real Madrid are both playing at the same time. Barcelona are at the Nou Camp against city rivals Espanyol -- the Derby de Catalunya. They are leading 2-1 against an inspired Espanyol, albeit thorough a Lionel Messi double, atleast one of which was achieved via a certain Hand of God that Englishmen would identify with. (Maradona reincarnation?)

Real Madrid are away at Europe-chasing Real Zaragoza, who have played out of their skins. Pablo Aimar having the kind of game that makes you wonder why he did not live up to the aforementioned accolade has won a penalty and then proceeded to leave the entire Real midfield in his wake with a jinking run and pass. Both situations lead to goals, both taken by razor-sharp forward Diego Militio.

As it stood, Barca where three points clear at the top. The title was all but secured.

Hattrick for Rijkaard, Ronaldinho and co...

Except, ludicrously, it wasn't.

In Zaragoza with 89 minutes on the clock, Van Nistlerooy scrambled the ball over the line to equalise (2-2) and reduce Barcelona's new lead by a point.

A murmur went around the Nou Camp.

Not that the Dutchman's effort mattered. They really needed two.

But what the faithful at the glorious stadium did not realize was that Real need not score them both.

Because exactly 18 seconds after Nistelrooy's typically opportunistic effort, Raul Tamudo got the other for them; sneaking in behind the Barcelona defence to fire past Victor Valdes. 2-2 at the Nou Camp.

No wonder Madrid-tending daily AS printed "Thank You Tamudo" as their headline the next day. The irony in all of this is that Tamudo himself is Catalan.

Back in Zaragoza, Van Nistelrooy was cantering to the centre circle desperate for a third when he was mystified at the elongated roar from the small away faithful. When he looked up at the scoreboard he saw the magic words: Barcelona 2 Espanyol 2. What he didn't see was the other result also going Madrid's way: with their best two strikers injured before the game, a winger dropping out during the warm-up and another man down on nine minutes, Sevilla were drawing 0-0, having had penalty shouts rejected.

Instead of trailing Barca by three points and Sevilla by one, or Barca by two and Sevilla by one, or even facing a tasty three-way tie, Madrid were suddenly top of the table. Eighteen seconds - 18 bloody seconds! - had changed everything.

Eat your heart out Shuman this is REAL drama. (pun intended)

So, as the dust settles, the equation looks simple. Real just need to win to confirm the championship.

But then nothing really has been simple this season.

Real are the Bernabeu and while it may look like a very winnable tie, their record at home has been atrocious this season, partly due to the insistence of the Madrid boo-boys. Also, time and time again Real have looked dead and buried in games only to launch incredible comebacks. The law of averages may be against them.

And the islanders too have sounded out their warning, saying they felt offended by Real's rapturous celebrations at Zaragoza. Lionel Messi has fuelled the fires further by suggesting bonus payments to Mallorca for beating Madrid.

Barcelona play Gimanstic, who hail from Tarragona, the next big population center south of Barcelona. They have no axe to grind with their illustrious neighbours is what they would have you believe.

But the Catalans have always been regarded as pro-Madrid and anti-Barca. Expect them, relegated or not, to put up a fight.

Sevilla, on paper atleast, look to have the toughest job away to UEFA-cup chasing Villarreal. With players injured, a call-up for Freddie Kanoute and controversy galore -- the finish looks set to be frenetic.

It has been a season of incidents -- plots and sub-plots intertwined amongst them. Final flings, full cycles and new force withstanding, when the dust clears Fabio Capello looks likely to be the man left standing with Frank Rijkaard and Juande Ramos in a heap -- which would mean Roberto Carlos bows out with a final hurrah alongside David Beckham.

And then again just like the last weekday, fate could deal its next eighteen second hand.

All in all, as it stands for Madrid, winning is all that's required. For Barcelona and Sevilla -- well they both need a miracle

Trouble is, miracles have so far really been Real's thing.