Madrid, January 21 Real Madrid ascended to the pinnacle of La Liga this weekend after Atletico Madrid’s defeat against Leganes and Barcelona’s draw with Getafe on Matchday 20 of the Spanish top division.
Real Madrid, a record 36-time champion, aims to defend the championship acquired in the 2023-24 season, currently accumulating 46 points from 14 victories in 20 matches. Atletico Madrid occupies the second position with 44 points, while Barcelona holds the third position with 39 points, having achieved 12 victories and three draws.
This weekend, we discerned four insights from La Liga.
Mbappe has returned to his peak performance.
Real Madrid ascended to the top position with a 4-1 victory over Las Palmas at home, swiftly rebounding after losing an early goal. Kylian Mbappe converted a penalty, marking Real Madrid’s ninth of the season, and then scored his team’s third goal with a deft finish. In the absence of the suspended Vinicius Jr, the French international effectively occupied his preferred left flank, consistently posing a danger to the Las Palmas defense, and it is accurate to assert that he is now completely integrated into the squad. The inquiry for Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is: with Mbappe excelling on the left, what will he do upon Vinicius’ return?
2. Getafe once again thwarts Barcelona
FC Barcelona has had an unusual beginning to 2025, achieving a remarkable 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, followed by a 5-1 rout of Real Betis in the Copa del Rey last week. Considering Barcelona’s performance, the squad was anticipated to end its four-year winless streak against the faltering Getafe; nevertheless, this did not occur, despite Jules Kounde providing an early advantage for Barcelona. Getafe equalized before to halftime and thereafter impeded Barcelona with a methodical defensive performance. The outcome indicates that while Barcelona secured victories in the Copa del Rey, Super Cup, and Champions League, they have garnered just five points from their last six matches in La Liga, resulting in a tumultuous season.
3. Atletico experiences a day of inactivity
Leganes had already defeated FC Barcelona before to Christmas and then secured three points against Atletico Madrid. Atletico exhibited their worse performance at Butarque Stadium, as Diego Simeone’s team first adopted an overly cautious approach and ultimately found themselves down when Matija Nastasic scored the only goal of the match. Antoine Griezmann squandered a late penalty in the last minute, and Atletico may have lacked the vigor and strength that a healthy Alexander Sorloth might have contributed to their offense. However, Leganes deserves commendation for a performance that will instill uncertainty in Atletico supporters over their team’s championship aspirations.
The relegation struggle intensifies.
The relegation zone became much more competitive this weekend as several clubs contending to evade relegation secured crucial points. Leganes triumphed against Atletico Madrid, Alaves secured an away victory over Real Betis, Valencia overcame Real Sociedad, Espanyol achieved a crucial home win against Valladolid, and Getafe earned a draw at home against Barcelona.
The results indicate that all teams ranked 13th and below are capable of securing significant victories. Valencia will be particularly satisfied with a win that appears to validate its progress under Carlos Corberan, in anticipation of next weekend’s match against Barcelona, while Leganes, Getafe, and Real Valladolid also face challenging fixtures.
