With only one more game left in La Liga in 2016, fans have to take under consideration a number of key elements that took place since last Satuday, when Barcelona kicked off all the action for Matchday 15.
First off, as always, is the battle for the league's Golden Boot. As Zinedine Zidane decided to rest Cristiano Ronaldo for their Club World Cup performance later this week, Lionel Messi stepped up and took the lead in the goal scoring department. To make matters worse for CR7, Luis Suárez matched his 10-goal tally with one more controversial goal.
Messi's double in Pamplona made him the leading scorer in #LaLigaSantander... pic.twitter.com/nZu1CN3tDA
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) December 10, 2016
But if Messi's brace helped him score some headlines, a new record by Real Madrid was the talk of the weekend. Once again, Sergio Ramos came through for Los Blancos and handed them a late win against Deportivo.
Two goalkeepers also made their presence felt this weekend: Diego Alves and Diego López. Have a look at their records and other interesting facts.
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— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) December 13, 2016
LaLigaSantander Matchday 15 in numbers https://t.co/9Vwc9UhnJk pic.twitter.com/GSOAQLye1U
La Liga's standings after 15 games Real Madrid keeps a six-point lead over Barcelona, but since Los Blancos won't play this weekend, Messi & Co. could sleep closer to the leaders if they can win their clash against Espanyol.
Putting aside the title race, one can't help to shocked by Atletico Madrid's declining form, as well as Valencia's struggles in the lower half. Simeone's men are placed sixth folowing their 3-0 loss vs Villarreal, while Los Naranjeros are not sleeping in relegation spots thanks to Sporting's even worse goal average.