With the international break over, La Liga fans will be able to watch their favorite clubs going at it once again in one of the most interesting weekends in La Liga. Matchday 5 will give us a good idea on which teams have to be taken seriously, and which ones need to focuse elsewhere to avoid problems on the long run.
Despite struggling with numerous injuries to key players, Real Madrid are still on top of the league with a perfect record, but this time they will have to deal with Vinicius' absence right from the start of the game. In what could be seen as a strange similarity, Barcelona will also have to make do without two of their best players: Pedri and Ronald Araújo, while Ilkay Gündogan could also sit this one out after taking one harsh knock in his last international match with Germany.
These absences could have a major effect in how things look after this weekend, as they play key roles for their respective clubs, leaving Atlético and the surprising Girona with a shot at the top spot.
Here is everything you need to know about Matchday 5 in La Liga.
Broadcast information for La Liga in the United States
Fans in the U.S. will be able to enjoy the entire weekend in La Liga via ESPN+, the premium streaming platform operated by ESPN. For those who like to watch games on TV, their main option to do so will be via ESPN Deportes. Have a look at where you can watch or stream content from this competition in our La Liga website for other countries.
La Liga standings ahead of Matchday 5
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 34 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 74 | 22 | +52 | 87 | WWWWW | |
| 2 | Girona | 34 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 73 | 42 | +31 | 74 | WWWLW | |
| 3 | Barcelona | 34 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 70 | 43 | +27 | 73 | LWLWW | |
| 4 | Atlético Madrid | 34 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 63 | 39 | +24 | 67 | WWLWW | |
| 5 | Athletic Club | 34 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 55 | 33 | +22 | 61 | WLDDL | |
| 6 | Real Sociedad | 34 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 48 | 35 | +13 | 54 | WLDDW | |
| 7 | Real Betis | 33 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 41 | 39 | +2 | 49 | DWWLL | |
| 8 | Valencia | 33 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 37 | 38 | -1 | 47 | LLWWD | |
| 9 | Villarreal | 33 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 54 | 55 | -1 | 45 | WWDLW | |
| 10 | Getafe | 34 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 41 | 47 | -6 | 43 | LWDDL | |
| 11 | Osasuna | 33 | 11 | 6 | 16 | 37 | 49 | -12 | 39 | LLLWL | |
| 12 | Deportivo Alavés | 33 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 31 | 38 | -7 | 38 | WWLLL | |
| 13 | Sevilla | 33 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 42 | 46 | -4 | 38 | DWWWL | |
| 14 | Las Palmas | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 30 | 43 | -13 | 37 | LLLLL | |
| 15 | Rayo Vallecano | 33 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 27 | 42 | -15 | 34 | LWDDW | |
| 16 | Mallorca | 34 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 27 | 40 | -13 | 32 | LDLLD | |
| 17 | Celta de Vigo | 33 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 37 | 50 | -13 | 31 | LWLDW | |
| 18 | Cádiz | 34 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 23 | 49 | -26 | 26 | LDLLW | |
| 19 | Granada | 33 | 4 | 9 | 20 | 36 | 61 | -25 | 21 | WDWLL | |
| 20 | Almería | 33 | 1 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 67 | -35 | 14 | LLDLW |
Top games to watch on Matchday 5 of La Liga
A classic match between two bitter Spanish rivals takes place at Mestalla, with Los Naranjeros having a big chance to leapfrog Los Colchoneros, who postponed their match from Week four against Sevilla and who are only one point ahead of their hosts. Atlético have escaped Mestalla with points in their last eight games, meaning that Valencia's last win against the Spanish capital side came in 2014, but something tells us that their fans will finally have cause for celebration once this match comes to an end. Click on the game for more details on where and how to watch it in your country.
The Catalan side returns to action in need of a win to leapfrog Real Madrid at the top of the table, even if it only is for a few hours. Xavi Hernández's side is preparing for a week where they will have three "home" games, which should come in handy for their purposes to win the title. On the other hand, Betis makes it to Montjuic with one game won and one lost on the road, which leaves room for a surprise by Pellegrini's men. In fact, Real Betis' most recent win against the Blaugrana club came in 2021 (1-0) at Camp Nou, but Barcelona has defeated them four times in a row since that match, which may be a streak Los Verdiblancos are keen on putting to an end. Click on the match for detailed broadcast and streaming info for whichever country you live in.
Los Merengues have rolled with the punches since day one of the competition, and this time they get to face a fellow unbeaten team with three draws and one win. It will be interesting to see Ancelotti's men prepare for this game, as they will be making their UCL debut in a few more days and the squad is not precisely healthy. Meanwhile, the Txuri-urdin are one of the few teams in the league two hold a positive run against Los Blancos with two unbeaten games (one win, one draw). Will they be able to make it three? Keep track of the game by clicking on it for further broadcast info.
Who's in and who's out
Here are the list of players injured from La Liga's top clubs
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler, Vinicius, and Eder Militao (all injured).
Barcelona: Ronald Araujo, and Pedri (both injured).
Sevilla: Alfonso Pastor, Marcao, Tanguy Nianzou, and Marcos Acuna (all injured).
Atletico Madrid: Vitolo, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Koke (all injured).
Real Betis: Nabil Fekir (injured).
