Topics: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico, Athletic Club, La Liga
Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez enjoyed the weekend thanks to their heroics, but the same cannot be said about reigning champions Real Madrid.

The weekend action in La Liga brought many twist and turns, with title hopefuls and defending champions Real Madrid suffering a shock 2-1 loss against Levante on Saturday. As a result, league leaders Atletico Madrid moved 10 points clear at the top courtesy of their 4-2 triumph over Cadiz while Barcelona climbed to second after beating Athletic Club 2-1. Real Sociedad missed a great opportunity to leapfrog Villarreal and enter the top five while Valencia put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone after beating Elche. Here's everything you need to know about the weekend La Liga action.

Top five teams in La Liga until February 6, 2021

Atletico enjoy a 10-point lead at the top thanks to Real Madrid's weekend slip-up

La Liga, Atletico, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Sevilla, Standings 

La Liga top 3 scorers

Luis Suarez's brace in the 4-2 victory over Cadiz saw the Uruguayan ace take the lead in this season's Pichichi race. The Atletico forward has now moved two-goals ahead of former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi, who managed only one goal over the weekend – albeit a wonderful strike via a free-kick. Youssef En-Nesyri is tied with Leo on 12 goals as he failed to find the back of the net over the weekend. Here are the top three scorers in La Liga ahead of the next round of fixtures.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Youssef En-Nesyri, Barcelona, Sevilla, Atletico, Golden Boot, Pichichi

La Liga – Top headlines

  • Lionel Messi scored his 650th goal for Barcelona in the 2-1 win over Athletic Club. That strike came courtesy of a free-kick, his 55th in his professional career and his 21st over the last five seasons.

  • That effort took attention away from the recent controversy of Messi's leaked contract, with El Mundo claiming the Argentine's entire four year contract signed in 2017 is approximately worth $674 million (€555 million). The player and club are now set to sue the paper.

  • Atletico currently boast an eight-game winning streak. This is their best run since triumphing nine times in a row back March-April 2014 en route to clinching the title.

  • For the first time this season, Valencia have kept a clean sheet at Mestalla, their home stadium. 

  • After the 2-1 win over Real Madrid, Levante boss Paco López became the first manager to register away league victories at both Santiago Bernabeu and the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano.

Top matches to watch in La Liga: Feb. 5-9, 2021

  • Real Betis vs Barcelona: The Blaugrana, who are currently on a five-game winning streak in La Liga, will travel to the Benito Villamarin for their tricky clash with Real Betis. Given Barca's defensive issues, Los Verdiblancos might fancy their odds of beating the Catalan giants at home in La Liga for the first time since 2008.

  • Atletico vs Celta Vigo: Simeone's table-toppers will host Eduardo Coudet's mid-table side with the sole aim of increasing their 10-point lead.

  • Real Madrid vs Getafe: Los Blancos will play two games in the span of four days: Saturday's clash with bottom-of-the-table Huesca and Tuesday's clash with Getafe, which was postponed from Matchday 1. Of the two, the latter fixture will be interesting given Real Madrid's recent form and the Azulones' history of pulling off upsets every now and then.

*Keep track of all the activity in the Spanish Primera Division by following our dedicated La Liga competition page.