La Liga got off to another bang this weekend with Matchday 3 coming to a conclusion ahead of the international break. Gradually, the table is shaping up nicely and a number of clubs will be required to punch a little bit above their weight to get the ball rolling in these early days. Just like the two weekends that preceded this game week, some interesting developments were seen across some of the venues in the Spanish top-flight league.
Sevilla, who have been in red-hot form since the commencement of the season, were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at Elche despite dominating the proceeding. Meanwhile, Real Madrid and rivals Barcelona recorded respective wins over Real Betis and Getafe. Defending champions Atletico Madrid had Lady Luck smiling at them in Sunday's clash with Villarreal after they managed to snatch point from a losing position. The Rojiblancos were gifted a 2-2 draw following defensive mix up that saw the Yellow Submarines conceeding a rather comedy own goal.
Who are the top five La Liga teams after Matchday 3?
Six clubs are tied on six points apiece but it is Real Madrid who will head into the international break atop the league table. They are followed by Sevilla, Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the order of merit with Mallorca completing the top six with the same number of points.
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La Liga – Top headlines
Mbappe to Real Madrid transfer called OFF, Camavinga closes in on Bernabeu move: The highly anticipated transfer involving Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid has hit a snag with the closure of the transfer window just around the corner. This came after Los Blancos pulled the plug on the deal after PSG refused to budge and negotiate a fee for their posterboy. The Frenchman is expected to stay with Les Parisians and potentially sign pre-agreement with the Spainish club in January. Meanwhile, his compartriot Eduoardo Camavinga is reportedly set for a move to Real Madrid after they finally agreed a fee with Rennes on Monday.
Barcelona receive Tottenham's bid for right-back Emerson Royal: Tottenham have made a bid worth £25.73m (€30m) for Barcelona right-back Emerson Royal. If Barcelona opt to accept the bid, personal terms for the player are not expected to be a problem.
Sevilla not interested in offering Chelsea a cut-price deal for Jules Kounde: Sevilla are not budging in their valuation of star defender Joules Koundé. Chelsea had been chasing a deal for the centre-back for weeks having already snapped up Romelu Lukaku for £97.5million but have seen a £50million bid for the Frenchman being rebuffed by his La Liga side.
Top matches to watch in La Liga from Sept 11-13, 2021
Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid: Newly-promoted Espanyol will hope to put a dent in Atletico's charge to defend their league title. The Catalans are yet to pick up a win after recording two draws and a defeat. On the contrary, Atletico will be optimistic about their chances of adding to their unbeaten streak this season when the league resumes after the international break.
Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo: Real Madrid will look to maintain their status as the league leaders when they welcome Celta in their first game after the international break. Having won 18 of the last 26 meetings with the latter, the Merengues will fancy their chances to get the better of their opponents.
*Keep track of all the activity in the Portuguese top-flight by following our comprehensive La Liga competition page.
