Atletico secured a crucial win against the Blaugrana while Espanyol pulled off a shock victory over league leaders Real Madrid.

Matchday 8 in La Liga has come to a wrap, bringing about a few eye-catching results. This round kicked off on Friday with Athletic Club's 1-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves but all eyes were on Saturday's showdown between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Simeone's men heaped more pressure on the Blaugrana and their struggling manager Ronald Koeman, with goals from Thomas Lemar and Luis Suarez guiding them to a 2-0 victory over the Catalan giants.

Sunday saw Real Madrid take to the field, with Los Blancos facing Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium. Unfortunately, that game did not end well for Ancelotti's side as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in Catalonia. Fortunately for Benzema and Co, Real Sociedad also suffered a slip-up, drawing 1-1 with Getafe while Sevilla lost 1-0 away to Granada. Regardless, things are getting heated at the top of the table. Here's everything you need to know about the recent round of fixtures in the Spanish Primera Division.

Who are the top five teams in La Liga?

La Liga, Atletico, Osasuna, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Sevilla, Standings 

La Liga top 3 scorers

Karim Benzema, Mikel Oyarzabal, Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, La Liga, Pichichi 

La Liga – top headlines

  • Atletico's win over Barcelona was a crucial triumph, not only for the three points, as the 2-0 victory saw Simeone's men make history. This was their third clean sheet in a row over the Blaugrana, the first time in history that Los Rojiblancos have pulled off this feat.

  • Raúl de Tomás played a crucial role in Espanyol's 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, scoring the opening goal in that memorable win. This saw the Spaniard become the first player in the club's history to score against both Los Blancos and their city rivals Atletico Madrid.

  • Speaking of the defeat vs Espanyol, Real Madrid saw their record-equaling 18-game unbeaten run come to an end. Karim Benzema, on the other hand, came out with a lovely feat, as he scored his team's only goal, thus taking his goal involvement this season to 16 – scored nine, assisted seven. No player has contributed to more goals in the first eight league games for Real Madrid, matching the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo (also 16).

  • Levante have announced the sacking of Paco López as manager. Having overseen 133 top-flight games before being relieved of his duties, the 54-year-old leaves with the club record of most La Liga fixtures managed while boasting the second-lowest loss percentage. The team, however, are yet to win a single top-flight match this season.

  • Similarly, Getafe have decided to part ways with their manager as well: Míchel González. He now holds the record for least number of La Liga points collected after eight games (one point), a horrible feat he achieved at both the Azulones and Malaga.

Top matches to watch in La Liga Liga: Oct. 16-18, 2021

Granada vs Atlético Madrid: Given that their two biggest rivals – Real Madrid and Barcelona – will be involved in tricky fixtures immediately after the international break, Atletico Madrid boast the golden chance of going top of the league and further distancing themselves from the Blaugrana. Their opponents are Granada, who hover near the bottom. However, Los Rojiblancos' only loss of the season so far came against a Deportivo Alaves side who sit in the bottom three, meaning Simeone's men should not overstate their confidence.

Real Madrid vs Athletic Club: Los Blancos suffered their first defeat of the season over the weekend and will need to bounce back. Two teams are now level on points with them and back-to-back losses could see Los Merengues drop to third – possibly even fourth. Unfortunately, their next opponents are Athletic Club, with the Basque outfit losing only once this term.

Barcelona vs Valencia: Could things get worse for the Blaugrana? Barcelona are winless in their last two outings and have triumphed only once in their last six outings. Koeman's men sit level on points with Valencia (12) but given the form of Depay and Co, not many expect them to bounce back soon.

*Keep track of all the activities in the Spanish top-flight by following our dedicated La Liga competition page.