The end of the 12th matchday in La Liga left quite a few topics to discuss for fans and experts, starting with the impressive pace set by the three teams at the top of the competition. Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, and Sevilla kept their unbeaten runs going, and thanks to Atlético's slip-up, there is now a five-point gap between the league leaders and the defending champions.
The Txuri-urdin side kept up the good work with a convincing away win against Osasuna, which kept them the top spot of the lot after thirteen games. Not even Real Madrid's win (2-1 over Rayo) or Sevilla's one-nil victory over Betis were able to knock them off the top spot despite having both teams behind them with a game in hand.
For those who were wondering about Barcelona's season, the Blaugrana side failed to keep a three-goal lead and saw that advantage canceled by Celta's good form, especially the one shown by Iago Aspas. Now, the Blaugrana side will start a new era with Xavi Hernández as their coach, but things might not change overnight due to the number of injury absences within the team and the low morale among the Blaugrana ranks.
There were more matches we could discuss, but it is time to take a look at the main talking points after this weekend ahead of the upcoming international break.
Who are the top five La Liga teams after Matchday 13?
As mentioned before, Real Sociedad are still one point ahead of Real Madrid and Sevilla. The tiebreaker between Los Blancos and Los Hispalenses is won by Real Madrid, since they have a better goal difference despite having conceded more goals that the Andalucian side. Atlético slipped further behind due to their 3-3 draw to Valencia, while Real Betis held on to their spot in the top five despite their one-nil loss to Sevilla in El Gran Derbi.
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La Liga top 3 scorers
Karim Benzema added one more goal to his tally to increase his lead at the top of Spain's goalscoring charts. This week, Spanish media outlets celebrate Raúl de Tomás' addition to the Pichichi race, thanks to the goal that gave Espanyol a 2-0 win over Granada las time out.
Benzema (10) and Vinicius (7) are the second most deadly duo in front of goal in the top five European leagues with seventeen goals, only trailing Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry (19).
La Liga – Top headlines
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Benzema adds his name to elite list of players in La Liga - The French star has secured a name for himself in La Liga's history, and now, he will add one more chapter to his record book after scoring his tenth goal in the Spanish top-flight for the eleventh time in his 13 years playing for Los Blancos. Benzema's feat is only surpassed by Messi, who accomplished that record by scoring at least ten goals in 15 years.
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Barcelona hit new low after 3-3 draw against Celta - Things seemed to be on a roll for Barcelona against Celta with a 3-0 lead at halftime, but their inability to hold on to that lead saw them hit a new record for the worst. Last Saturday, Los Culés wasted a three-goal lead for the first time in the 21st Century, equaling the unflattering milestone set in 1998, when they ended up losing a game they werw winning against Valencia with a 4-3 score.
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Sevilla boss makes history with one-nil win in El Gran Derbi- Julen Lopetegui's career in Spain continues to thrive, and by winning this week's game against Betis, he kept an unbeaten record of five games against Real Betis in his first five Gran Derbi editions. Only Joaquín Caparrós, with sevrn straight derbies without a loss, surpasses Lopetegui's feat.
Top matches to watch in La Liga on November 19-22, 2021
Atlético Madrid vs Osasuna: The defending champions have struggled recently to win games, and in that spirit, beating Osasuna will be a must once their players return from the International Break. Los Colchoneros have only won once in their last four league outings, and while beating Los Rojillos will not be easy, Simeone's men will try to extend their rivals' unlucky run in their past four matches (two draws, two losses).
Barcelona vs Espanyol: Xavi's first match as Barcelona boss will have him leading his team against one of Los Culés' bitter rivals. For the first time in decades, Los Periquitos will get to this game level on points with Los Blaugranas, and fans will surely want to watch the former midfielder starting his tenure as coach on a high note in what should be a good game to witness.
Granada vs Real Madrid: Los Blancos will face Granada for the first time this season with everything to play for. The team from the Southern end of Spain has struggled to earn results, but they will try to put up a good fight against a team that has dominated most of their matches, but also can't seem to keep a clean sheet despite that dominance. Will there be a shock at the Nuevo Los Cármenes, or will logic prevail and give Los Blancos one more win in the tournament?
*Keep track of all the activity in the Spanish top-flight by following our dedicated La Liga competition page.
