Matchday 24 in La Liga is all but complete! The action got underway on Friday with Sevilla's 2-0 win over Elche, but all eyes were on the weekend as Real Madrid, Atletico, and Barcelona took to the field in interesting showdowns.
Starting off with Los Blancos, they were unable to beat Villarreal, drawing 0-0 with Unai Emery's side to see their lead at the top slashed to four points. Simeone's outfit, on the other hand, played out a breathtaking 90 minutes of football against Getafe, with Los Rojiblancos coming back from behind to beat their opposition 4-3.
As for the Blaugrana, they visited Espanyol on Sunday and were on the brink of losing had it not been for Luuk de Jong's stoppage-time header which sealed them a 2-2 draw as three players were sent off in this heated clash. Athletic Club are yet to play their tie, with the Basque outfit taking on Mallorca on Valentine's Day. Additionally, Atletico will play their game in hand this midweek as they will take on Levante on Wednesday. Nonetheless, here's everything you need to know about Matchday 24 in La Liga.
Who are the top teams in La Liga?
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 32 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 70 | 22 | +48 | 81 | WWWWW | |
| 2 | Barcelona | 32 | 21 | 7 | 4 | 64 | 37 | +27 | 70 | LWWWW | |
| 3 | Girona | 32 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 67 | 40 | +27 | 68 | WLWLW | |
| 4 | Atlético Madrid | 32 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 59 | 38 | +21 | 61 | LWWLL | |
| 5 | Athletic Club | 32 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 58 | DDLWW | |
| 6 | Real Sociedad | 32 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 51 | DDWWW | |
| 7 | Real Betis | 32 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 40 | 38 | +2 | 48 | WWLLL | |
| 8 | Valencia | 32 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 47 | LWWDL | |
| 9 | Villarreal | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 51 | 55 | -4 | 42 | WDLWW | |
| 10 | Getafe | 32 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 38 | 44 | -6 | 40 | DDLWL | |
| 11 | Osasuna | 32 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 37 | 46 | -9 | 39 | LLWLL | |
| 12 | Sevilla | 32 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 41 | 45 | -4 | 37 | WWWLD | |
| 13 | Las Palmas | 32 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 39 | -9 | 37 | LLLLL | |
| 14 | Deportivo Alavés | 32 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 28 | 38 | -10 | 35 | WLLLW | |
| 15 | Rayo Vallecano | 32 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 27 | 39 | -12 | 34 | WDDWL | |
| 16 | Mallorca | 32 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 38 | -12 | 31 | LLDWL | |
| 17 | Celta de Vigo | 32 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 37 | 47 | -10 | 31 | WLDWL | |
| 18 | Cádiz | 32 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 22 | 45 | -23 | 25 | LLWLW | |
| 19 | Granada | 32 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 33 | 61 | -28 | 18 | DWLLL | |
| 20 | Almería | 32 | 1 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 64 | -33 | 14 | LDLWD |
La Liga top 3 scorers
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Karim Benzema (Real Madrid): 17 goals
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Raul de Tomas (Espanyol) 13 goals
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Juanmi (Real Betis): 12 goals
La Liga – top headlines
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While Barcelona dropped two points at Espanyol, the Catalan giants reached a lovely feat during that 2-2 derby draw. With Pedri scoring the opening goal in that fixture, the Blaugrana now have the most different number of goalscorers in Europe's top five leagues this season (18), moving clear of Atalanta and PSG (both at 17).
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That wasn't the only feat Xavi's men reached. Luuk de Jong's stoppage-time equalizer helped the club stretch their unbeaten run in this fixture to 24 games, which is now the record for the longest unbeaten run by any club in any derby in La Liga history, surpassing Real Madrid's record of 23 against Atletico.
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While Espanyol were left heartbroken by that late draw, it was a memorable outing for one man: Raul de Tomas. The Spanish forward netted in that heated encounter and thus became only the fourth player to score at home vs Atletico, Real Madrid, and Barcelona in a single La Liga season in the 21st century.
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Real Betis marched to a 4-2 win over Levante this round, maintaining their excellent goalscoring form – only Real Madrid have scored more goals this term. Key to this is Nabil Fekir, with the Frenchman contributing to 12 goals this term (six goals, six assists) as he netted a brace over the weekend. In fact, this is his best tally in the competition ever.
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Atletico returned to winning ways over the weekend, but it wasn't an easy ride, as Simeone's men had to pull off a comeback in order to beat Getafe 4-3. Los Rojiblancos have won a total of 15 points this season after trailing in La Liga, the most by any club this term.
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While Getafe threw away a perfect opportunity to win in Madrid, the Spanish outfit did set a record nonetheless, becoming the first club in history to score 3+ goals inside the first half against Atletico at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Top matches to watch in La Liga Liga: Feb. 18-21, 2022
Real Madrid vs Alaves: Los Blancos suffered a slip-up in La Liga over the weekend and will be keen on avoiding back-to-back disappointments. However, this game follows their 1st leg UEFA Champions League showdown with PSG, which can either go brilliantly or end horribly for the 13-time champions. A lot hinges on that tie as the result from the Parc des Princes could gravely weigh on their confidence. Second-placed Sevilla are only four points adrift, hence the importance of beating Deportivo Alaves. Do not miss this tie.
Valencia vs Barcelona: The 4-2 win over Altletico was crucial for Barcelona's top-four hopes, but after drawing 2-2 away to Espanyol, Xavi's side now find themselves level on points with Simeone's men. The Blaugrana boast the advantage thanks to their superior goal tally, but their trip to Valencia could see them drop out of the UEFA Champions League spots once again if they fail to win. José Bordalás's crew have not been great this term but a trip to the Mestalla is never easy!
Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad: La Real are fighting to remain in the top four race while Athletic Club look to move closer to a Europa League berth, at the very least. That is what's at stake in this showdown as the Basque club aim to maintain their lovely record this term. At the time of writing this round-up, the Lions have not yet played their fixture for this round, meaning Marcelino's men could move within a point of Real Sociedad, which should make for an interesting affair.
*Keep track of all the action in the Spanish top-flight by following our dedicated La Liga competition page.
