In a decisive day for La Liga’s title contenders, both Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona secured crucial victories, intensifying the competition at the top of the table.
Atletico Madrid claimed a provisional top spot in La Liga after a commanding 3-0 win over Valencia at Mestalla. Julián Álvarez opened the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a rebound, and doubled the lead in the 30th minute with a header from an Antoine Griezmann cross.
Despite a more assertive second-half performance from Valencia, Atletico sealed the match with a late goal from substitute Ángel Correa in the 86th minute.
This victory places Atletico at the summit with 53 points, two ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid, who both have matches in hand.
Barcelona faced a challenging match against UD Las Palmas at the Estadio de Gran Canaria but emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline.
The first half saw Barcelona struggling to break through, with Las Palmas creating notable chances. However, strategic second-half substitutions by coach Hansi Flick, including the introduction of Dani Olmo, shifted the momentum.
Dani Olmo broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute, and Ferran Torres secured the win with a late goal following an assist from Raphinha. This win keeps Barcelona firmly in the title race.
In a tightly contested match at Estadio de Vallecas, Villarreal secured a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano. The decisive moment came in the 66th minute when Ayoze Pérez headed in a corner, marking his third goal in two matches.
The game was marred by controversy in the 42nd minute when Rayo’s Jorge de Frutos received a red card after a VAR review for an off-the-ball incident involving Sergi Cardona, reducing the hosts to ten men.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Rayo pressed for an equalizer, but Villarreal’s defense held firm. This win extends Villarreal’s unbeaten streak to six matches, positioning them just one point shy of the Champions League spots, while Rayo Vallecano remains in mid-table.
Espanyol clinched a vital 1-0 victory over Deportivo Alavés at Estadio Mendizorrotza, courtesy of a late header from Fernando Calero in the 86th minute. The match saw Alavés creating multiple scoring opportunities, but they were consistently thwarted by Espanyol’s goalkeeper, Joan García, who delivered a standout performance.
The defeat marks Alavés’ fifth consecutive loss, intensifying pressure on coach Eduardo Coudet, whose tenure is now under scrutiny. With this win, Espanyol moves closer to securing their spot in La Liga, while Alavés faces an increasingly challenging battle against relegation.
