FC Barcelona and Actual Madrid each edged to slim wins earlier than the worldwide break to maintain the title race alive within the La Liga 2025-26 season.

With the league transferring in the direction of a decisive section at each ends of the factors desk, Barcelona and Actual Madrid are separated by 4 factors, with Barca main the standings with 73 factors whereas Actual Madrid have 69 factors after 29 rounds of matches.

Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 whereas Actual Madrid edged archrivals Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a hard-fought Madrid Derby.

On the backside, Levante remains to be clinging to survival hopes because of a younger native striker. Listed below are some issues we realized this weekend in La Liga.

1 Actual Madrid win, however Mbappe’s change was almost expensive

Actual Madrid gained an entertaining and controversial derby 3-2 at dwelling to Atletico Madrid, with two objectives from Vinicius Jr and one from Federico Valverde, who was later despatched off.

The sport noticed Kylian Mbappe come on within the sixty fourth minute to exchange Thiago Pitarch, however the Frenchman seemed properly in need of full sharpness. After Valverde’s purple card, his lack of mobility allowed Atletico to take management and push for an equaliser. Actual Madrid stated Mbappe has recovered from his knee issues, however he didn’t look totally match, and the choice to convey him on almost price his facet two important factors.

2 Break comes on the proper time for Barcelona

FC Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 at dwelling because of Ronald Araujo’s first-half aim, however Hansi Flick’s facet needed to work arduous to carry on.

Barcelona seemed drained in each their urgent and passing, and Rayo created a number of probabilities to stage after repeatedly beating the house facet’s excessive line of defense, solely to waste them.

Luckily for Barcelona, goalkeeper Joan Garcia produced a number of huge saves to justify his first worldwide call-up. Flick hopes the worldwide break helps his gamers get better after an intense begin to 2026.

They are going to actually want to enhance, as a result of their first sport after the break is away to Atletico, which beat them 4-0 within the Copa del Rey.

3 Quietly does it: Villarreal strikes into third

It took Villarreal solely 23 minutes on Friday evening for Gerard Moreno, Georges Mikautadze, and Nicolas Pepe to safe three factors in a 3-1 dwelling win over Actual Sociedad.

Villarreal produced an excellent first half in opposition to certainly one of La Liga’s type groups and will have scored extra however for the woodwork and Actual Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro.

The win lifted Villarreal above Atletico Madrid into third place and, much more importantly, left the membership with a 14-point cushion over fifth-placed Betis with solely 27 factors left to play for, just about assuring qualification for subsequent season’s Champions League.

4 Espi, the hero, as Levante retains survival hopes alive

Levante’s 20-year-old striker Carlos Espi had performed solely a bit-part function till final month, however the 1.94-meter-tall ahead has now emerged as the person who may save his facet from relegation.

Espi made headlines with two objectives in Levante’s 2-0 dwelling win over Alaves. He then adopted up with objectives in 1-1 attracts in opposition to Girona and Rayo Vallecano, and on Saturday scored twice once more in an important 4-2 dwelling win over backside facet Oviedo.

In 4 matches, Espi has earned his facet eight important factors.

Levante remains to be second from backside, however unbeaten in 4 video games and with confidence rising and Espi main the road, it now has an actual likelihood of avoiding relegation.