La Liga 2024-25: Key Insights from Matchday 18 in Spain
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Madrid (Spain), Dec 23 (NationPress) The La Liga standings experienced significant changes last weekend before the Christmas festivities, with Atletico and Real Madrid overtaking Barcelona in the rankings. The two clubs from the Spanish capital are now separated by a mere point, as Atletico surged to the top after a remarkable seven-match winning streak.
Here are four crucial insights from this weekend’s matches in Spain.
1. Barcelona's defensive frailties cost them dearly
On another day, FC Barcelona would have been comfortably ahead before Rodrigo de Paul equalized for Atletico Madrid in their critical clash on Saturday night at Montjuic. Barcelona dominated the opening hour, with Pedri netting a goal and Raphinha striking the crossbar with a clever lob over Atletico's goalkeeper, Jan Oblak.
Despite maintaining pressure after the equalizer, with Oblak making two outstanding saves, Barcelona was ultimately caught off guard when Alexander Sorloth scored Atletico's winning goal in the 96th minute.
While both Sorloth and De Paul executed excellent finishes, their goals stemmed from defensive blunders by Barcelona, with Marc Casado providing a poor clearance that set up De Paul’s goal. The Barcelona defense was also caught too far forward, enabling Sorloth to find the net. Atletico capitalized on Barcelona's mistakes effectively.
2. Atletico needs to maintain momentum...
Even though Barcelona contributed to their own defeat, Atletico’s season cannot be attributed solely to luck, as they have remarkably scored nine goals after the 90th minute this season.
On Saturday, Diego Simeone reverted to his traditional tactics, employing a five-man defense and four in midfield, with Julian Alvarez providing additional defensive support. This strategy pushed Barcelona higher up the pitch, allowing Atletico to exploit counter-attacking opportunities. This scenario has played out before in Paris and Bilbao, where rivals made late mistakes, and Atletico took advantage.
Simeone's approach requires both luck and opponents willing to pursue victory rather than settling for a draw, but consistent success often indicates effective methods.
3. Real Madrid elevates their game against Sevilla
La Liga bid farewell to Sevilla legend Jesus Navas on Sunday following a long and illustrious career, but his team couldn't provide him the farewell he deserved. Sevilla started slowly at the Santiago Bernabeu, and by the time they found their rhythm, the match was already beyond reach.
Kylian Mbappe and Fede Valverde blasted in goals to put Madrid 2-0 up within the first 20 minutes, with Rodrygo adding a third before Sevilla finally responded with Isaac Romero's goal.
The match concluded with a score of 4-2, and Real Madrid climbed above Barcelona, ending the year on a high note that Carlo Ancelotti will appreciate. January promises to be intense with Liga, Copa, Supercup, and crucial Champions League fixtures, but Madrid can now enjoy a brief respite to prepare for a packed early 2025 schedule.
4. Valencia struggles to find a response
Valencia has slipped to the bottom of the table, although they have a game in hand. That fixture is at home against Real Madrid on January 3rd, and anything less than a win for the away team would be unexpected.
Valencia salvaged a point against fellow relegation contenders Alaves on Sunday with a goal in the 98th minute, but coach Ruben Baraja is under immense pressure to keep his job, primarily because club owner Peter Lim is reluctant to pay the compensation required to dismiss him. With fans voicing their discontent towards both the coach and club directors, the situation continues to deteriorate.
It seems unlikely that Lim will invest in January, and even if Baraja were to depart, prospective coaches might hesitate to take on such a challenging role in such a hostile environment.
