La Liga: Insights from Spain's Matchday 20

Madrid, Jan 21 (NationPress) Real Madrid has reclaimed the top position in La Liga this weekend following Atletico Madrid's defeat against Leganes and Barcelona being held to a draw by Getafe during Matchday 20 of Spanish top-flight football.

The record 36-time champions Real Madrid, who aim to defend the title they secured in the 2023-24 season, now hold 46 points from 14 victories in 20 matches. Atletico Madrid stands second with 44 points, while Barcelona occupies third place with 39 points from 12 wins and three draws.

Here are four key takeaways from La Liga this weekend.

1. Mbappe is back in form

Real Madrid ascended to the top with a commanding 4-1 victory against Las Palmas, quickly recovering after conceding an early goal. Kylian Mbappe converted a penalty - the club's ninth this season - and netted his side's third with a clever finish. With Vinicius Jr suspended, the French star showcased his talent on the left flank, consistently threatening the Las Palmas defense. The challenge for Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, is determining how to accommodate both players upon Vinicius' return.

2. Getafe hinders Barcelona again

The beginning of 2025 has been peculiar for FC Barcelona, who enjoyed a remarkable 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, followed by a 5-1 rout of Real Betis in the Copa del Rey last week. Despite their solid form, Barcelona was unable to secure their first away win against struggling Getafe in four years, even after Jules Kounde provided an early lead. Getafe equalized before halftime, then employed a disciplined defensive strategy to stifle Barcelona's efforts. This result signifies that although Barcelona has triumphed in the Copa del Rey, Super Cup, and Champions League, they have only accumulated five points from their last six La Liga matches, marking a tumultuous season.

3. Atletico experiences a setback

Leganes, who had previously defeated FC Barcelona before Christmas, claimed three points against Atletico Madrid. The latter brought their less impressive form to the Butarque Stadium, where Diego Simeone's squad appeared overly cautious and found themselves chasing the game after Matija Nastasic scored the only goal. Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty in the final moments, and Atletico seemed to miss the vigor and strength that a fit Alexander Sorloth could have contributed to their offense, but Leganes deserves full credit for a performance that leaves Atletico fans questioning their title hopes.

4. Relegation battle intensifies

The relegation zone tightened significantly this weekend, as several teams fighting to avoid dropping gained crucial points. Leganes triumphed over Atletico Madrid, Alaves secured a victory against Real Betis, Valencia outperformed Real Sociedad, Espanyol prevailed in a vital match against Valladolid, and Getafe earned a draw against Barcelona.

These results indicate that all teams ranked 13th and below are capable of achieving significant victories. Valencia will especially celebrate a win that appears to validate their improvement under Carlos Corberan ahead of next week’s match against Barcelona, while Leganes, Getafe, and Real Valladolid also face challenging fixtures.