Real Madrid remains at the top of LaLiga Santander after a victory over Elche on the tenth matchday. Their closest challengers include Barcelona, who defeated Villarreal, and Real Sociedad, who beat Mallorca. Atletico Madrid slipped to fourth place, lingering in the chase for a Champions League spot, tied on points with Betis and two points behind Athletic. Osasuna, Valencia, and Villarreal continue to fight for European qualification positions, while the relegation battle intensifies in other areas of the table.
In the battle near the bottom, Valladolid showed improvement with a win that kept them comfortably in mid-table, ahead of Celta. Rayo Vallecano also pushed forward, and Almería collected points with a victory over Girona. Girona, after a rough stretch, found themselves in the drop zone, now joining Cadiz and Elche in the bottom quarters of the standings.
Seville 1 – Valencia 1
Early in the match, Kavani found space and opened the scoring for Valencia, while Sevilla battled back, pressing to recover before halftime. The game shifted drastically when Sevilla’s offense found itself reduced to ten men due to a red card to one of their forwards, changing the dynamic for the remainder of the match.
Getafe 2 – Athletic 2
Iñaki Williams opened the scoring for Athletic in the second minute, but Aleña equalized for Getafe. Raul Garcia nudged the visitors back in front before the break, and Munir shone in the final stages, delivering the decisive contribution that brought the score to a draw in the closing moments.
Athletic 1 – Rayo 1
The home side showed early promise, only to see a late equalizer from Rayo after a handball in the box drew a penalty. Antoine Griezmann helped create chances for the hosts, but a late penalty converted by a former Real Madrid forward kept the share of the spoils.
Valladolid 4 – Celta 1
A remarkable night at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium saw Valladolid stage a cracker. A pair of penalties saved by visitors goalkeeper Marchesin contrasted with a double strike from Oscar Rodriguez that gave the home team the lead before the break. In the second half, Joaquin and Sergio Leon both found the net, sealing a high-scoring win for Valladolid, much to the delight of their supporters.
Cadiz 0 – Betis 0
In a tense goalless draw at Nuevo Mirandilla, Betis finished with ten men after a dismissal late in the second half. Cadiz could not break through a disciplined defense and remain mired in the relegation zone, while Betis stayed close to the European places.
Real Sociedad 1 – Mallorca 0
Mikel Merino opened the scoring early for Real Sociedad, and the home side held firm to protect the goal advantage. The match offered limited chances after the opener, with Real Sociedad controlling matters and looking to extend their edge in the standings.
Elche 0 – Real Madrid 3
Two goals from Benzema and another from Valverde sealed a confident win for Real Madrid. Elche were unable to respond as Madrid controlled the pace and dictated play from start to finish, extending their lead at the top and strengthening their grip on the title race.
Almeria 3 – Girona 2
Almeria surged ahead with goals in the opening half hour through Leo Baptistao, El Bilal Touré, and Adri Embarba. Girona answered with two goals later in the game, courtesy of Riquelme and a penalty from Stuani, but Almeria held on for the victory.
Osasuna 1 – Espanyol 0
One standout showing came from Osasuna’s Abdication, who influenced the day with a clever assist that set up Budimir for the decisive moment. Osasuna maintained their push toward the European spots, keeping the pressure on the teams above them in the table.
Barcelona 3 – Villarreal 0
Barcelona found a convincing win, with goals from Lewandowski and Ansu Fati securing the result for the Catalans. The victory was especially important after a difficult week for Villarreal, who faced pressure off the field following the loss of a key executive figure.