La Liga Table 2016: Latest Standings Following Friday's Week 16 Results
Deportivo Alaves grabbed the first points of Week 16 of the 2016-17 La Liga season on Friday, beating Real Betis 1-0 thanks to a goal from Deyverson
Barcelona will face Espanyol in a local derby on Sunday, while Real Madrid's clash with Valencia has been postponed. Atletico Madrid host Las Palmas on Saturday.
Here's a look at the latest standings after Friday's result:
| 1 | Real Madrid | 15 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 14 | +26 | 37 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 31 |
| 3 | Sevilla | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 30 |
| 4 | Villarreal | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 10 | +12 | 26 |
| 5 | Real Sociedad | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 26 |
| 6 | Atletico Madrid | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 14 | +14 | 25 |
| 7 | Athletic Club | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 23 |
| 8 | Eibar | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 22 |
| 9 | Espanyol | 15 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 22 |
| 10 | Las Palmas | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 23 | +3 | 21 |
| 11 | Alaves | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 17 | -2 | 21 |
| 12 | Celta Vigo | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 29 | -5 | 21 |
| 13 | Malaga | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 21 |
| 14 | Real Betis | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 29 | -11 | 18 |
| 15 | Leganes | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -14 | 15 |
| 16 | Deportivo La Coruna | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 27 | -7 | 13 |
| 17 | Valencia | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 21 | 29 | -8 | 12 |
| 18 | Sporting Gijon | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 30 | -14 | 12 |
| 19 | Granada | 15 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 31 | -17 | 9 |
| 20 | Osasuna | 15 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 32 | -19 | 7 |
Alaves entered Friday's clash with Betis undefeated in their last three matches. With both sides looking to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone, fans were expecting a fierce contest.
Neither side was able to press their advantage in the first half, however, even if the visitors had their chances. Ruben Castro in particular missed a great opportunity after he was sent through on goal, but the first half ended scoreless.
Chris Henson of Football Radar thought Alaves showed much of what they have all season:
Gaizka Toquero put together a fantastic shift on the right wing, however, and it came as no surprise the speedy forward played a big role in the opening goal.
The Basque created space for himself on the right wing before lobbing a perfect ball into the path of Deyverson, who beat goalkeeper Antonio Adan with a simple touch, per AS English:
By that time, Betis had already grown frustrated, with several incidents occurring on the pitch. After the opening goal, the skirmishes continued, making it easier for Alaves to defend their lead.
Alaves did well to control possession in the second half and limited Betis to just a few half chances, holding on for the win.
La Liga's top title contenders face relatively straight-forward challenges in Week 16, with Barcelona facing the toughest at home against city rivals Espanyol.
Espanyol traditionally play the Blaugrana with tons of energy and a mean streak, and they've been in solid form of late, winning three of their last four.
Speaking to Barca TV, star midfielder Andres Iniesta weighed in on the upcoming derby and what it means for him to play against local rivals: “The start to the Liga wasn't what they expected but they have been defending well and it will be difficult. A derby is always different and we will try and play well at home and we have a good chance of winning.”
Atletico Madrid play host to a solid Las Palmas squad, but the visitors tend to grab their biggest results at home, which is almost 2.000 kilometers from the Spanish mainland. At the Estadio Vicente Calderon, Los Amarillos shouldn't present such a challenge.
League leaders Real Madrid will not be in action due to the Club World Cup.
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