La Liga Table 2014: Updated Standings Following Matchday 5 Results
Barcelona have started the La Liga season as well as possible, but there is a lot of time left for the rest of the league to catch up to the current leaders.
Valencia and Sevilla each come into Matchday 5 down two points, while there are certain to be numerous challengers coming up through the ranks throughout the season. A poor performance from any of the top teams could end up costing them dearly as the year progresses.
Meanwhile, struggling squads like Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid cannot afford to drop any points if they want to move up the table.
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The mid-week slate of matches is certain to feature plenty of excitement, and here is a look at the latest table and results from the week.
| 1 | Valencia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 13 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 13 |
| 3 | Sevilla | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 13 |
| 4 | Atletico Madrid | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 5 | Real Madrid | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 6 | Celta Vigo | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 9 |
| 7 | Villarreal | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| 8 | Granada | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Eibar | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Malaga | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 6 |
| 11 | Espanyol | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 5 |
| 12 | Almeria | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 5 |
| 13 | Rayo Vallecano | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 5 |
| 14 | Real Sociedad | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 4 |
| 15 | Deportivo La Coruna | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | -7 | 4 |
| 16 | Elche | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 13 | -8 | 4 |
| 17 | Levante | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | -9 | 4 |
| 18 | Athletic Bilbao | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 3 |
| 19 | Getafe | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 3 |
| 20 | Cordoba | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 2 |
| Sept. 23 | Real Madrid | 5-1 | Elche |
| Sept. 23 | Celta Vigo | 2-1 | Deportivo La Coruna |
| Sept. 24 | Almeria | 0-1 | Atletico Madrid |
| Sept. 24 | Eibar | 1-1 | Villarreal |
| Sept. 24 | Rayo Vallecano | 2-1 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Sept. 24 | Granada | 0-1 | Levante |
| Sept. 24 | Malaga | 0-0 | Barcelona |
| Sept. 24 | Sevilla | 1-0 | Real Sociedad |
| Sept. 25 | Espanyol | 2-0 | Getafe |
| Sept. 25 | Valencia | 3-0 | Cordoba |
Real Madrid appeared to be in trouble early against Elche after a penalty shot was given in the 15th minute, as described by AS:
Fortunately for the home team, this deficit did not last long as Gareth Bale scored the equaliser, followed by two goals by Cristiano Ronaldo to take a 3-1 lead by halftime.
Some more big plays in the second half gave Ronaldo four goals in the game to help Real Madrid win 5-1. The Daily Mail notes how well he had played lately:
Although Real Madrid have already lost two games in league play, the talented squad appears ready to turn things around.
The action continues with some important matches on Wednesday as Almeria takes on Atletico Madrid while Eibar faces Villarreal, each club being on the top half of the table coming into the week. Sevilla and Barcelona then have winnable matches versus Real Sociedad and Malaga, respectively.
While Barcelona should be feeling good with four wins in four matches, manager Luis Enrique is not ready to crown his club just yet. According to Sky Sports, he explained:
"Nobody wins the league in September, October, November, December, January or February. From March we'll see who is in a position to do it. [...]
Last year we saw a thrilling championship with three contenders. This season Valencia and Sevilla are looking very good and Madrid and Atletico will surely continue being up there.
"
After outscoring opponents 11-0 in the first four matches, the club should at least feel a little confident at this point without simply assuming it will keep winning.
The current matchday ends on Thursday with Espanyol battling Getafe before Valencia closing things out with a match against Cordoba.
Considering how well Valencia have played to this point, you can be certain they will hope to keep up their winning ways to remain in contention for the top spot in the table.
This entire week will be a challenge for each squad as the next matchday begins immediately after. Clubs will have only a couple of days between contests, making it important for managers to vary lineups and rest key players to be ready for the next match.
Do not be surprised to see some upsets and other surprises over the course of the week.
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