La Liga Table 2014: Updated Standings Following Matchday 13 Results

Matchday 13 of the 2014-15 La Liga season will see title hopefuls Barcelona and Valencia clash on Sunday, the highlight of what should be another action-packed slate of Spanish football action.

Real Madrid also face a difficult challenge, with a trip to Malaga on the schedule for Carlo Ancelotti and his troops.

David Moyes celebrated his first win as manager of Real Sociedad on Friday, romping to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Elche. The full results for Week 13:

Date	Home	v	Away
Friday, Nov. 28	Real Sociedad	3 - 0	Elche
Saturday, Nov. 29	Getafe	1 - 2	Athletic Bilbao
Saturday, Nov. 29	Espanyol	2 - 1	Levante
Saturday, Nov. 29	Malaga	1 - 2	Real Madrid
Saturday, Nov. 29	Celta Vigo	0 - 1	Eibar
Sunday, Nov. 30	Atletico Madrid	2 - 0	Deportivo La Coruna
Sunday, Nov. 30	Sevilla	5 - 1	Granada
Sunday, Nov. 30	Cordoba	0 - 2	Villarreal
Sunday, Nov. 30	Valencia	0 - 1	Barcelona
Monday, Dec. 1	Almeria	0 - 1	Rayo Vallecano

The current La Liga standings:

Pos	Team	PL	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Real Madrid	13	11	0	2	48	12	36	33
2	Barcelona	13	10	1	2	31	6	25	31
3	Atletico Madrid	13	9	2	2	25	12	13	29
4	Sevilla	13	8	2	3	24	17	7	26
5	Valencia	13	7	3	3	24	12	12	24
6	Villarreal	13	6	3	4	19	14	5	21
7	Malaga	13	6	3	4	16	14	2	21
8	Celta Vigo	13	5	5	3	17	13	4	20
9	Athletic Bilbao	13	5	3	5	12	14	-2	18
10	Rayo Vallecano	13	5	2	6	16	24	-8	17
11	Eibar	13	4	4	5	14	19	-5	16
12	Espanyol	13	3	5	5	14	17	-3	14
13	Getafe	13	4	2	7	10	18	-8	14
14	Real Sociedad	13	3	4	6	15	16	-1	13
15	Levante	13	3	3	7	10	28	-18	12
16	Granada	13	2	5	6	7	22	-15	11
17	Almeria	13	2	4	7	9	15	-6	10
18	Deportivo La Coruna	13	2	4	7	12	23	-11	10
19	Elche	13	2	4	7	12	27	-15	10
20	Cordoba	13	0	7	6	10	22	-12	7

Monday Update

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Rayo Vallecano stole the win at Almeria on Monday to close out Matchday 13, scoring a late goal after a dull match to win 1-0.

The visitors made headlines this weekend when they decided to provide an 85-year-old woman who was recently evicted from her longtime home with a flat and the promise to pay rent for her new home, something they were widely praised for in the media. ESPN FC's Sid Lowe explained how the club is different from the rest that way:

"

After the game, Carmen's grandson was waiting outside the ground to personally thank the players as they departed. "There are still good people left," he said. "Something like this really touches you." The full-back Tito came out and shook hands. "That's what we're here for," he said.

Only it's not, not really. Not normally. What Rayo did was far from common. Even though many clubs have charitable foundations and promote various causes, this was different. But then, so are Rayo; for them to have done this felt right somehow. This kind of gesture was fitting.

"

In a way, it almost felt as if their generosity was rewarded when Gael Kakuta finally broke the deadlock against Almeria after 87 minutes—no team deserved the win in this match, and the goal pretty much came out of nowhere.

The first half was a drab, dull affair that saw very few chances for either side. Wellington Silva fired an angled cross in front of goal which couldn't find a teammate, and Almeria tried to apply some pressure near the end of the half.

The score was 0-0 at half-time, and AS English was hardly impressed with the display:

The hosts continued to see more of the ball but hardly produced any danger. With Almeria sitting dangerously close to the relegation zone, the fans demanded a win on Monday, and a lack of intensity in the attacking third didn't sit well with them.

AS English noticed the same:

With four minutes left to play, the match seemed destined to end in a goalless draw, but Kakuta had other ideas. Running into an inviting cross, the Chelsea man didn't hesitate one second, taking it on the volley and firing it into the roof of the net.

It was an impressive display of touch and control, and ESPN FC's Nicholas Rigg was impressed:

As shared by OptaJose, the 23-year-old on-loan star has been pivotal for Rayo in recent weeks:

Almeria were shocked by the late goal and could do nothing to find an equaliser, blindly pumping the ball forward. Another loss means the hosts remain ahead of Deportivo La Coruna and Elche only by goal differential, a bad position to be in as the La Liga season works its way to the midway point.

Rayo enter the relative safety of the left column with the three points, as it's starting to look the 2014-15 campaign will be another comfortable one for the club from the Spanish capital.

Sunday Update

Alberto Saiz/Associated Press

Barcelona needed an injury-time winner from Sergio Busquets to get past Valencia in Sunday's top fixture, coming away with a flattering 1-0 win.

A late scramble saw Neymar fire a wide-open header at Diego Alves, and in the confusion that followed, it was Busquets who pushed the ball over the line.

The Valencia players and fans were unhappy with the decision to award Barcelona a number of corner kicks deep in injury time, as shared by ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:

Barcelona were far from their usual best, with Lionel Messi in particular having a quiet night. Chances were far and few in between, as both teams battled it out in the centre of the pitch.

Luis Suarez thought he had won the match for his team midway through the second half, converting on a low cross from close range, but the official called the goal back for offside.

As shared by Bleacher Report UK, that turned out to be the wrong decision:

Busquets' late winner ensured the Spanish papers wouldn't be talking about the decision all week, however, as Barcelona move back into second place, just two points behind league-leaders Real Madrid.

Earlier in the Day, Atletico Madrid recorded a 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna to keep up with the duo, with the goals coming from Saul Niguez and Arda Turan.

The match was overshadowed by violence on the streets of Madrid between both sets of fans, resulting in the death of one Deportivo fan.

Speaking after the match, manager Diego Simeone strongly condoned the actions of everyone involved, as reported by Inside Spanish Football:

"

I’m hurt by what has happened. At this point, we don’t have the real accounts of what has happened. We are sad. These are not footballing situations and we condemn them. We hope they don’t happen again.

I was engaged in the game and wasn’t fully aware of what was going on elsewhere. I wasn’t looking at my mobile constantly. It’s a social problem, not a football one. There were people who wear the shirt, who are fans, but it’s a societal problem. People who are trained to resolve situations like this one will make the decisions that need to be made.

"

On the pitch, Atletico lacked their usual fluidity and struggled breaking down the visitors' defence until just before half-time, when Niguez opened the scoring.

Turan doubled the hosts' lead in the second half, and Atletico cruised to the finish line from that point on.

Sevilla crushed Granada 5-1 to end their three-match winless run, with Colombia international Carlos Bacca scoring twice. The forward has been in fine scoring form since moving to La Liga, as shared by OptaJose:

Kevin Gameiro, Ever Banega and Stephane M'Bia also contributed to the impressive scoring outburst, with three of the five goals coming inside the final 11 minutes of the match.

Villarreal completed the set of top teams expected to win their match on Sunday, beating Cordoba 2-0. Luciano Dario Vietto scored before half-time and Ikechukwu Uche added a goal of his own in the second half, as the Yellow Submarine climb back over Malaga into the sixth and final European spot.

Saturday Update

Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press

Real Madrid had to battle until the final whistle to see off Malaga and set a new club record for consecutive wins with 16, as shared by ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, holding on for a 2-1 win:

Malaga came into the match having won five of their last six and were always going to present a tough challenge for Los Blancos, who took a two-goal lead through Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.

Cristiano Ronaldo picked up assists on both the goals and could have added a score or two himself, but the Portugal international didn't bring his shooting boots with him on the trip to Malaga.

The hosts gave the Champions League holders a stiff challenge, but Real still appeared to be cruising to their 16th straight win until Isco received a second yellow card for tripping Samuel Castillejo from behind. The former Malaga man is still loved by the fans, as evidenced by the standing ovation he received as he departed, via BBC Sport:

Malaga now pressed forward and were rewarded with a goal in stoppage time, as Roque Santa Cruz powered home a header from close range. The equaliser never came, however, and manager Carlo Ancelotti could celebrate setting the new record at his club.

As shared by Corrigan, he credited the exceptional group of players he gets to work with as the reason for the incredible streak:

Earlier in the day, Athletic Bilbao continued their ascent in La Liga with a 2-1 win over Getafe.

Iker Muniain scored the opener and Benat Etxebarria's strike in added time seemed to put on the lid on the match, but Angel Lafita pulled one back moments later to restore some hope for the hosts.

The Basques held on, however, winning their fourth in the last five matches to climb up to eighth place. BBC Sport's Andy West sees their current form as somewhat of a missed opportunity:

Jose Luis Morales gave Levante a shock lead at Espanyol, but the Catalans rallied to come away with a 2-1 win and remain well ahead of the relegation spots.

Felipe Caicedo and Sergio Garcia both found the net before half-time, and the hosts comfortably held on for the wins in the second half.

Eibar beat Celta Vigo 1-0 in Saturday's final fixture, while fans will already be looking forward to the top clash between Barcelona and Valencia on Sunday.

Friday Recap

David Ramos/Getty Images

David Moyes found his first win as manager of Real Sociedad on Friday night, as he watched his team comfortably dispose of Elche 3-0.

Carlos Vela was the main man for the hosts, as the Mexican bagged a hat trick to more than double his scoring tally this season, via ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:

It took the former Arsenal man just three minutes to open the score, after he was left wide-open on a cross, per SportsJOE.ie:

Sociedad took the early lead and were content to defend it against an Elche squad that showed little in terms of creativity. Moyes' men simply defended the box and aimed for the counter, taking advantage of their speedy forwards.

Barring a single free kick, Enaut Zubikarai was never really troubled in the first half, and Vela doubled the host's advantage after 32 minutes when he reacted best to a lovely ball over the top from Xabi Prieto.

The Final Third shared the highlight:

A defensive error nearly saw Jonathas pull one back for the visitors, but his volley sailed over the cross bar. The 25-year-old was by far Elche's most impressive player, but while he occasionally troubled La Real's defence, Moyes' team stood firm as a whole.

Sergio Canales wanted a penalty after his cross appeared to come off an arm from one of the defenders, but the official waved off the appeal. That would be the final action of the first half, with the score 2-0.

As shared by Corrigan, Moyes had already started to endear himself to the fans:

Adrian Gonzalez should have tied things up immediately after half-time, but he steered his header wide of the post despite there not being a defender in sight.

Just as it seemed Elche would find their goal and trouble the hosts, Vela struck again, this time with an excellent opportunistic finish. The goal, per Purely Football:

Conceding a third time appeared to sap all of the energy from the visitors, who had battled hard to come close to finding a goal of their own. The home fans spent the last half hour singing and dancing, but the scenes on the pitch weren't nearly as entertaining as the Basques simply waited for the final whistle.

As he told reporters before the match, this was exactly the kind of performance Moyes wanted, via Inside Spanish Football's Jen Evelyn:

"

What I really want to see is a team which is exciting, fast, dynamic – a side which moves the ball about quickly and confidently. I also want commitment and determination; I want the players to show how much they want to play for this club. And I hope to see all of those things at Anoeta tomorrow, that’s the plan. After the game I hope everyone will say that Real Sociedad put in a good team performance but more than anything else, what I want is all three points – that is what matters.

"

With the three points, Sociedad (momentarily) climb to 13th in the standings, putting a three-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone. Elche's 2014-15 struggles continue, and the club is in dire need of some results in the coming weeks.