La Liga Winners and Losers from Game Week 20, January 24-26
Into the second half of the 2014-15 La Liga campaign in Spain, another full game week in the top flight brought the usual glut of goals and glorious performances—but also a host of exciting matches, unexpected scenes and late changes of fortune.
In our regular roundup of the winners and losers of the weekend, we break down each section of the table and see who came out on top in the respective races and mini-leagues within the 20 sides.
We start with a look at the two big clubs, both of whom won, but also had very different outcomes to their matches.
Winners: Barcelona's All-Firing Attack
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It has taken a little while, but Barcelona are suddenly firing on all cylinders in attack, even with manager Luis Enrique making a clutch of changes this weekend.
Just a couple of weeks after all three key forwards hit the scoresheet against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona have now notched 15 goals in four games since then. This time around it was a 6-0 drubbing of Elche which did the trick, with Neymar and Lionel Messi combining in brilliant fashion for several of the strikes.
Pedro even got in on the act with a late tap-in, while birthday boy Luis Suarez enjoyed 90 minutes off.
Losers: Real Madrid, Ahead of Key Fixtures
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Real Madrid won the match, and first and foremost, that's the all-important aspect. They took the three points against Cordoba very late on, thanks to a Gareth Bale penalty, keeping them top of La Liga—but that's as positive as it gets.
A low-key display from the European champions was met by a stubborn and organised opposition who were dangerous on the counter-attack. If not for a last-minute spot-kick, Real couldn't have argued that a point each was fair on the balance of chances created.
Worse yet, Cristiano Ronaldo was rightly sent off for a stupid kick and punch out at two Cordoba players, just minutes after he had gotten away with another slap in the face at a free-kick. He'll miss at least a couple of games, with the next league fixtures against Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid—the two games Real lost in the first half of the campaign.
Winners: Valencia in the Top-4 Race
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The big top-four clash saw Valencia host Sevilla this weekend, with the home side taking the points in a 3-1 win.
A couple of weeks back, one of our La Liga columns saw a few comments arguing that Sevilla were in the title race; well, here's why they weren't included in the big-three group: they now aren't even in the top four, let alone challenging the big guns.
Sure, Sevilla have a game in hand—but that's against Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Valencia showed they have tactical as well as personnel depth, with a move to a diamond midfield giving Sevilla problems early on, before Los Che shut it down in the second half to close out the game and win an important, and impressive, three points to move into fourth.
Losers: Missed Chances at the Bottom End
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Only one team in the bottom half of La Liga picked up a victory this weekend, with Real Sociedad's 1-0 win over Eibar moving them into 11th.
Elsewhere, a clutch of clubs will feel frustrated at letting points slip away, especially with the close nature of the bottom half of the table, where every result can make a big difference on a week-to-week basis. The bottom seven alone are separated by just three points.
There were no huge celebrations, though, only frustration for many of the teams.
Cordoba of course lost in the final minute to Real Madrid, 2-1, having matched them for most of the game. Bottom-of-the-table Granada led 1-0 at Deportivo La Coruna early on—but failed to hold the lead again. Depor, meanwhile, were a goal to the good themselves with less than 10 minutes to go...but also couldn't hold the lead. That one finished 2-2.
Levante and Elche were both beaten by better clubs, while Almeria were poor in being hammered by Espanyol. Getafe are the last side to play, facing Celta Vigo on Monday night.
Winners: Espanyol's Improved Form
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While those at the bottom try to lift themselves out of a funk and the top six all battle for consistency and titles, Espanyol have quietly gone about their business in impressive fashion of late, aside from a dreadful defeat to Real Madrid.
A 3-0 win over Almeria moves the Catalunia-based club into ninth place, with three wins now in their past five matches. Having won only 11 games in all of last season, when they ended 14th, hopes must be high that Espanyol can really build on a decent past few weeks and have a positive campaign.
They face a big test or two ahead, though, with Sevilla and Valencia their next two opponents.
Losers: Athletic, Malaga...Celta?
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The mala racha, or bad run of form, of Athletic Bilbao and Malaga continued this weekend, with neither side able to find victory against each other at the nuevo San Mames.
Miki San Jose might have thought he had won it for the Basque side with his goal 20 minutes before time, but shot-shy Malaga found an equaliser less than 10 minutes later.
A point does neither of them any good; it's seven without a win now for Athletic and only one win in seven in all competitions for Malaga, whose European hopes have pretty much come to a crushing end in the space of three league games. They play each other again in midweek in the Copa del Rey, another chance to get some pride back in the season.
Meanwhile, Celta Vigo play Getafe away from home on Monday night—looking to end a run of nine league games without a win, scoring just once along the way.
