La Liga Table 2016: Latest Standings, Title Odds After Friday's Week 26 Results
Las Palmas battled to their first away win of the 2015-16 La Liga campaign in Week 26, beating Eibar, 1-0, on Friday.
Pedro Bigas scored the only goal of the match just before half-time, and the visitors clung on to their lead after the break, despite continuous pressure from Eibar and several penalty shots.
Barcelona maintain the top title odds after Friday's action, sitting well ahead of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, the two other realistic title contenders remaining.
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Here's a look at the latest standings:
| 1 | Barcelona | 25 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 67 | 20 | +47 | 63 |
| 2 | Atletico Madrid | 25 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 11 | +24 | 55 |
| 3 | Real Madrid | 25 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 71 | 24 | +47 | 54 |
| 4 | Villarreal | 25 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 30 | 18 | +12 | 49 |
| 5 | Sevilla | 25 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 36 | 26 | +10 | 41 |
| 6 | Celta Vigo | 25 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 38 | 44 | -6 | 38 |
| 7 | Eibar | 26 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 40 | 35 | +5 | 36 |
| 8 | Athletic Club | 25 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 35 |
| 9 | Real Sociedad | 25 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 33 |
| 10 | Deportivo La Coruna | 25 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 33 | 31 | +2 | 32 |
| 11 | Valencia | 25 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 30 | 26 | +4 | 31 |
| 12 | Malaga | 25 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 31 |
| 13 | Real Betis | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 34 | -15 | 27 |
| 14 | Getafe | 25 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 26 | 39 | -13 | 26 |
| 15 | Rayo Vallecano | 25 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 34 | 51 | -17 | 25 |
| 16 | Espanyol | 25 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 22 | 48 | -26 | 25 |
| 17 | Sporting Gijon | 25 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 42 | -14 | 24 |
| 18 | Las Palmas | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 25 | 40 | -15 | 24 |
| 19 | Granada | 25 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 26 | 51 | -25 | 20 |
| 20 | Levante | 25 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 24 | 45 | -21 | 20 |
The title odds, courtesy of Oddschecker.com:
| Barcelona | 1-25 |
| Real Madrid | 14-1 |
| Atletico Madrid | 20-1 |
| Villarreal | 2500-1 |
| Deportivo La Coruna | 4500-1 |
Recap
It took Las Palmas 26 weeks to win a match away from home, but it finally happened at Eibar, albeit under controversial circumstances. Despite a multitude of fouls, Las Palmas finished the match with just a single booking, and the hosts had at least three or four legitimate penalty claims that all went unanswered.
Per La Liga writer Alexandra Jonson, the visitors took some journey getting to Eibar:
Las Palmas were desperate for a win and three vital points in the battle against relegation, but they knew things would be difficult against Eibar, La Liga's ultimate Cinderella story of the 2015-16 campaign. Meanwhile, Eibar had lost four of their last five, and a solid result was needed to stay alive in the race for the UEFA Europa League spots.
Dreadful weather conditions meant beautiful football wasn't an option at the Ipurua, however, with heavy showers making it impossible to put solid passing combinations together. The visitors eventually took the lead through Bigas just before half-time, as the 25-year-old powered home a header.
AS English shared this photo of the action, showing just how difficult it was to cope with the rain:
Eibar improved after the break and threatened through Borja Baston early, while the hosts also had several penalty shots turned down. But despite persistent pressure from the hosts, Las Palmas hung on to win their first away match of the season and move closer to escaping the relegation zone.
Entering their Week 26 battle with Sevilla, Barcelona sport the best odds of winning the title by some distance, with Real checking in with the second-best odds, despite chasing rivals Atletico Madrid in the standings.
Los Blancos and Los Rojiblancos will meet at the Estadio Satiago Bernabeu on Saturday, but even if the hosts lose, manager Zinedine Zidane maintains it won't be the end of the season.
Per Goal's Joe Wright, he said:
"The derby is one more game, we have to give our best as always. It'll be difficult.
The players know what they have to do. We're going to give our best. The important thing for us is to know what we have to do on the pitch.
Atletico are not only a team who defend. We know it's difficult. We have analysed the mistakes from Malaga and worked on them this week.
Whatever happens, we will not lower our arms until the end. There are points to play for. Our season is not over tomorrow.
"
While Atletico's defence has looked as solid as ever of late, the team has struggled on the other side of the pitch. Yannick Ferreira Carrasco's absence has had a big impact on the side, who seem to have lost the ability to play in between defensive lines.
But their defensive solidity remains a major weapon entering the clash, as is the form of star goalkeeper Jan Oblak, per 8 Fact Football:
A draw would keep the visitors in second place in the standings, and with few major domestic clashes still on the schedule, Diego Simeone's troops would fancy their chances of holding on to that spot.
Beating Barcelona to the title seems almost impossible at this point, however, something that is clearly reflected in the latest title odds. The Blaugrana face a tricky opponent on Sunday, taking on Europa League holders Sevilla, but they're expected to cruise to a win.
