La Liga Table 2020 Week 19: Updated Standings Following Friday's Results

Sevilla missed the chance to apply pressure to Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on Friday, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic Club at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. 

In the day's earlier game, Real Valladolid and Leganes played out an entertaining 2-2 draw, with the latter missing the chance to move out of the relegation zone with a win.

Later this weekend, league leaders Barcelona will visit local rivals Espanyol in what promises to be a feisty occasion. Also on Saturday, Real Madrid travel across the capital to face high-flying Getafe.

Here is a recap of Friday's action and a preview of the rest of what promises to be an absorbing weekend of La Liga football.

Week 19 Results and Schedule

Friday, January 3

Valladolid 2-2 Leganes

Sevilla 1-1 Athletic Club

Saturday, January 4

12 p.m. - Valencia vs. Eibar

3 p.m. - Getafe vs. Real Madrid

5:30 p.m. - Atletico Madrid vs. Levante

8 p.m. - Espanyol vs. Barcelona

Sunday, January 5

11 a.m. - Granada vs Mallorca

1 p.m. - Real Sociedad vs. Villarreal

3 p.m. - Alaves vs. Real Betis

8 p.m. - Celta Vigo vs. Osasuna

All times BST

La Liga standings (Position, Team, Played, Goal Difference, Points):

1. Barcelona 18, +26, 39

2. Real Madrid 18, +21, 37

3. Sevilla 19, +6, 35

4. Atletico Madrid 18, +9, 32

5. Real Sociedad 18, +9, 31

6. Getafe 18, +9, 30

7. Athletic Bilbao 19, +7, 29

8. Valencia 18, +3, 28

9. Levante 18, -2, 26

10. Villareal, 18, +6, 25

11. Granada 18, -1, 24

12. Osasuna 18, +1, 23

13. Real Betis 18, -6, 23

14. Real Valladolid 19, -6, 21

15. Deportivo Alaves 18, -9, 19

16. Eibar 18, -10, 19

17. Mallorca 18, -14, 15

18. Celta Vigo 18, -13, 14

19. Leganes 19, -14, 14

20. Espanyol 18, -22, 10

Friday Recap

The first La Liga match of 2020 was an entertaining one, as Leganes sought to propel themselves closer to safety.

In the end, they had to make do with a point despite taking the lead twice at Valladolid. Martin Braithwaite and Roque Mesa had their goals each cancelled out by Enes Unal.

Per Spanish football writer Dermot Corrigan, having struggled in front of goal for much of the campaign, this was an overdue return to form for the Valladolid player:

Following that encounter was the meeting between Sevilla and Athletic, with the former seeking to move level on points with Real Madrid with a win.

Before the game, the Get Spanish Football News account commented on the durability of Athletic forward Inaki Williams:

Sevilla got off to a poor start in front of their supporters, with Athletic wing-back Ander Capa raiding forward and finishing brilliantly after 15 minutes.

Sevilla were able to respond well and came close to levelling in the second period through Luuk de Jong, who rattled the post. Eventually, it was an own goal that saw them back on level terms, as Unai Nunez could only bundle into his own net on the hour-mark.

Weekend Preview

It's poised to be a big week at the summit of the Spanish top flight, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid facing potentially challenging away games.

For Barcelona, a trip to Espanyol is never easy, with the Cornella-El Prat stadium set to be abuzz with anticipation and hostility for the visit of the champions. The home side are in desperate need of a win too, as they sit bottom of the table after a terrible start to the campaign.

Barcelona produced one of their best performances of the campaign before the Christmas break, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win over Alaves:

They will be hopeful of starting this fixture well, quietening the crowd and eventually showcasing their quality.

As for Madrid, they also face local rivals in Getafe, albeit they are a much more awkward opponent at the moment. Jose Bordalas' team are thriving again this term and sit in sixth place in the table; if they were to beat Real, they'd move just four points behind them.

Los Blancos are set to be without the suspended Sergio Ramos and he'll be a big miss in what promises to be a physical contest. Eden Hazard also remains sidelined with injury, meaning Karim Benzema will be expected to carry the attacking burden.