La Liga
La Liga Roundup: Barcelona Recover From Clásico Defeat As Griezmann Hits Landmark Goal
From Barcelona’s recovery after their Clásico setback to Antoine Griezmann’s historic 200th league goal, the action across Spain kept fans fully entertained.
Barcelona Rebounds Strongly After Clásico Defeat
Barcelona wasted no time in bouncing back from last weekend’s disappointing Clásico defeat at the Bernabéu. The Catalan giants overcame Elche 3-1 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys to reclaim second place in the La Liga standings.
Lamine Yamal, who had faced criticism for his subdued display against Real Madrid, silenced doubters by firing home the opener in the ninth minute after fine work from Alejandro Balde.
Just three minutes later, Ferran Torres doubled the advantage with a precise finish from Fermín López’s assist marking his 50th goal for Barcelona.
Torres also used the moment to pay tribute to his hometown region of Valencia, revealing an undershirt that read: “Valencia, always in our memory,” in honor of victims of last year’s devastating floods.
Elche briefly fought back when Rafa Mir broke through to reduce the deficit in the 42nd minute.
However, new signing Marcus Rashford, who continues to settle impressively in Spain, restored Barcelona’s two-goal cushion with a superb left-footed strike from a tight angle midway through the second half.
Rashford had already seen one effort ruled out for offside, while Mir was unlucky to hit the woodwork twice as Elche searched in vain for a way back.
The result lifts Barcelona to within five points of league leaders Real Madrid.
The win also saw Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski return from injury, coming off the bench to boost Barça’s attacking options ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Club Brugge.
Mbappé Shines Again as Madrid Dominate Valencia
A day earlier, Kylian Mbappé continued his astonishing scoring form with a brace in Real Madrid’s emphatic 4-0 home win over Valencia.
Before kickoff, Mbappé proudly displayed his Golden Boot award as Europe’s top scorer last season and he followed it up by taking his goal tally this campaign to 21 in 17 games across all competitions.
He struck twice in the first half, first from the penalty spot and then with a cool finish in open play. Jude Bellingham added a thunderous third before halftime, and Álvaro Carreras rounded off the rout late on.
Madrid’s victory extended their lead at the top of the table, maintaining a seven-point cushion over their closest challengers. It also reinforced Mbappé’s growing status as the frontrunner for next year’s Ballon d’Or.
Villarreal Storm Into Second
Earlier on Saturday, Villarreal leapfrogged Barcelona into second place, albeit temporarily, with a ruthless 4-0 demolition of Rayo Vallecano.
Gerard Moreno opened the scoring in the first half, before three quickfire goals in just nine minutes from Alberto Moleiro, Santiago Comesaña, and Ayoze Pérez put the result beyond doubt.
The Yellow Submarine’s attacking rhythm underlines their credentials as genuine top-four contenders this season.
Griezmann Reaches La Liga Landmark
Antoine Griezmann added another chapter to his illustrious career, scoring his 200th La Liga goal in Atlético Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Sevilla.
After Julián Álvarez converted a penalty to give Atlético the lead, Thiago Almada doubled the advantage before Griezmann sealed the result in the 90th minute.
The French forward’s milestone, achieved across spells with Real Sociedad, Barcelona, and Atlético, solidifies his legacy as one of the league’s great modern scorers.
The win leaves Atlético level on points with Barcelona and firmly in the title race.
Elsewhere in La Liga
Real Betis cruised past Mallorca 3-0 thanks to two spectacular long-range strikes from Antony and a goal from Ez Abde, climbing to 5th in the standings.
Celta Vigo earned a dramatic 2-1 away win over Levante, with Miguel Román scoring deep into stoppage time after Unai Vencedor’s early red card left the hosts vulnerable.
Alavés stunned Espanyol 2-1 at Mendizorroza, with goals from Denis Suárez and Lucas Boyé proving decisive despite Boyé’s late dismissal.
La Liga Table (After Matchday)
1. Real Madrid – 28 pts
2. Barcelona – 23 pts
3. Villarreal – 23 pts
4. Atlético Madrid – 23 pts
5. Real Betis – 20 pts
