La Liga Roundup: Raphinha Fires Barcelona Clear As Madrid Steady Under Pressure

‎La Liga delivered another action-packed weekend, with decisive moments at both ends of the table as the title race, European places, and relegation battle continued to take shape.

‎From Barcelona tightening its grip on first place, to Real Madrid responding under pressure, and key developments across Spain.

‎Here is a complete roundup of the latest action from the Spanish top flight.

‎Raphinha’s Brace Sends Barcelona Clear at the Top

‎Raphinha once again proved decisive as Barcelona defeated Osasuna 2–0 at Camp Nou, extending their lead at the top of La Liga and tightening the pressure on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso.

‎The Brazilian winger broke the resistance in the 70th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the area before sealing the victory six minutes from time with a simple finish from close range.

‎The win marked Barcelona’s seventh consecutive league victory, a run that has propelled the defending champions seven points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table before Madrid’s trip to Alavés.

‎What had once been a five-point advantage for Madrid after their Clásico triumph in late October has completely flipped.

‎Following a dramatic dip in form that saw Los Blancos manage just one win in five league matches, including a damaging home defeat to Celta Vigo.

‎The Camp Nou crowd did not miss the opportunity to mock their rivals’ struggles, chanting “Stay Xabi! Stay Xabi!” in reference to Madrid’s embattled coach.

‎Raphinha, however, remained focused on Barcelona’s own momentum, stressing the importance of consistency and self-belief as the season progresses.

‎Raphinha’s Growing Influence at Barcelona

‎Raphinha’s importance to Barcelona has been emphasized once more by his recent performances.

‎After missing six weeks earlier in the season through a leg injury, Barça struggled to replicate his pace, intensity, and attacking edge. Since returning, he has been back to his best, contributing goals and assists at crucial moments, including strikes against Atlético Madrid and Osasuna, and an assist in the win over Alavés in November.

‎Against Osasuna, his first goal came after a swift counterattack led by Pedri González, who calmly laid the ball into Raphinha’s path for a clinical long-range finish.

‎His second was the reward for smart positioning, arriving unmarked at the far post to tap in after Jules Koundé’s cross was deflected by Alejandro Catena.

‎Until that breakthrough, Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera had frustrated Barcelona with a series of solid saves, denying Lamine Yamal and seeing Marcus Rashford’s effort blocked.

‎Griezmann Delivers Again for Atlético Madrid

‎Atlético Madrid stayed within touching distance of the top four thanks to another decisive contribution from Antoine Griezmann, who scored the winner in a 2–1 victory over Valencia.

‎Coming off the bench midway through the second half, Griezmann made an immediate impact, restoring Atlético’s lead in the 74th minute with a moment of pure quality.

‎Koke had earlier given Atlético the lead after converting a rebound in the 17th minute, before Lucas Beltrán equalised for Valencia with a powerful strike from outside the box.

‎Griezmann’s winner, however, stole the spotlight, as he brought down a long ball with exquisite control before firing home.

‎Now 34, Griezmann has accepted a more limited role this season but continues to prove his value in decisive moments.

‎His goal against Valencia took his tally to 204 career goals for Atlético, further cementing his status as a club legend.

‎For Valencia, the defeat deepened their troubles, leaving them just above the relegation zone and increasing the pressure on coach Carlos Corberán.

‎Espanyol Continue to Defy Expectations

‎Espanyol’s remarkable rise continued with a 1–0 away win over Getafe, secured by Leandro Cabrera’s header. The victory marked their fourth consecutive league win and lifted them to fifth place after 16 rounds.

‎Considering they narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season, Espanyol’s current position stands out as one of the stories of the campaign approaching the winter break.

‎Elsewhere, Mallorca claimed a 3–1 victory over Elche in a match decided by a dramatic late error.

‎With the score level at 1–1, Elche goalkeeper Iñaki Peña gifted possession to Omar Mascarell, who capitalised with an audacious lob from near midfield to put Mallorca ahead in the 82nd minute.

‎Real Madrid Respond Under Pressure at Alavés

‎After days of intense scrutiny, Real Madrid managed to steady themselves with a 2–1 away win over Alavés, easing some of the pressure on Xabi Alonso.

‎Kylian Mbappé, returning from a minor injury, opened the scoring with his 26th goal of the season in all competitions, bursting down the left before curling a precise finish into the top corner.

‎Alavés briefly threatened to derail Madrid’s recovery when Carlos Vicente equalised on the counter in the 68th minute.

‎However, Rodrygo restored Madrid’s lead shortly after, finishing from close range following a driving run and assist from Vinícius Júnior. The goal sparked visible relief, with Vinícius embracing Alonso on the touchline in a rare public show of support amid reports of unrest in the dressing room.

‎The match also featured several milestones, as Thibaut Courtois recorded his 200th victory for Madrid and Antonio Rüdiger made his 100th La Liga appearance for the club.

‎Injuries forced Alonso to hand a start at left-back to 19-year-old Víctor Valdepeñas from the B team, showing the squad’s current challenges.

‎Turmoil at Oviedo and Movement Elsewhere

‎At the bottom end of the table, Oviedo’s struggles reached a breaking point as coach Luis Carrión was dismissed following a heavy 4–0 defeat at Sevilla.

‎The loss extended Oviedo’s winless run to ten matches in all competitions, leaving them second from bottom with just ten points from 16 games.

‎Sevilla, meanwhile, climbed to ninth place with 20 points.

‎Celta Vigo enjoyed a rare moment of home success, beating Athletic Bilbao 2–0 to claim their first home league win of the season.

‎The victory moved Celta into eighth place, just one point behind Athletic, who endured further frustration when Nico Williams missed a late penalty.

‎Weather Disrupts La Liga Schedule

‎The weekend’s action was not without disruption, as the match between Levante and Villarreal was postponed due to heavy rain in the Valencia region.

‎Acting on safety recommendations from local authorities, the league delayed the fixture amid severe weather alerts.

‎The postponement halted Villarreal’s momentum, as they arrived in third place on a six-game winning streak, while Levante remained rooted to the bottom after five consecutive defeats.