La Liga
La Liga Roundup: Vinícius Inspires Madrid, Alavés Produce Historic Comeback
It was a pulsating weekend in La Liga, marked by relegation battles, title-race drama, and a Madrid derby decided by a superstar performance.
From Elche climbing out of danger to Real Madrid surviving a frantic finish, the matchday delivered storylines across every corner of Spain.
Elche Fight Back to Earn First Win of the Year
Elche produced one of their most spirited performances of the season, overturning a deficit to defeat Mallorca 2–1.
Mallorca struck first through Pablo Torre in the 58th minute, but the lead evaporated quickly as Elche responded with goals from Rafa Mir and Tete Morente.
The win lifted Elche to 16th, one point above the relegation zone their first victory since December 21. Mallorca, meanwhile, dropped to 18th and slid into the bottom three.
Sevilla’s Slide Continues Against Valencia
The pressure grew on Sevilla after a 2–0 home defeat to Valencia, who celebrated their fourth win in six matches.
The visitors struck through Hugo Duro and Largie Ramazani, both scoring before halftime.
Post-match, Djibril Sow voiced frustration, “We can’t play like this… our goal now is to fight against relegation.”
A worrying moment unfolded earlier when José Luis Gayà and Juanlu clashed heads twice and were later taken to the hospital for checks. Both were substituted as a precaution.
Espanyol’s Winless Run Extends
The struggles of Espanyol continued after a 2–1 home loss to Getafe, extending their streak to 12 winless matches in 2026. Getafe climbed to eighth, while Espanyol remained two places lower.
Elsewhere, Osasuna edged Girona 1–0 thanks to a late strike from Ante Budimir, halting their own three-game winless run.
Levante Beat Oviedo in a relegation thriller
In a clash of bottom-placed teams, Levante defeated Real Oviedo 4–2, a vital result that reshapes the battle at the bottom of the table.
Vinícius Júnior Shines as Real Madrid Win a Chaotic Derby
The biggest headline of the weekend came from the Santiago Bernabéu, where Vinícius Júnior scored twice to guide Real Madrid to a thrilling 3–2 win over rivals Atlético Madrid.
Atlético opened the scoring through Ademola Lookman, after clever buildup involving Giuliano Simeone. Madrid equalised when Vinícius converted a penalty drawn by Brahim Díaz following a foul from David Hancko.
Moments later, Federico Valverde pressed high, won the ball off José Giménez, and scored to make it 2–1 continuing his exceptional goalscoring run.
Atlético hit back through Nahuel Molina, who fired a stunning strike in the 66th minute. But Vinícius had the final word, cutting inside from the left and curling home the winner as Rafael Nadal watched from the VIP section.
Madrid survived a tense ending after Valverde saw red for a dangerous tackle on Alex Baena and Julián Álvarez later hit the post.
There were notable returns Jude Bellingham played his first minutes since February, while Kylian Mbappé continued his recovery from a knee injury.
With both first-choice goalkeepers injured, Andriy Lunin and Juan Musso stepped in for Madrid and Atlético respectively, with Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak unavailable.
Joan García Stars as Barcelona edges Rayo
FC Barcelona maintained their title push with a narrow 1–0 victory over Rayo Vallecano, thanks to a header from Ronald Araújo.
But the standout performer was goalkeeper Joan García, whose string of saves denying Carlos Martín, Unai López, and Jorge de Frutos shows why Hansi Flick pushed for his signing.
Historic Comeback as Alavés Stun Celta Vigo
One of the season’s most astonishing results unfolded as Deportivo Alavés overturned a 3–0 deficit to beat Celta Vigo 4–3 the first time this century a La Liga team has won away from home after trailing by three goals.
New coach Quique Sánchez Flores celebrated the victory in just his second match in charge, calling it a moment unlike anything he had previously experienced.
Athletic Bilbao Keep Pace with Victory Over Betis
In the final match of the weekend, Athletic Bilbao defeated Real Betis 2–1 thanks to goals from Dani Vivian and Oihan Sancet.
The match came days after manager Ernesto Valverde announced he would leave the club at season’s end, making the victory even more emotionally charged.
