La Liga Roundup, Matchday 18
Matchday 18 of the 2024/25 La Liga season has concluded, featuring exciting matches, impressive player performances, and surprising outcomes. Here is the La Liga roundup of the weekend’s events.
Girona 3-0 Real Valladolid
Girona bounced back to form with a convincing 3-0 win against Real Valladolid, who are struggling in La Liga. This match marked Diego Cocca’s first game in charge, but Valladolid’s poor performance means they will be in the relegation zone during the holiday season, having lost eight out of their nine away league games in the first half of the season.
Getafe 0-1 Mallorca
Mallorca has closed the gap to 6 points from the La Liga top four after securing a tough 1-0 win against Getafe at Estadio Coliseum. Mallorca’s strong defense kept Getafe at bay, allowing them to maintain their pursuit of a coveted European spot as they head into 2025. In contrast, Getafe’s situation appears increasingly dire, despite this being only their second home loss of the season.
Celta Vigo 2-0 Real Sociedad
Pablo Durán’s initial two goals of the 2024/25 La Liga season were crucial for Celta Vigo, leading them to a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad at Estadio de Balaídos. This win marked the first loss in seven matches for the Basque team. As a result of this surprising victory, La Celeste has climbed to 11th place on the standings, while also stopping Sociedad from breaking into the top six.
Osasuna 1-2 Athletic Bilbao
In a thrilling finish, fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao triumphed over Osasuna in a northern derby, securing a 2-1 victory in La Liga at El Sadar. This win gives Athletic a six-point lead over their rivals and extends their impressive unbeaten streak in the league to 10 matches. Meanwhile, Osasuna’s lack of wins in their last six games could threaten their hopes of qualifying for European competition for the first time since 2006.
Barcelona 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Atlético Madrid ended a run of five straight losses to Barcelona in La Liga with a thrilling 2-1 victory, briefly claiming the league’s top position. They secured a last-minute winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time, as substitute Sørloth scored impressively from a cross by Nahuel Molina. This win marked Simeone’s first away league triumph against Barça and put Atlético a point clear at the top of the standings.
Valencia 2-2 Alaves
Valencia came from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw with Alavés in a thrilling finish at the Mestalla. Despite the tie, the struggling Valencia team remains in the relegation zone, but they managed to break a streak of three consecutive losses to the Basque side.
Real Madrid 4-2 Sevilla
Real Madrid closed the gap to just one point behind league leaders Atlético Madrid by defeating Sevilla 4-2 in La Liga. This win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium keeps their home record strong, with their only league loss at home to title contenders Barcelona since April 2023.
Leganes 2-5 Villarreal
Villarreal secured a thrilling victory at Estadio Municipal de Butarque, defeating nine-man Leganés 5-2, with Thierno Barry scoring his first hat-trick in La Liga. This marked Villarreal’s first win in seven matches, while Leganés remained only three points above the relegation zone.
Las Palmas 1-0 Espanyol
Las Palmas maintained their strong performance under Diego Martínez, remaining unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions (4 wins, 1 draw) after securing a 1-0 victory at home in La Liga against Espanyol, who suffered their seventh consecutive away league defeat. Just one goal was enough for the home team, which has climbed from 20th place in mid-October to 13th, thanks to six victories in their last eight games. However, Espanyol will find themselves in the bottom three as they head into Christmas.
Real Betis 1-1 Rayo Vallecano
Isi Palazón’s impressive goal in the second half earned Rayo Vallecano a draw at the Benito Villamarín, allowing the home team to end the year with an unbeaten run of six matches in all competitions (4 wins, 2 draws). Both teams gained a point, with Betis rising two spots to ninth place and Rayo climbing to 12th.
