La Liga Roundup, Matchday 23
Matchday 23 of the 2024/25 La Liga season has wrapped up, showcasing thrilling games, standout performances from players, and unexpected results. Here is the La Liga roundup for matchday 23.
Rayo Vallecano 1-0 Valladolid
Rayo Vallecano maintained their pursuit of European qualification by defeating Real Valladolid 1-0, marking a club-record unbeaten streak of nine matches in La Liga (5 wins and 4 draws). Meanwhile, Valladolid suffered their 16th loss of the season and remain at the bottom of the standings.
Celta Vigo 3-2 Real Betis
Celta Vigo staged a remarkable comeback from a two-goal deficit to secure a 3-2 victory over Real Betis at Estadio de Balaídos. This win ended their five-match winless streak and increased their lead over the relegation zone to 6 points. Real Betis missed the opportunity to reduce their six-point gap to the top six, jeopardizing their chances of qualifying for a fifth straight European competition.
Athletic Bilbao 3-0 Girona
Oihan Sancet scored three goals as Athletic maintained their impressive unbeaten streak in La Liga, now at 14 matches, by defeating Girona 3-0 at San Mamés. With this being their fifth loss in six matches across all competitions, Girona’s chances of qualifying for Europe have diminished, as Rayo Vallecano is now four points ahead in sixth place after their victory.
Las Palmas 1-2 Villarreal
Las Palmas extended their winless streak to five consecutive La Liga matches following a 2-1 loss to Villarreal, bringing them closer to the relegation zone. Despite a determined performance from Las Palmas, it was another victorious day for the Yellow Submarine. Although they were unable to secure their first away clean sheet of the season, Marcelino’s team remained in contention for a top-four finish as they aim for a return to the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid played a 1-1 draw, which marked the seventh time in their last eight meetings that the match ended without a winner after 90 minutes. This result allowed Real Madrid to keep their one-point advantage at the top of La Liga. Atlético needed another outstanding save from Oblak to secure the draw, as he made a vital stop against Mbappé just a minute before the match concluded.
Alaves 0-1 Getafe
Getafe recovered from their heavy cup defeat earlier in the week by narrowly defeating Deportivo Alavés 1-0 at the Mendizorrotza Stadium, marking their first set of three consecutive away wins in La Liga since May 2018. For now, they will remain 5 points above the relegation zone, having achieved their first La Liga double over Alavés. Meanwhile, Alavés has only managed to win two out of their last 16 encounters in the top flight and find themselves in 19th place.
Valencia 2-0 Leganes
Valencia triumphed over CD Leganés for the first time in six head-to-head encounters, winning 2-0 in a crucial early relegation match at Mestalla. This victory brought them within a point of safety. Los Ches seem to be turning their home ground into a stronghold just when they need it most to avoid a relegation that could disrupt the Spanish top division.
Real Sociedad 2-1 Espanyol
Real Sociedad ended their streak of three consecutive La Liga losses in impressive fashion, defeating RCD Espanyol 2-1 at the Reale Arena. They are now just four points away from the top six. Meanwhile, Espanyol is still above the relegation zone for the time being, but with their search for an away league win this season still ongoing (two draws and nine losses), they have plenty of reasons to be concerned.
Sevilla 1-4 Barcelona
Barcelona had to work hard, competing for over 30 minutes with only 10 players, but they achieved their ninth win in 11 games with a remarkable 4-1 victory over Sevilla, reigniting their hopes for the La Liga title. This win puts Barça just one point behind second-place Atlético Madrid and two points behind leaders Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Sevilla’s four-match unbeaten run has come to an end, leaving García Pimienta’s team in 13th position.
Mallorca 1-1 Osasuna
Mallorca continued their difficult streak, now going six matches without a win, after drawing 1-1 with CA Osasuna at the Son Moix Stadium. This result hampers Mallorca’s slim hopes of qualifying for Europe, while Osasuna maintains their unbeaten run in four league matches, with both teams sitting on equal points in the middle of the table.
