La Liga Roundup, Matchday 8
Matchday 8 of the 2024/25 La Liga season has wrapped up, showcasing thrilling matches, standout player performances, and unexpected results. This La Liga roundup provides an overview of the games from this round.
Real Valladolid 1-2 Mallorca
Mallorca achieved their third consecutive victory by defeating Real Valladolid 2-1 at the Estadio José Zorrilla, handing the Blanquivioletas their first home loss of the season. Mallorca is performing well, having won four out of their last six matches (with one draw and one loss), and currently occupies the sixth position in the standings at this point in the season.
Getafe 2-0 Alaves
Getafe achieved their first win of the season with a solid 2-0 triumph over Alavés at the Estadio Coliseum. This victory means that the Azulones have remained unbeaten at home against the Babazorros during both of Pepe Bordalás’ tenures (4 wins, 2 draws). Getafe comfortably secured all three points, marking their first win of the season and moving them up to 15th place in the standings. On the other hand, Alavés faced consecutive losses for the first time this season, dropping to 11th place in the league.
Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Leganes
Leganés rallied from a goal deficit to secure a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio de Vallecas, extending their unbeaten streak to seven away matches in La Liga out of eight. Although Cruz’s impressive goal earned Leganés an additional point, they have yet to win since their victory over Las Palmas in the second match of the season, leaving them with six consecutive matches without a win.
Real Sociedad 3-0 Valencia
Real Sociedad snapped a four-match home losing streak in La Liga by defeating Valencia 3-0 at the Reale Arena, marking Valencia’s fourth away loss of the season. Imanol Alguacil will be particularly satisfied with this outcome, as it marks the first time in over seven years that he has secured three straight victories against Valencia. Meanwhile, Rubén Baraja faces increased pressure as his team remains in the relegation zone.
Osasuna 4-2 Barcelona
Osasuna enjoyed a remarkable night as they triumphed over Barcelona 4-2 in La Liga, with Bryan Zaragoza contributing a goal and an assist in the first half, allowing the Rojillos to decisively break a streak of five winless matches against the Blaugrana. This victory marked Osasuna’s fourth straight win at El Sadar in a single La Liga season, a feat they hadn’t accomplished since March 2008. The significance of this achievement is heightened by the fact that they overcame a Barcelona team that had been unbeaten in the league up to that point this season.
Celta Vigo 1-1 Girona
In his 501st match for the club, Iago Aspas saved Celta Vigo by scoring a late equalizer against Girona, resulting in an exciting 1-1 draw at Balaídos in La Liga. Both teams are positioned in the mid-table, with Celta winning only one of their last six league matches, while Girona has not won in their last five games overall.
Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Sevilla
A last-minute own goal by substitute goalkeeper Álex Padilla in the 93rd minute resulted in a disappointing 1-1 draw for 10-man Athletic against Sevilla at San Mamés, preventing the Lions from achieving their fourth consecutive La Liga win. Although the visitors were pleased with the late equalizer, they have not secured an away victory since mid-April, and Athletic missed the opportunity to climb into the top three.
Real Betis 1-0 Espanyol
Real Betis secured a 1-0 win against Espanyol thanks to a late goal from Giovani Lo Celso at Estadio Benito Villamarín. Manolo González’s team couldn’t recover from this late blow, resulting in a defeat that drops them to 17th place, just above the relegation zone. In contrast, Betis moved up three spots to eighth as they gear up to begin their UEFA Conference League campaign on Thursday, having achieved a victory.
Atletico Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid
In a thrilling La Liga match at the Cívitas Metropolitano, Atlético Madrid managed to secure a draw against their city rivals Real Madrid thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Ángel Correa. Despite struggling to create chances throughout the game, Atlético shocked Real in the dying moments as Correa received a through-ball from Javi Galán and skillfully rounded Courtois to score. Although the goal was initially ruled offside, VAR confirmed he was onside, leading to chaos among the fans. Marcos Llorente received a red card in the ninth minute of added time, but the match ultimately concluded with both teams sharing the points.
Villarreal 3-1 Las Palmas
Villarreal secured their first home victory against Las Palmas in La Liga since October 2017, winning 3-1 thanks to two late goals. Barry and Baena scored crucial goals that propelled the Yellow Submarine to third place in the league. Meanwhile, Las Palmas manager Luis Carrión faces increasing pressure as his team has now gone eight games without a win and has lost all four of their away matches this season.