La Liga Roundup, Matchday 9
Matchday 9 of the 2024/25 La Liga season has concluded, featuring exciting matches, impressive player displays, and surprising outcomes. This La Liga roundup provides an overview of the games from this round.
Leganes 0-0 Valencia
Leganés and Valencia ended their La Liga match at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque in a 0-0 stalemate, marking Valencia’s third consecutive game without scoring (with two draws and one loss). The result leaves Leganés only two points clear of the relegation zone, while Valencia is still in the bottom three, just three points ahead of last-placed UD Las Palmas.
Espanyol 2-1 Mallorca
Following three straight losses, Espanyol surged to 14th place in the La Liga standings after securing a 2-1 home win against Mallorca. This loss ended Mallorca’s three-match away winning streak and leaving them in 7th place in the league, while also extending their 14-year struggle to win in Catalonia. Meanwhile, the win propelled Espanyol up to 14th in the La Liga table.
Getafe 1-1 Osasuna
Osasuna broke a streak of four consecutive away losses against Getafe by coming from behind to secure a 1-1 draw at the Coliseum in La Liga. However, neither team managed to find a winning goal, which kept Osasuna from entering the top four of La Liga, while Getafe stayed perilously near the relegation zone after failing to achieve consecutive victories for the first time since December.
Real Valladolid 1-2 Rayo Vallecano
Jorge de Frutos of Rayo Vallecano scored the first two goals of his La Liga career, leading his team to a comeback victory over Real Valladolid with a score of 2-1. This loss marked Valladolid’s fifth defeat in their last six games. Rațiu made a crucial goalline clearance late in the match to secure the win, giving Rayo Vallecano their second away victory of the season. On the other hand, coach Pezzolano faces increasing pressure as his team has now gone eight matches without a win, keeping them firmly in the relegation zone.
Las Palmas 0-1 Celta Vigo
Although Celta Vigo played most of the second half with only nine players, they managed to maintain their lead and secured three points with a first-half goal from Borja Iglesias. This result extended Las Palmas’ winless streak at the start of the 2024/25 season, marking their sixth loss in the first nine La Liga matches (with three draws). On the other hand, Celta enjoyed a much-needed boost, breaking a three-game winless streak (one draw and two losses) while clinching the victory at Estadio de Gran Canaria.
Real Madrid 2-0 Villarreal
Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run in La Liga to 29 matches with a 2-0 victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, the match was marred by a worrying injury to Dani Carvajal during stoppage time, and it is rumored he will be out for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Villarreal suffered their first away loss in La Liga this season.
Girona 2-1 Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao’s six-match unbeaten streak across all competitions ended with a 2-1 defeat to Girona, during which three of their players missed penalty opportunities. Girona, who had been winless for six games, secured a dramatic victory thanks to Cristhian Stuani’s penalty in the 99th minute. With this win, Girona now sits in 11th place. Athletic Bilbao, on the other hand, will aim to get back to winning form when they take on Espanyol after the international break.
Alaves 0-3 Barcelona
Barcelona extended their unbeaten streak against Alavés to 15 consecutive matches, thanks to Robert Lewandowski’s first-half hat-trick, leading to a 3-0 victory in the Basque Country. Their position at the top of the La Liga standings will stay secure during the October international break, and Flick will be pleased with another high-scoring performance from his team, especially Lewandowski, whose current form will be crucial for their title aspirations.
Sevilla 1-0 Real Betis
In the 132nd Gran Derbi, Sevilla celebrated their 50th derby win at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán against Real Betis, further extending their impressive unbeaten streak in head-to-head matchups to 12 games, a run that began in September 2018. With their strong dominance in Seville, Sevilla remains unbeaten in their last seven home derbies, a streak that started in January 2018.
Real Sociedad 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Luka Sučić’s impressive late equalizer earned Real Sociedad a point against Atlético Madrid, who have not lost any of their last eight away matches in La Liga after this 1-1 draw at the Reale Arena. The goal brought much-needed relief to the home fans, who had witnessed their team lose five of their last six home games across all competitions. Following this match, Sociedad remains in 15th place, while Atlético holds onto third place.
