La Liga Round-Up: Twists and Turns in Champions League Race and Battle for Safety

The 31st matchday of the 2025-26 La Liga season, dubbed "retro weekend," delivered significant drama and action across Spain's top flight. Here's a summary of the key encounters leading up to Monday's match between Levante and Getafe.

Alaves Snatch Draw Against Real Sociedad in Basque Derby

Real Sociedad 3-3 Alaves

A captivating six-goal thriller unfolded in Donostia-San Sebastian as Real Sociedad and Alaves shared the spoils. Alaves twice took the lead through Duje Caleta-Car (own goal) and Ibrahim Diabate, but Real Sociedad responded swiftly with goals from Luka Sucic and an own goal by Antonio Sivera. Orri Oskarsson put La Real ahead in the second half, but following Sergio Gomez's late red card, Lucas Boye secured a draw for Alaves deep into stoppage time.

Elche Secures Vital Win in Relegation Scrap

Elche 1-0 Valencia

Elche secured only their second victory of 2026, narrowly defeating Valencia. Despite Valencia creating numerous chances, Lucas Cepeda's 73rd-minute strike proved to be the decisive goal. This win temporarily lifted Elche out of the relegation zone, though they risked falling back in depending on their rivals' results.

Sevilla Claims First Victory Under Luis Garcia Plaza

Sevilla 2-1 Atletico Madrid

Sevilla capitalized on an Atletico Madrid side fielding a rotated squad to achieve a 2-1 victory. Akor Adams opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and after Javier Bonar equalized, Nemanja Gudelj netted the winning goal in stoppage time. This marks the first three points for Sevilla since Luis Garcia Plaza took the helm last month.

Real Betis' Struggles Continue with Osasuna Draw

Osasuna 1-1 Real Betis

Real Betis extended their winless streak to seven La Liga matches after being held by Osasuna. Ez Abde gave the visitors an early lead, but Ante Budimir converted a penalty in the 40th minute to ensure a shared points outcome in Pamplona.

Mallorca Dominates Rayo Vallecano

Mallorca 3-0 Rayo Vallecano

Mallorca, another team battling relegation, secured a convincing 3-0 win against Rayo Vallecano. Vedat Muriqi scored a first-half brace, and substitute Jan Virgili sealed the victory shortly after the hour mark.

Real Oviedo's Survival Hopes Boosted by Sensational Win

Celta Vigo 0-3 Real Oviedo

The weekend's most surprising result came at Balaidos, where Real Oviedo defeated Celta Vigo convincingly. Celta Vigo, resting key players ahead of their Europa League fixture, were punished by goals from Alberto Reina and a brace from Federico Vinas, bringing Real Oviedo closer to safety.

Villarreal Strengthens Grip on 3rd Place with San Mames Victory

Athletic Club 1-2 Villarreal

Villarreal extended their lead over fourth-placed Atletico Madrid to four points with an impressive win in Bilbao. Sergi Cardona and Alfon Gonzalez gave the visitors a two-goal advantage by halftime. Despite Gorka Guruzeta pulling one back late in the game, Athletic Club could not salvage a point.