Madrid and Girona shared the points in Catalonia, Villarreal kept pace near the top, Betis earned derby bragging rights, and Espanyol left Vigo with a priceless victory. The draw between Madrid and Girona leaves Barcelona only one point clear at the top after 14 matchdays, with the title race growing more intense by the week.
GIRONA 1-1 REAL MADRID
Real Madrid were forced to settle for a draw as Girona continued their strong recent run, having now lost only one of their last five league matches. A quiet and disjointed opening period came as both sides struggled for rhythm, with Arda Guler firing Madrid's first real chance wide before Kylian Mbappe lifted another opportunity over the bar.
Girona relied on counter-attacks, though Bryan Gil proved wasteful despite regular involvement. Viktor Tsygankov delivered the first shot on target, while Madrid dominated the ball without being precise in the final third. Paulo Gazzaniga kept Girona level with an excellent save to deny Eder Militao, and VAR ruled out an Mbappe strike for handball. Girona punished that reprieve moments later when Azzedine Ounahi curled a superb finish beyond Thibaut Courtois.
Madrid increased the tempo after the break, needing another strong Courtois save to stay within reach after a powerful effort from Vladyslav Vanat. Vinicius Junior had a goal ruled out for offside before he won a penalty, which Mbappe converted confidently.
Both teams had late chances, with Vítor Reis heading over and further opportunities for Mbappe and Vinicius going to waste. The draw leaves Girona outside the drop zone only on goal difference, while Madrid remain one behind Barcelona in a developing title race.
REAL SOCIEDAD 2-3 VILLARREAL
Villarreal made it five consecutive league victories after Alberto Moleiro struck a 95th-minute winner at the Reale Arena. Real Sociedad created the better early chances, with Luiz Junior twice denying Takefusa Kubo and reacting quickly to close down Umar Sadiq.
A misplaced pass from Kubo handed Villarreal the opener when Tajon Buchanan burst forward and crossed for Ayoze Perez to convert. Luiz Junior protected the lead with more decisive stops, and Villarreal doubled their advantage after the break when Perez set up Moleiro for a precise finish into the top corner.
Sociedad responded through Carlos Soler after Kubo intercepted a loose clearance, and Goncalo Guedes forced another full-stretch save. They eventually levelled through an excellent free-kick from Ander Barrenetxea, but Villarreal capitalised on a poor defensive clearance in stoppage time, allowing Moleiro to drive a low finish into the corner.
The result keeps Villarreal firmly in the title chase and moves them within two points of leaders Barcelona.
SEVILLA 0-2 REAL BETIS
Real Betis claimed their first league victory at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan since 2018, beating Sevilla in the 144th official Seville derby. Chances were scarce in a slow first half, with Djibril Sow and Abde Ezzalzouli going closest.
Betis broke through shortly after the restart when a turnover allowed Pablo Fornals to drive towards the area and finish low into the corner. Sevilla pushed for an equaliser but were caught again from a set piece, as Valentin Gomez flicked a Fornals delivery towards Sergi Altimira, who hammered in the second.
The atmosphere deteriorated late on, contributing to a 15-minute stoppage, before the match concluded with Betis seeing out the win professionally. Sevilla remain without consecutive home league victories since October 2024 and could finish the day just four points above the bottom three. Betis continue to strengthen their push for another top-seven finish.
CELTA VIGO 0-1 ESPANYOL
Espanyol secured only their second away league win in ten attempts thanks to a late header from Kike Garcia at Balaidos. Celta controlled possession early but created little, with VAR overturning a potential penalty due to an earlier offside. Bryan Zaragoza came closest before half-time with a shot narrowly wide.
The second half brought more action, with Marko Dmitrovic saving from Javi Rueda and Iago Aspas, while Leandro Cabrera forced Ionuț Radu into his first stop of the night. The match appeared destined for a stalemate until Garcia met Edu Exposito's corner with a glancing finish.
Espanyol move four points ahead of Getafe in seventh, while Celta remain winless at home in the league with five draws and three defeats.
Wojciech Szczesny has admitted he "had enough of this suffering" after years of battling the lingering effects of the double-arm fracture that changed his career, with the Barcelona goalkeeper revealing how the pain still affects him today.
Barcelona were preparing to unleash Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski from the start as Hansi Flick planned a decisive reshuffle for this afternoon's clash with Deportivo Alaves.
Barcelona defeated Alaves 3-1 at the revamped Camp Nou on Saturday whilst Atletico beat Oviedo 2-0 to maintain the pressure on Real Madrid who play on Sunday.
Barcelona's difficult season took another hit this week after Fermin Lopez suffered a calf injury that will rule him out for around two weeks, according to reports in Spain.
