The 2025/26 La Liga season continues to swing unpredictably from week to week, and Matchday 14 delivered yet again.
Barcelona capitalised on Real Madrid’s stuttering form to climb to the top of the 2025/26 La Liga standings, while Xabi Alonso’s men dropped points once again, extending their winless run in the league.
Villarreal kept their remarkable momentum alive with a last-gasp win, and Atletico Madrid continued their steady push toward the summit, ensuring the battle for the crown remains as tight as ever.
At the other end of the 2025/26 La Liga table, Levante and Real Oviedo’s struggles deepened, with both clubs slipping further into relegation danger after another disappointing round of results.
With pressure rising at both extremes of the league, Matchday 14 offered plenty of defining moments across Spain. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at five key happenings from this round of fixtures.
Real Madrid lose top spot in La Liga as winless run continues
Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid were off to a sensational start to the season. They were winning games for fun, but it seems to be a story of the past as they have been winless in La Liga for over a month.
Following their win in El Clasico, Los Blancos had opened up a five-point lead over Barcelona back in October. However, as things stand, they are a point behind the Catalan giants, who have now taken charge of the title race.
The team in white have failed to win any of their last three league outings. They squared up against Girona in Matchday 14 with hopes of returning to winning ways. While they dominated the proceedings and took a lot of shots on goal, Alonso’s team had to settle for a draw (1-1) yet again.
Things certainly do not look good for Real Madrid, and another poor result in the midweek game against Athletic Club could raise serious doubts about Xabi Alonso’s position.
Defending La Liga champions take charge of the title race
While Barcelona have been consistent in Europe, they have been in fine form in La Liga of late. Since losing to Real Madrid, the Blaugrana have won each of their last four league outings. The defeat to Xabi Alonso’s team had opened up a five-point gap at the top.
However, with Real Madrid dropping six points in their last three outings, the Catalan giants now have a points lead at the top. Following a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea in the Champions League, Barcelona headed into the fixture against Alaves desperate to secure all three points.
Hansi Flick’s men did not just win 3-1; the Catalan giants completely dominated the proceedings. It was a statement from Barcelona, who have been a touch inconsistent at times.
Alberto Moleiro keeps Villarreal’s title dreams alive
After suffering a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, the Yellow Submarine were on the verge of dropping points in the league, but Alberto Moleiro saved the day for them.
On the back of four straight wins in La Liga, Villarreal hit the road to square up against an in-form Real Sociedad outfit in matchday 14. The Yellow Submarine established a 2-0 lead within 60 minutes thanks to strikes from Ayoze Perez and Moleiro.
But Real Sociedad bounced back and levelled things up. Ander Barrenetxea’s 87th-minute strike suggested they would have to settle for a draw, but Moleiro struck again in injury time to save the day for the visitors. This was Villarreal’s fifth straight win, and now they are only two points behind the league leaders, Barcelona.
La Liga’s four-way title race
Last week, we suggested that Atletico Madrid and Villarreal were firmly in the La Liga title race; the latest round of results have only reinforced the idea that this season could shape up to be a four-way battle for the crown.
Real Madrid dropped points, helping Barcelona claim top spot, and with Atletico Madrid and Villarreal enjoying winning streaks of their own, only three points separate the top four. Towards the end of September, when Xabi Alonso’s team visited Diego Simeone’s team, they had the chance of going 12 points clear of them.
Just two months down the line, only two points separate the two teams in the top four. While Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and Barcelona are always expected to be in the mix for the title, not many would have predicted that the Yellow Submarine would emerge as serious contenders for the domestic league title.
Relegation imminent for Levante and Real Oviedo?
While Elche have been doing a great job following their return to the top flight, the same cannot be said about Levante and Real Oviedo, who are the bottom two teams in the division at this point, with just nine points in their 14 outings.
Levante have been winless in their last six outings since winning against Oviedo, and they have suffered defeats in each of their last four games. Meanwhile, Oviedo have been winless in their last seven league outings. They last secured all three points towards the end of September against Valencia.
While they are only three points behind 17th-placed Osasuna, their recent results suggest they might not have enough quality in their squad to survive the drop. Levante suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Athletic Club last time out, while Oviedo suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid.
