The 2025/26 La Liga season threw up yet another eventful weekend in Matchday 16, with fortunes shifting across the table.
Atletico Madrid kept their title hopes alive thanks to a timely Antoine Griezmann intervention, Barcelona underlined their credentials with an assured defensive display, while Real Madrid’s struggles finally ended as Xabi Alonso got another lifeline.
Elsewhere, turmoil reigned as Real Sociedad and Real Oviedo both pulled the trigger on their managers following disappointing runs of form. With the title race, European spots and relegation battle all heating up, The Hard Tackle rounds up the key talking points from Matchday 16 of the 2025/26 La Liga campaign.
Griezmann guides Atletico Madrid home
After a run of two straight defeats in the league, Atletico’s chances of pushing for the title took a major hit. But they have managed to bounce back with a 2-1 win over Valencia just in time to stay in the mix. Since they are fourth on the table and nine points behind league leaders Barcelona, they still have a lot of catching up to do.
The Madrid-based giants headed into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought 3-2 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. They were keen on getting back to winning ways, and their veteran star Griezmann made sure they came out with all three points.
Despite not being a regular starter anymore, the French striker tends to deliver every time Diego Simeone’s men find themselves in trouble. Nine minutes after Valencia levelled the score, Griezmann delivered the killer blow, and with these three points, they retain a top-four spot.
A solid defensive display from Barcelona
While Raphinha was the hero of the night for the Catalan giants against Osasuna with two late strikes, as they scripted a 2-0 win, their defensive performance is what caught the attention.
They had one of the best defences in all of Europe last season. But following the departure of Inigo Martinez, Barcelona haven’t looked that reliable at the back this season. It was one of the biggest concerns for Hansi Flick.
However, they were quite solid at the back against Osasuna. They dominated the ball and didn’t really allow the opposition to do enough damage in the final third. The fact that Osasuna could only manage one shot on target clearly explains how well-organised Flick’s men were.
Rodrygo’s saves Xabi Alonso’s job
The Brazilian international’s future has been up in the air ever since Xabi Alonso took charge. While Rodrygo has hardly had enough minutes under the Spanish manager. He bagged a goal in their last UCL outing and backed it up with a winner against Deportivo Alaves.
Following their defeat against Manchester City, this Alaves fixture was a must-win for Alonso to stay in charge of the Spanish giants. Rodrygo scored in the 76th minute to give his team the lead and help the manager keep his job.
The Brazilian winger might have managed to save him from sacking for now, but Alonso remains under pressure, and he will have to keep delivering to ensure he is around for the remainder of the campaign. With this win, Los Blancos not only returned to winning ways, but they also ensured Barcelona remain within touching distance (four points clear at the top).
Sergio Francisco sacked as Sociedad lose again
The axe finally fell on Real Sociedad boss Sergio Francisco as his team suffered its third straight loss in the league. They are now 15th on the table and are just one point clear of the drop zone.
After defeats against Villarreal and Alaves, Sociedad were expected to return to winning ways against Girona, who find themselves in the drop zone. However, things didn’t go according to plan for them.
They were completely outplayed by a team that has struggled throughout the season and had only won two games until this fixture. While Sociedad’s result led to Francisco’s sacking, injuries and poor summer business also played a part.
After selling Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal, they were slow to bring in replacements. More importantly, just when we thought things were getting better for Sociedad, he lost Mikel Oyarzabal and Ander Barrenetxea to injury.
Luis Carrion’s controversial stint at Real Oviedo ended
While Oviedo sacked Veljko Paunovic after he managed just six points from his first eight outings and appointed Luis Carrion as his replacement, the decision did not sit well with the fans, especially as he had rejected a new deal in 2024 to join Las Palmas instead.
The newly promoted side had hoped he could win the supporters over with positive results, but things did not go according to plan. They managed just four points from seven outings before suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Sevilla.
There was a belief that Carrion had made the team harder to beat, but that notion was quickly dispelled as Sevilla put four past them. With frustration growing among the fanbase, Oviedo have now finally parted ways with Carrion.
