Matchday 22 of the 2025/26 La Liga season served up another weekend of high drama and shifting fortunes.
Barcelona reaffirmed their dominance in La Liga with a chance-laden win over Elche to cling to top spot. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s late penalty win against Rayo Vallecano kept the pressure on the league leaders.
Atletico Madrid faltered with a dull draw at Levante, stalling their momentum, while the Basque derby delivered thrills but no winner. At the lower end, Espanyol’s winless woes cast fresh doubts on their ambitions.
From nail-biting chases at the summit to survival scraps below, the latest fixtures underscored La Liga’s ruthless edge once more. The Hard Tackle unpacks five key takeaways from Matchday 22.
Barcelona dominated Elche but were wasteful
Barcelona travelled to Elche and posted a staggering 6.24 xG, the highest ever tracked in La Liga, and ended up securing a comfortable 3-1 win. The Blaugrana created ten big chances with 30 shots in total.
Lamine Yamal starred with the opener, five shots (three on target), eight key passes, and a solo run setting up the third, while Frenkie de Jong controlled midfield with an assist for the second.
Despite stars like Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Marcus Rashford, and Ferran Torres missing multiple chances, Hansi Flick’s team have ensured they retain top spot in La Liga. Clinical finishing remains a glaring issue after similar misses versus Real Sociedad. With Real Madrid breathing down their neck, the Catalan giants cannot afford to relax.
Real Madrid snatch a late win on penalty
Real Madrid hosted relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano in La Liga this past weekend and secured a hard-fought win. While they were hoping for an easy day at the office, the visitors certainly made life difficult for them.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s team will feel they were lucky to come out with all three points. The game was all square in injury time, when Real Madrid were awarded a controversial penalty, which was calmly converted by Kylian Mbappe.
With the win, Los Blancos have managed to keep the pressure on Hansi Flick’s team. While Arbeloa’s team showed resilience, they squandered quite a few chances. Given how inconsistent they have been, the team in white will have to get their act together to stand a chance of pushing for the title.
Basque derby delivers thrills
The Basque derby between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad ended in a hard-fought draw, with both sides delivering an entertaining spectacle full of effort. Athletic Club grabbed a crucial point amid their slide, but they now find themselves in the bottom half of the table.
Los Leoes have been winless in their last six league games, and if things do not change, they will be dragged into the relegation battle. While Athletic will be pleased with their effort to earn a draw, Real Sociedad will be gutted that they dropped two crucial points.
Given the kind of form they have been in (four straight wins), Real Sociedad were expected to run away with it. However, derbies often do not go the way one expects them to.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have not turned up in La Liga this season
Atletico Madrid’s trip to Levante resulted in a dull 0-0 draw, lacking spark despite Diego Simeone’s efforts to climb higher in the La Liga standings. They struggled to create clear openings, dropping points against a resilient host.
This stalemate hampers their top-three charge, highlighting vulnerabilities away from home. Playing out a goalless stalemate against a relegation-threatened outfit clearly sums it up for Simeone’s men.
While Los Rojiblancos have played some incredible football at times, they simply have not been consistent enough. With this draw, they are now 11 points behind La Liga leaders, Barcelona.
Real Oviedo end woes, Espanyol slump
Relegation-threatened Real Oviedo finally secured a much-deserved win, boosting morale after frustrating times. While they remain at the bottom of the 2025/26 La Liga table, the three points will certainly give them hope. For now, they are seven points off safety and need a few more positive results.
Meanwhile, Espanyol’s worrying form deepened with a loss, further denting the dreams of a top-four finish and inviting pressure from below.They have failed to win any of their last five league games (losing four of those fixtures). Following this run, they are now eight points behind Villarreal, who have a game in hand.