Matchday 25 of the 2025/26 La Liga season delivered another dramatic shift in an already volatile title race; Barcelona reclaimed top spot.
From costly slip-ups by contenders to timely responses from the defending champions, the weekend underlined just how unforgiving this phase of the campaign can be.
Real Madrid surrendered their grip on the summit with a damaging defeat, allowing Barcelona to reclaim top spot, while Atletico Madrid steadied themselves in the race for the top four.
Elsewhere, important wins strengthened European ambitions and kept slim hopes alive, making it a matchday filled with consequences across the table. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at five key takeaways from Matchday 25.
Real Madrid throw away the lead at the top
Just a week after regaining control of the La Liga title race, Real Madrid slipped up yet again, suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Osasuna on matchday 25. It proved to be a massive blow to their title aspirations, as Los Blancos will once again be forced to play catch-up to defending champions Barcelona.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side certainly did not look like the best team in the competition on the night. They were completely outplayed in the first half, with Osasuna registering as many as nine shots on goal and going into the break with a deserved lead.
While Vinicius Junior did haul Madrid back into the contest with a well-worked goal, courtesy of a sensational low cross from Federico Valverde, they struggled to create clear-cut chances thereafter. In the end, Raul Garcia struck a 90th-minute winner to seal all three points for the hosts.
Arbeloa threw on every attacking option at his disposal, but even that was not enough to turn the tide. Although Real Madrid dominated possession, it felt largely meaningless for long spells, underlining a frustrating night for the Spanish giants.
Atletico return to winning ways, Espanyol’s winless run continues
Atletico Madrid ended their three-match winless run against Espanyol as they secured a 4-2 win at home. Meanwhile, with this defeat, the visitors remain winless in 2026. They have now gone eight league games without a win, losing six of those fixtures.
While Espanyol were in contention for a top-four finish towards the end of 2025, things have only gone downhill for them since their defeat to Barcelona at the start of the new year. Atletico Madrid, who had lost two out of their last three league games, have finally managed to get their league campaign back on track.
They might no longer be contenders for the title, but Diego Simeone’s men certainly need to ensure they secure a top-four finish, and in that context, the win over Espanyol was very important for them. While the visitors did find the back of the net twice, Atletico dominated the proceedings, and it was a rather comfortable win for them.
Defending champions Barcelona are back at the top
After a disappointing defeat at the hands of Girona, Barcelona handed over the control of the title race to rivals Real Madrid. However, they are now back in the driving seat thanks to Los Blancos’ defeat to Osasuna and their comfortable win over relegation-threatened Levante.
The Catalan giants secured an easy 3-0 win on the weekend. They were in complete control from the start. Hansi Flick’s men dominated possession and bagged three well-worked goals to get the job done. After the end of matchday 25, they now have a points lead at the top of the table.
They have successfully put the 4-0 defeat to Atletico in the Copa del Rey and the 2-1 defeat to Girona behind them, and will now be looking to build on their success against Levante.
Villarreal strengthen their case for a top-four finish
The Yellow Submarine secured an important 2-1 win over Valencia on matchday 25. With this win, they now comfortably sit third on the points table with 51 points in their 25 outing. Villarreal have established a three-point lead over fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
More importantly, they are nine points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis. They now look well set to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League. Valencia were the ones who took the lead on the night. However, the Yellow Submarine turned it around within the first half.
It wasn’t an easy night for them, but they did manage to get the job done. After a run of three league games without a win, Villarreal have now won three out of their last four league outings. They certainly seem to be on a roll.
Aspas keeps Celta Vigo’s European dreams alive
After a run of four league games without a win, Celta Vigo are finally back on track with a 2-0 win over RCD Mallorca on the weekend. With this win, they keep their hopes of securing a spot in a European competition alive.
Celta had to grind very hard to secure all three points on the night. While they did create a lot of chances, they were not able to break down Mallorca right until the end. However, an 85th-minute penalty opened the doors for them.
Iago Aspas came off the bench and calmly slotted home the penalty, a goal that opened the game up considerably. The increased tempo soon led to another opportunity, which the 38-year-old striker once again converted from a very narrow angle.