Barcelona stay top with seven straight league wins, while Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 derby victory over Real Madrid shakes up the early La Liga standings.
MADRID: Barcelona will head into the international break at the summit of La Liga after maintaining their perfect start to the season, while Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 derby victory over Real Madrid on Sunday reshaped the early title race.
Barcelona remain top with 21 points from seven matches, while Atletico moved into second place on 16 points following their derby triumph. Real Madrid dropped to fourth on 15 points, with Real Betis between the two Madrid clubs on 18 points.
Barcelona’s latest success came on Saturday when Raphinha produced another sensational display, scoring a hat-trick as the champions fought back from a goal down to defeat Sevilla 3-1 at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
Sevilla took the lead through Youssouf Fofana, but Raphinha quickly restored parity before completing his treble with two goals in the second half. The Brazilian’s performance secured Barcelona’s seventh consecutive league victory.
The result left Barcelona with a perfect record ahead of the international break and underlined Raphinha’s outstanding early-season form.
Atletico claim Madrid derby
Atletico Madrid produced the weekend’s headline result by defeating 10-man Real Madrid 2-1 in a fiercely contested derby at the Metropolitano.
The first half produced few clear-cut opportunities, but the match was transformed early in the second period when Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen was sent off after bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area.
Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty in the 53rd minute before Jonathan David doubled Atletico’s advantage six minutes later.
Real Madrid refused to surrender and Antonio Rudiger headed home late in the match, but Atletico held firm to secure a crucial victory.
The defeat left Real Madrid six points behind Barcelona after seven matches, while Atletico climbed to second in the standings.
Betis held late
Real Betis were denied victory away to Deportivo La Coruña after Diego Villares struck a late equaliser.
Betis had taken the lead through Cucho Hernández on the stroke of half-time, but Deportivo fought back to earn a share of the points.
The draw left Betis third in the standings on 18 points, behind leaders Barcelona and ahead of Atletico Madrid.
Villarreal cruise past Levante
Villarreal secured a convincing 3-1 home victory over Levante, with Ayoze Pérez, Alberto Moleiro and Georges Mikautadze finding the net.
Levante briefly threatened a comeback after Ivan Romero produced a spectacular equaliser, but Villarreal regained control after the interval, with Moleiro and Mikautadze completing the scoring.
Sociedad snatch dramatic win
Real Sociedad claimed a thrilling 3-2 victory away to Valencia thanks to Ander Barrenetxea’s injury-time winner.
Luka Sučić and Carlos Soler twice put Sociedad ahead, with the latter converting a penalty against his former club.
Valencia responded through Aaron Mayoral’s volley and an own goal to level the contest at 2-2, but Barrenetxea delivered the decisive blow in stoppage time, converting from a corner to seal all three points.
Getafe edge Malaga
Getafe also secured a narrow victory, with Iván Azón scoring in the 85th minute to give the hosts a 1-0 win over Málaga.
The weekend’s results leave Barcelona at the top of the early La Liga standings, while Atletico’s derby success has altered the positions among the leading sides.
The Spanish top flight will now pause for the international break, with the next round of league fixtures scheduled for October.