LaLiga is back in the new year; with Matchday 18 bringing back the action to the pitch. While the matchday did little to the league table, there were thrilling and nail-biting matches throughout Spain. While the table toppers bettered their positions, midtable teams still keep vying for the European spots by the end of the season. Let’s get right into this Matchday’s review. 

Key Match Summaries

Rayo Vallecano and Getafe ended their bout in a 1-1 stalemate. Vallecano struck first, scoring the opener in the injury time of 1st half. Getafe battled until the end of second half, where they scored the equalizer. The game between Osasuna and Athletic Club also ended in a 1-1 draw. Osasuna drew first blood, scoring in the 34th minute. Athletic switched up their attacking gear in the second half, and scored the equalizer in the 71st minute. 

Barcelona won over Espanyol in the Catalan derby, with a 2-0 score. The Blaugrana maintained much of the possession in the match – controlling the tempo. The hosts were feeling lucky enough to hold off their rivals, until Barcelona scored two quick goals in the final minutes to seal the match. Celta unleashed hell on visitors Valencia, where they won the match with a score of 4-1. An evenly contested first half saw 2 penalties – one missed by Valencia, one scored by Celta. Celta then unfolded a second half blitz, scoring three goals. Valencia – despite having more shots – could only manage to score one in the second half. 

Villarreal triumphed over Elche, winning the match with a comfortable 1-3. Villarreal went all guns blazing right from the first half, scoring 2 goals before the 15th minute. Elche responded back with a high attack momentum, pulling one back in the 30th minute. Despite their efforts gathering 78% of the possession, Villarreal scored another in the second half leading them to the victory. Girona won over hosts Mallorca, in a fiercely fought match ending in 1-2. Girona opened their scoring in the 25th minute, keeping the lead until the end of 1st half. The second half saw both the teams being awarded a penalty each – which they both successfully converted. 

Real Madrid ran riot over Real Betis, beating them with  a 5-1 scoreline. After an unusually calm first half saw Real Madrid leading with a goal, Los Blancos scored 4 goals in the second half. Real Betis could only pull one back in the second half, while they were overpowered by Madrid’s attack. Levante won with a thunderous 3-0 against Sevilla, silencing the Sánchez Pizjuán. A tightly contested 1st half saw Levante scoring a goal in injury time. Despite a strong Sevillian possession, Levante managed to score 2 more after the 75th minute, claiming the three points.

Deportivo Alavés and Real Oviedo ended their match in a 1-1 draw – the third of the week. Both the two teams showed equal intent at goal in the first half. While Oviedo opened the scoring in the second half, Alavés equalised under 15 minutes and kept the same scoreline until the end. The last match of the matchday also ended in a 1-1 draw – between Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid. Atlético opened the scoring in the 50th minute, only to be equalised by Sociedad 5 minutes later. While both teams tried to score, none of them could get ahead of the other until the final whistle. 

Standout Players of the Week

Mathew Ryan of Levante scored the highest Sofascore rating of the matchday – a 9.9 for his extraordinary skill between the sticks and 7 saves against the hosts. Carloslos Álvarez  was also in top form scoring a goal in their victory against Sevilla. Real Madrid’s Gonzalo García scored a hattrick in their match against Real Betis earning him a 9.4 Sofascore rating. Federico Valverde and Rodrygo also put up a good display, both bagging 2 assists. Borja Iglesias was instrumental for Celta, netting 2 goals while Jones El-Abdellaoui and Hugo Alvarez added one each. Rubén García was also crucial for Osasuna, gaining a lead in the first half. 

Alfonso Pedraza shined for Villarreal, for his defensive display and his goal against Elche, while Alberto Moleiro scored a goal and Georges Mikautadze bagged a goal and an assist. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia was the standout player for Barcelona, with 6 important saves. Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo scored one each, to cap off a brilliant team display against Espanyol. Antonio Sivera was indisposable for Alavés, with 5 saves against the visitors. Atlético’s Jan Oblak was their star of the match, with 7 saves against Sociedad.

Other standout players of the matchday include Jorge de Frutos, Mauro Arambarri, Alejandro Catena, Sergio Herrera, Martim Neto, Carlos Espí, Iker Losada, Fran García, Cucho Hernández, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Raúl Asencio, Lucas Boyé, Viktor Tsygankov, Beñat Turrientes, Takefusa Kubo, Giuliano Simeone and Marc Pubill. 

League Table Standings

Barcelona kept their top position with their victory, while Real Madrid stayed in 2nd after their statement victory. Villarreal and Atlético take up 3rd and 4th places. While both the teams are on same points, the former still has two matches in hand. Espanyol and Real Betis continue in the 5th and 6th place, despite their defeats. Celta climbed up to 7th place after their victory. Bilbao, Elche and Getafe round off the first half of the table.

Osasuna, Alavés and Rayo Vallecano take up 12th, 13th and 14th places, with all teams tied on 19 points. Just one point behind and tied on 18 points are Real Sociedad, Mallorca and Girona – who take up the next three places. Valencia takes the 18th, with Levante moving up to 19th after their victory. Real Oviedo goes to the bottom of the table with 12 points. 

Suspension Updates

Matchday 18 saw only 2 red cards, with both of them coming in the same match. Federico Viñas – who scored the only goal for Oviedo – was shown the second yellow in the 75th minute for another foul. Alavés’ Carlos Benavídez was also shown a second yellow at the 88th minute also for another foul. Both the players are set to miss their fixtures on Matchday 19.

Looking Ahead

LaLiga resumes its action on Matchday 19 which sees leaders Barcelona take on Atlético Madrid, while Real Madrid travels to Bilbao. Villarreal takes on Alavés and Espanyol visits Levante. With the title race, European spots, and relegation battle all finely poised, LaLiga’s return has set the tone for a gripping second half of the season. Matchday 19 promises even more drama as the margins continue to tighten across the table.