Xabi Alonso
Real Madrid were victorious in the first “El Clásico” of the season. Most people thought FC Barcelona would come out on top, seeing as they won all their games against Real Madrid last season, but Xabi Alonso had other plans. He tactically set up the team in a perfect way, playing with a low block and exploiting their pace upfront on counterattacks. Even though Barcelona had 69% of possession, they didn’t manage to decipher Real Madrid’s defence and ultimately lost the game.
Celta de Vigo
Celta won their first league game of the season in a five-goal thriller, scoring the winner in the 87th minute. Ferran Jutglà and Ante Budimir both scored a brace, but it was Pablo Durán who scored the decisive goal thanks to an assist from club legend Iago Aspas. These three points helped Celta to move up four places and are now in 13th place in the league table, giving them some breathing room, as they’re trying to stay as far as possible from relegation spots.
Villareal
Villareal secured another win on the weekend, keeping a clean sheet and maintaining third place in the league table. After two bad games in the league, they managed to bounce back and once again prove that they’re one of the candidates to qualify for the Champions League this season. If they were to qualify for the Champions League again at the end of the season, it would be the club’s first time playing the competition in back-to-back seasons.
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano defeated Deportivo Alavés, scoring the only goal of the game in injury time. The Brazilian striker Alemão headed in a cross from Pep Chavarria in the 91st minute, giving Rayo Vallecano all three points and propelling them from 11th to 7th place in the league.
Álex Baena
After having struggled with injuries early in the season, Álex Baena scored his first goal for Atlético on Monday, as they beat Real Betis 2-0. The Spanish midfielder will now look to slowly get more playing time, as he was subbed off in the 60th minute despite having scored a goal.
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