Another batch of fixtures is now in the history books, and one team continues to pull ahead of the chasing pack. Following their 2-0 win over reigning La Liga champs Atletico Madrid in this weekend's latest iteration of the famed Madrid Derby, Real Madrid now boast a rapidly growing comfortable lead over the rest of the table.
However, some teams, like Sevilla and Real Betis continue to try to keep up pressure on the capital giants, as they also won their respective games at the weekend. Meanwhile, Barcelona continues to struggle, as the fallen Catalan giants dropped points one again to fall further and further behind.
Here's all you need to know following this weekend's La Liga action.
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Still no respite for Barcelona: It's been a miserable season so far for the Blaugrana, who were dumped out of the Champions League and are pretty much out of the title race even before the halfway point of the season. Despite Xavi being brought in, it hasn't brought in an uptick of results just yet, but they'll have a great chance to try to get some much needed points when they take on Elche at the weekend.
Benzema continues to go from strength to strength: The French ace was on target as Real Madrid earned a hard-fought 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the weekend. Not only is he three points clear in the Pichichi race, but the former Lyon man has now scored 36 goals across all comps so far in 2021 - which is his highest total in a calendar year so far in his career.
Ancelotti ends frustrating hoodoo: Prior to this weekend's win, Carlo Ancelotti had failed to win his last four games against Atleti (D1 L3). Indeed, the decorated Italian tactician was the only Real Madrid manager to go four games sans a win against Los Rojiblancos - so with that in mind, it's safe to say he had his own incentive for getting one over on the reigning league champs.
Top La Liga matches: December 17 - December 20, 2021
Barcelona vs Elche: Currently mired in eighth place, Barcelona will again hope to get back on track as they host Elche. Xavi truly has his work cut out for him as the title race is now a foregone conclusion. Barcelona are 18 points behind league leaders Real Madrid, and despite having a game in hand, at this point, one can safely assume that the Catalans will simply be trying to qualify for a European football spot.
Real Sociedad vs Villarreal: After a good start, things have started to take a downward turn for Real Sociedad, who have lost three on the trot and have started sliding down the table. They'll be hoping to rebound when they take on Villarreal, who have had their own issues this season domestically, but have done well enough for themselves in continental competition. In short, this could be an interesting one with both sides gunning for a much needed win.
Sevilla vs Atletico Madrid: Back to back defeats have seen Atleti now come under threat from the teams behind them in the table. As things stand, Los Rojiblancos are a whopping 13 points behind cross-town rivals Real Madrid, and while the title race isn't over just yet, Diego Simeone's side are facing a huge mountain to climb. And things aren't expected to get any easier, as they'll next have to face Sevilla, who sit in second spot and have had a strong campaign so far.
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis: Real Betis are arguably one of the most in-form teams in La Liga this term, and sit in a very impressive third in the table ahead of Atleti and Barcelona. Having won four on the spin, they'll look to make it five when they travel to face Athletic Bilbao, who have been in a rut lately.
Real Madrid vs Cadiz: Fresh off a 2-0 win over reigning La Liga champs Atletico Madrid in last weekend's Madrid Derby, Los Blancos will now look to further extend their lead as they prepare to host relegation-threatened Cadiz.
Make sure you don't miss out on these key games and stay on top of all the action by checking out our bespoke La Liga match page.
