It was a very interesting weekend in La Liga, with El Clasico being the highlight and ending as a very shocking result. Indeed, depending on what team you support, you were either celebrating or felt rather disappointed. Meanwhile, Sevilla continues to struggle for results, while reigning champs Atleti are rapidly closing the gap as they hope to finish as high in the table.
Here's a quick summary of what went down this weekend across Spain's top flight.
La Liga rankings as of March 21
Here's the top five teams in La Liga as of March 21st:
Who are the top three goalscorers in La Liga?
Here's how the race for the Pichichi is shaping up, with Karim Benzema the clear favorite to win it this season:
La Liga headlines, stats, and other facts
Cadiz secure long-awaited victory: Prior to taking to the pitch against Villarreal, Cadiz had struggled for results against the Yellow Submarine. In fact, they'd lost four of their last five meetings, and the odds were really not stacked in their favor. That being said, football is really unpredictable, and by the time the dust settled, Cadiz had secured a long-awaited victory, which has helped them to rise to 17th spot - and temporary safety - in the table.
Aubayemang off to a flying start: The Gabonese striker had a man-of-the-match deserving performance as he was directly involved in three goals during Barcelona's 4-0 win over Real Madrid. And in doing so, he became the first player to achieve this during his first El Clasico appearance since the turn of the century.
Dembele's turnaround? The French international appeared to be on his way out due to injuries and other issues that have prevented him from matching the huge price tag Barcelona paid to acquire him a few years ago. However, he had a game he'll remember for quite some time as he chipped in with two assists - making him only the second player in recent times to do this in the first half of a Clasico tie after his current boss, Xavi, did so nearly 13 years ago in May 2009.
Top La Liga matches: April 2 - April 4, 2022
Like all of Europe's "Big Five" leagues, La Liga will unfortunately be interrupted due to another installment of international games. Still, once the league does resume action next month, there are plenty of big games La Liga fans won't want to miss, including:
Getafe vs Mallorca: The visitors have lost five in a row, which has seen them plummet down the table towards the drop zone. However, despite sitting in 18th place, it's not curtains for Mallorca's top flight prospects just yet, as Getafe have had their own share of issues. The hosts sit in 15th place, but have picked up just four points from their last five and are only three points ahead of their upcoming visitors in the table. As such, it could be a rather tense affair when these two struggling sides square off to kick off matchday 30 on Saturday.
Celta de Vigo vs Real Madrid: Following their shocking and humiliating 4-0 defeat to bitter rivals Barcelona, how will Real Madrid respond when they resume La Liga action after the break? Los Blancos still do boast a comfortable nine point margin over the chasing pack but it's safe to say that Carlo Ancelotti will demand a much better performance from his side when they travel to face 11th-placed Celta de Vigo on April 2nd.
Atletico Madrid vs Deportivo Alaves: Although they've won their last five on the spin, Los Rojiblancos, who are the reigning La Liga champs, won't be able to successfully defend their league crown. That being said, Atleti are into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and still have a great chance at finishing as high as second in the table - especially with Sevilla's struggles as of late.
Barcelona vs Sevilla: A very intriguing clash is on the cards as second-placed Sevilla travel to face Barcelona. The Blaugrana will certainly feel confident after thrashing bitter rivals Real Madrid 4-0 in El Clasico over the weekend, which has helped them remain in third place in the table. However, Xavi's side could move up to second should they beat Sevilla, who've won just one of their last five games.
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.
