Matchday 3 of the 2025/26 La Liga season has already shaken up the table, exposing cracks in title hopefuls while shining a light on surprise contenders.

Heading into Matchday 3 of 2025/26 La Liga season, five teams boasted a 100% record. By the end of the latest round of fixture, only two remained, Real Madrid and Athletic Club. Barcelona, Villarreal, and Getafe all dropped points in this set of fixtures.

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid now sit top of the table, edging Athletic Club on goal difference. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid faltered again and already find themselves seven points adrift of the leaders. Real Oviedo, back in the top flight after nearly 25 years, celebrated their first league win of the season.

Fellow promoted side Elche remain unbeaten after three rounds and picked up their first three points by overcoming relegation rivals Levante. Having looked closely at all the fixtures, The Hard Tackle breaks down five key takeaways from the third round of action in the 2025/26 La Liga season.

Elche are here to stay in La Liga?

Newly promoted Elche are unbeaten after three rounds of the 2025/26 La Liga season. While recent trends suggest promoted teams are often favourites to go straight back down, Elche’s performances indicate they are here to stay.

They opened the season with a draw against Real Betis, followed by another impressive defensive display against giants Atletico. Full of confidence, they went into their clash with Levante, a direct rival in the relegation battle.

After picking up two points from their first two outings, Elche secured all three against their fellow promoted side. And it was not just a 2-0 win, it was a dominant display. They controlled possession, created numerous chances, and eased past Levante. Given their strong start, they will certainly back themselves to avoid the drop.

The 2025/26 La Liga title is beyond Atletico’s reach

We are three games into the new season, and Atletico Madrid have only managed to rack up two points. Given the number of signings they had made during the summer, Diego Simeone’s men were expected to rival Barcelona and Real Madrid for the league title.

But, given the kind of start they have had, the title looks beyond their reach. They started the campaign with a shocking 2-1 defeat at the hands of Espanyol. Atletico Madrid then had to settle for a draw against newly promoted Elche.

While they were expected to get their season back on track against Deportivo Alaves, they managed only a point. Despite dominating possession and creating plenty of chances, they lacked the finishing touch in the final third.

Writing off a team like Atletico Madrid after just three games might be premature, but it is not only about results; it is about performances. Simeone’s side currently lack the swagger of a champion team. They will need to turn things around quickly, as they already find themselves seven points adrift of the league leaders.

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid keep getting better

Barcelona were on a completely different level last season. While Real Madrid tried to stay in the La Liga title race, the gap between the two Spanish giants was clear by the final phase of the campaign. This time, however, things look different, as Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid appear to be a well-oiled machine.

We are yet to see the very best of Los Blancos, but they have already made a habit of getting the job done. They are playing an exciting brand of football and are gradually adapting to their new boss’s methods. Going forward, they look far more dangerous under Alonso, thanks to his emphasis on moving the ball quickly.

Their 2-1 win over RCD Mallorca might suggest a close contest, but the scoreline does not reflect the dominance of Real Madrid’s display. The first half, in particular, was a nightmare for the visitors, as Xabi Alonso’s men carved out chance after chance.

Meanwhile, they were rock-solid at the back despite having conceded for the first time in the new season. Throughout the first three league fixtures, Real Madrid have only conceded one big chance, which gives us a clear idea of how Alonso has transformed the backline with the help of a few key signings.

Hansi Flick’s team suffered the first blow

The Catalan giants were one of five teams with a 100 per cent record heading into this round of fixtures. However, they failed to maintain it, managing only a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano. While Flick’s side remain unbeaten, their defence is becoming a major concern.

Rayo Vallecano could easily have taken all three points were it not for Joan Garcia’s stellar performance in goal and a questionable penalty awarded to Barcelona while VAR was down at the Vallecas Stadium.

It was a narrow escape for Flick’s team, but the numbers paint a worrying picture: they have conceded 12 big chances in their first three league fixtures, the worst record of all 20 teams. With each passing match, the decision to let Inigo Martinez leave for the Middle East looks like a costly mistake.

Athletic Club’s unbeaten start

Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Club have had a sensational start to the new season as they are one of the only two teams that remain unbeaten in La Liga heading into the September international break.

Heading into the new season, Valverde’s team were not in the best of shape as they were struggling with injuries and had lost six pre-season games in a row. However, they still managed to kick-start the new season with a win at home to Sevilla.

On Matchday 2, they took down Rayo Vallecano at home before putting up a solid performance against Real Betis to win 2-1 away from home. They were the better team on the night and got the result they deserved. It is an excellent start for them, and Valverde will be hoping they can build on these initial results.