The 2025/26 La Liga campaign continues to deliver drama with every passing week, and Matchday 13 was no different.

Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to the Spotify Camp Nou with a statement 4-0 win over Athletic Club, closing the gap on La Liga table-toppers Real Madrid, who stumbled once again after being held to a 2-2 draw by Elche.

Real Sociedad appear to have finally clicked into gear with another impressive victory, while Villarreal and Atletico Madrid strengthened their title credentials with important wins of their own.

At the other end of the table, Valencia breathed new life into their campaign by ending a seven-match winless streak in a must-win clash against Levante. With momentum shifting rapidly at both the top and bottom of the standings, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the major talking points from Matchday 13 of the 2025/26 La Liga season.

Barcelona’s sensational return to Camp Nou

Barcelona have been on a roll of late. Since losing to Real Madrid, the Blaugrana have won each of their last three league outings. They marked their return to the Camp Nou with a sensational 4-0 win over Athletic Club.

Hansi Flick’s team waited 909 days for this moment, and they certainly made it count. Not only did they put in sensational performances, but the Catalan giants also received a massive boost as Raphinha is back from injury.

With Real Madrid dropping points in consecutive games, the Catalan giants are now only a point behind them. In simple terms, the defending La Liga champions are very much in the title race, with them set to play at the Camp Nou going forward, things could get even better for them.

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid drop points again

While Los Blancos were off to a sensational start, and they looked on course to challenge for all major titles, things have slowly started to crumble. The team in white have been winless in their last three outings across formats.

Real Madrid have only managed two draws in their last two league outings, including an entertaining 2-2 draw against Elche last time out. While injuries to key defenders have made life difficult for Alonso, he still has enough quality in his squad to get the desired results.

The only positive from the game against Elche was that they came from behind twice to secure a point. Alonso not only needs to re-establish a strong defensive base, but he also has to ensure Vinicius Junior is fully on his side, as their relationship appears slightly tense, with the Brazilian once again starting on the bench at the weekend.

Real Sociedad are getting back on track in La Liga

Real Sociedad had a very disappointing start to the season as they had just one win out of their first nine outings. However, they have managed to turn things around in time. With three wins in their last four outings, they have now climbed up to ninth on the points table.

After playing out a 1-1 draw against Elche before the break, Sociedad secured all three points against Osasuna last time out. While they were 1-0 down at half-time, the visitors turned things around within the first 15 minutes of the second half, and added another goal late on to win 3-1.

Sergio Francisco, who was promoted to take charge of the first team in the summer, seems to have finally got his ideas across, and the players have started producing the desired results.

Villarreal & Atletico Madrid are La Liga title contenders

While Real Madrid and Barcelona seem to be the leading candidates for the league title, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid are not far behind. The Yellow Submarine have now won each of their last four league outings, while Diego Simeone’s team are on a five-match winning streak.

With Real Madrid and Barcelona dropping points on occasions, both these clubs have had opportunities to close the gap at the top despite not having the best of starts. They have certainly made the most out of it.

While it was not the best of outings for Atletico Madrid, and they had to rely on an own goal by Domingos Duarte, Simeone’s men did get the job, and that is what matters. Meanwhile, Villarreal secured a 2-1 win over RCD Mallorca.

Valencia finally return to winning ways

Valencia brought an end to their seven-match winless run against Levante. While they had a decent start to the season, a run of seven games without a win saw them drop into the relegation zone. However, this 2-1 win has helped them climb up to 15th.

Given the kind of form Levante have been in, this was a must-win game for Valencia, and they certainly delivered. It was a dominant display from them, and will certainly give them a lot of confidence as they prepare for an important clash with Rayo Vallecano next.