Matchday 23 of the 2025/26 La Liga season delivered more title-race tension and contrasting fortunes across the table.

Barcelona powered to a convincing 3-0 home win over RCD Mallorca, extending their lead at the summit of La Liga, with Lamine Yamal shining bright. Real Madrid stayed in the hunt with a gritty 2-0 victory at Valencia, though questions swirl regarding their backline.

Atletico Madrid’s title hopes dimmed further after a shock 0-1 home loss to resurgent Real Betis, while Rayo Vallecano’s clash with bottom-side Real Oviedo was postponed because of heavy rain and an unsafe pitch. From leaders pulling clear to mid-table shocks, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at five key takeaways from Matchday 23.

Barcelona march on in La Liga with Yamal magic

Barcelona hosted RCD Mallorca and cruised to a 3-0 victory, their first clean sheet in their last four outings, thanks to Robert Lewandowski’s opener, Lamine Yamal’s stunning free-kick curler, and Marc Bernal’s stunner.

The Blaugrana created chances galore despite Mallorca’s early misses, with Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia locking down the centre to perfection while cutting passing lanes. Yamal, who was struggling with injuries at the start of the season, showed maturity beyond his years and led his team to an important win amidst increasing pressure for second-placed Real Madrid. Following this win, they did temporarily take a four-point lead, but with Real Madrid winning their game, the difference at the top is just one point.

Real Madrid grind out a win amid Carvajal doubts

Real Madrid travelled to struggling Valencia and secured a vital 2-0 away win to keep the 2025/26 La Liga title pressure on Barcelona, with Kylian Mbappe starring once more.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side showed resilience, but the right-back woes deepened as Dani Carvajal sat unused again, with youngster David Jimenez starting and Trent Alexander-Arnold subbing late. Despite being on their bench for weeks, the Spanish international has not featured for Arbeloa at all.

With Carvajal’s contract ticking down and World Cup spots in mind, his Bernabeu future looks shaky as Los Blancos chase the leaders. Given what the Spanish international has done for them, things certainly do not look great for him. However, the important part is that they continue to win and are still very much in the title race.

Atletico Madrid stunned in La Liga yet again

After smashing Real Betis 5-0 in the Copa del Rey quarter-final a couple of days back, Atletico Madrid were on cloud nine. Everyone expected them to ease past the Andalusian outfit in La Liga as well. However, things did not go according to plan for them, as they ended up suffering a 1-0 defeat at home.

Former Manchester United winger Antony’s early strike sealed the upset. Without injured Pablo Barrios, Diego Simeone’s men faltered in midfield, unable to breach real Betis’s tight defence. Now 13 points adrift of Barcelona, Los Rojiblancos’ title dreams are pretty much over.

Espanyol’s European dreams take another blow​

Espanyol were one of the contenders for a top-four spot a few weeks back, but a six-match winless run in La Liga has completely derailed them. Not only have they been winless, but they have also lost each of their last four league games against Girona, Valencia, Deportivo Alaves, and Villarreal.

The Catalan outfit did not just lose 4-1 to the Yellow Submarine; they got smashed. They did not look like a team that had it in them to secure a top-four finish. Now, they are sixth on the table with 34 points in their 23 outings. The Periquitos are 11 points behind the team in fourth, while the team in seventh are just a point behind them.

A two-team La Liga title race

Until the end of 2025, La Liga’s title race was quite intense, with as many as four teams very much in contention. Real Madrid and Barcelona were facing stiff competition from Atletico Madrid and Villarreal. But in just a matter of weeks, they are no longer a part of the title race, as they are 13 points off the top.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have managed to pull away from the rest of the league. The Spanish giants are now expected to fight for the title right until the end, as only a point separates the two teams. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal will now be looking to ensure they secure Champions League football.