Matchday 24 action in the 2025/26 La Liga season delivered yet another twist in an increasingly unpredictable title race.

From statement wins at the summit to mounting pressure on former contenders, the latest round of fixtures in the 2025/26 La Liga season underlined just how fine the margins are as the season heads into its decisive phase.

Real Madrid wrestled control of the title race back in emphatic fashion, while Barcelona and Atletico Madrid endured damaging setbacks that have reshaped the narrative at the top.

Elsewhere, struggles continued for sides chasing European qualification and those fighting for survival, making it a weekend that carried significant consequences across the league. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at five key takeaways from Matchday 25.

Real Madrid regain control of the 2025/26 La Liga title race

Weeks after giving up a significant lead at the top of the table, Los Blancos are back in control of the title race, thanks to an eight-match winning streak in La Liga. The team in white squared up against Real Sociedad over the weekend.

Not only did they beat their Basque opponents, but Alvaro Arbeloa’s side ensured it was a statement performance heading into the most important phase of the season. The emphatic 4-1 win took them back to the top of the table, giving them a two-point lead over Barcelona, who were scheduled to face Girona on Monday.

The pressure was firmly on Hansi Flick’s men, and they eventually crumbled under it. Following their defeat, Real Madrid are once again favourites for the title. Irrespective of their inconsistency this season, Los Blancos now find themselves in pole position to go the distance across all major competitions.

Flick’s Barcelona hit a rough patch

Following their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, everyone was expecting a significant response from the Catalan giants when they squared up against Girona in the league.

Not only were they expected to put up a statement performance, but Barcelona were also expected to reclaim the top spot. However, they ended up suffering a 2-1 defeat, which is a massive blow for them when we look at the bigger picture.

In a game where they dominated the ball and took the lead with a Pau Cubarsi strike, not many expected them to give up the lead and end up dropping all three points. The past week has been a nightmare for them, and now they are playing catch-up to Real Madrid in the league.

Atletico continue to surprise everyone in La Liga and not in the right way

In the initial phase of the season, Diego Simeone’s men were very much in the title race. However, as we head into the final phase of the season, Atletico Madrid are nowhere in the picture. They haven’t been consistently poor, but the Madrid-based giants have suffered defeats against opponents few would have expected them to lose to.

After winning 5-0 against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, they lost to them in the league, and just a week later, they lost to Rayo Vallecano, days after thrashing Barcelona in the cup competition. Not many would have predicted a 3-0 loss for Atletico against a relegation-threatened Rayo just days after they secured a 4-0 win against the most in-form team in Spain.

While Simeone’s men had enough of the ball, they lacked creativity, and Rayo made the most out of the limited opportunities. Atletico are now 15 points behind leaders Real Madrid. More importantly, they only have a four-point cushion over fifth-placed Real Betis.

Espanyol’s winless run continues

Espanyol ended 2025 inside the top four and were in conversation to be an outsider in the title race. However, they haven’t managed to carry that form into the new season. They squared up against Barcelona at the start of the new year. Since the defeat to the Catalan giants, they haven’t managed to recover and remain winless in 2026.

They have been winless in their last seven league games and have lost five of those fixtures. Espanyol are now sixth on the table, and if their winless run continues, they won’t be able to secure a spot in any of the European competitions despite their sensational start to the season.

After a run of four consecutive defeats, they squared up against Celta Vigo at the weekend. Espanyol were second best for most parts, but they were on the verge of securing all three points with an 86th-minute strike by Tyrhys Dolan. However, an injury-time goal from Celta’s Borja Iglesias meant they had to settle for a point.

Levante and Real Oviedo are unlikely to survive the drop in La Liga

A win over Girona towards the end of January might have given Oviedo fans some hope, but the joy was short-lived as they ended up losing 1-2 to Athletic Club on the weekend. Not only are they at the bottom of the points table, but they are also nine points off safety.

With just 15 games to go in the season, it looks unlikely that they will be able to turn things around. Meanwhile, Levante, who are 19th on the table, are just two points ahead of Oviedo. They have won four games all season and have suffered 13 defeats, just like the team below them.

They are seven points off safety and have lost their last two league outings. They squared up against Valencia last time out and ended up losing 2-0 without much of a fight. While they still have a chance of survival, their form and the kind of football they have been playing suggest it’s unlikely to happen.