The end of Matchday 17 marked the last round of fixtures for the 2025 calendar year, as teams gear up for what promises to be an exciting second half of the 2025/26 LALIGA EA SPORTS season.
With the league being as competitive as ever from top to bottom, there are some teams and players who have already stood out by making an impression from the off. Taking advantage of the winter break, let’s have a look at five of the main storylines from the first few months of 2025/26.
This title race will go down to the wire
Reigning champions FC Barcelona hit the ground running by going unbeaten in their first seven league games of the season. Having won six of the aforementioned matches, Hansi Flick’s side edged fellow contenders Real Madrid by just one point at the top of the table by the end of September. Yet, a 4-1 loss at Sevilla FC was followed by a 2-1 ELCLASICO defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, who overtook FC Barcelona, with five points separating the two teams after 10 games.
But the tables turned again, as the Catalans made the most of a Real Madrid rough patch consisting of three draws and one loss in five games. Meanwhile, Barça embarked on an eight-game winning streak. As such, FC Barcelona are currently four points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid and nine above Atlético de Madrid, who have won eight of their nine home games thus far. Meanwhile, Villarreal CF are 11 behind the leaders, but they have two games in hand heading into 2026. LALIGA EA SPORTS fans should buckle up, because this title race will go down to the wire, promising drama until the very last stretch of the season.
There is no stopping Kylian Mbappé
Just a few months after winning the Pichichi Trophy in his debut season as a Real Madrid player, the France international has taken LALIGA EA SPORTS by storm again this term. Opposition defences can’t find ways to contain an extraordinary Mbappé, who has already netted 18 goals in 18 games. In fact, the Real Madrid forward has scored in all but four of the games he has participated in thus far, as well as scoring four braces. His goal in the last duel of the calendar year against Sevilla FC saw Mbappé equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 goals in a calendar year at the club. Should he manage to be crowned the league’s top scorer again this term, the Frenchman will become the first player since Lionel Messi to win the Pichichi award in back-to-back seasons.
RCD Espanyol are pushing for a European spot
The 2019/20 season marked the last time that RCD Espanyol took part in a European competition. What followed was a rollercoaster for club and fans, as the team would get relegated twice to LALIGA HYPERMOTION before returning to the top flight last term. The Catalan side managed to narrowly secure safety thanks to a 2-0 home victory over UD Las Palmas on the last weekend of the 2024/25 campaign. Yet, no one would have foreseen what unfolded next, as RCD Espanyol started strong this term by winning six of their first nine home games so far. Boasting one of the stingiest defences in the league, Los Periquitos have won five in a row andcomfortably sit fifth in the table, with their fans having every reason to dream of a return to European competitions.
Elche CF stay true to their philosophy
It’s anything but uncommon for a newly promoted side to opt for a change of philosophy in order to adapt to the challenge of competing in the top flight. But, that has not been the case for Eder Sarabia’s mighty Elche CF. Los Franjiverdes returned to LALIGA EA SPORTS after clinching automatic promotion by finishing second in LALIGA HYPERMOTION last term. They did so by dominating possession with a league-high 61.5 percent throughout the season, allowing Elche CF to dictate the tempo and end last term as the league’s best defence with 34 goals conceded in 42 games. Yet, their return to the top flight didn’t come with a change in their style of play, as Sarabia’s side are still dominating the ball this season. In fact, only FC Barcelona (67.5 percent) and Real Madrid (58.3 percent) have recorded a higher possession percentage than Elche CF (57.8 percent), who became the first newly promoted team to have a higher possession figure in a league game against Barça since at least the 2005/06 season. Being just one of three teams to remain unbeaten on home soil, Los Franjiverdes currently sit a respectable ninth in the standings 17 games into the season.
RC Celta thrive on the road
The Galician side got off to a great start to the 2025/26 campaign away from home. In fact, 15 of RC Celta’s 23 points so far this season have been picked up on the road, where they have won half of the eight games they have disputed. Only Real Madrid and FC Barcelona (6) have won more away matches than Os Celestes, who stunned Los Blancos by grabbing a 2-0 victory at the Bernabéu back on Matchday 15. Should RC Celta maintain that road form and improve their outings on home soil, a push for European qualification would be a realistic objective in the last stretch of the season.
