Real Madrid and Barcelona are showcasing impressive form with consecutive victories, setting the stage for an early battle for the top spot in this season’s La Liga standings.
Real Madrid and Barcelona Off to Strong Starts in the 2025-26 La Liga Title Race
Real Madrid and Barcelona have both made promising starts to the season, setting up an early battle for the top spot in La Liga 2025-26.
In Round 2, Real Madrid cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory away against newly promoted Real Oviedo.
Star striker Kylian Mbappé shone with a brace to put Los Blancos firmly in control before Vinícius Júnior sealed the win with the third goal.
“We maintained a very good rhythm, both with and without the ball, and we controlled the match,” coach Xabi Alonso said, expressing his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “In the second half, maybe we slowed down a bit. Oviedo pushed higher and it became more difficult to sustain the pace of the game.”
Meanwhile, title rivals Barcelona pulled off an impressive comeback to defeat Levante 3-2 away from home.
Underdogs Levante stunned the champions by taking a 2-0 lead at halftime thanks to goals from Iván Romero and José Luis Morales.
However, Barça returned in style after the break. Pedri and Ferran Torres scored in quick succession in the 49th and 52nd minutes to level the match, before securing a dramatic 3-2 victory in stoppage time after an own goal from Unai Elgezabal.
With these results, both Real Madrid and Barcelona sit on six points apiece, each with an identical goal difference of +4 after two rounds.
Villarreal Take Surprise Lead
Despite their perfect starts, Spain’s two footballing giants trail behind Villarreal, who top the La Liga table.
The “Yellow Submarine” have been flying high under coach Marcelino García Toral, following up their opening-day 2-0 win over Real Oviedo with a stunning 5-0 demolition of Girona at home in Round 2.
Tajon Buchanan enjoyed a dream performance with a hat-trick, while Nicolas Pépé and Rafa Marín added one goal each.
This emphatic victory propelled Villarreal to the top of the standings with maximum points, while Girona find themselves bottom of the table with two defeats, just one goal scored, and eight conceded.
Villarreal’s early lead is seen as a surprise, but many believe their position at the summit may be short-lived with the season only just underway.
Other Contenders and Early Struggles
The top three could still change after Round 2, with Rayo Vallecano, Getafe, and Athletic Bilbao all on three points and looking to climb higher.
Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid have disappointed their fans with a poor start. After two games, Diego Simeone’s side have picked up only one point.
Atlético began their campaign with a 1-2 defeat away to Espanyol, followed by a 1-1 draw at home against Elche.