The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful from La Liga

A round-up of a few of La Liga’s most intriguing storylines throughout the week, traversing via the great, the unhealthy and one thing lovely.

The Good – A slice of Sarabian nights

Earlier than Sunday evening, Rayo Vallecano had conceded simply 16 targets in 16 video games, and even after it, they nonetheless have the joint-best defensive report of anybody under seventh. Therefore why Elche’s 4-0 demolition of Rayo on the Martinez Valero, sodden with rain, was the dessert that their glorious first half of the marketing campaign deserved. Hector Fort, who displayed all of the verve of a younger Santi Cazorla whereas opening the scoring, has been on a metamorphosis of his personal beneath Eder Sarabia, and his purpose contained all of the hallmarks of this Elche, which their followers can dote over when describing their early success.

It’s a really fairly desk for an Elche fan to admire over Christmas, who sit ninth on 22 factors, seven away from the drop. Fort’s gradual introduction to the season was typical of any variety of gamers who had been drifting slightly till they pitched up at Elche, and located loads of route from the irate Eder Sarabia on the touchline. Their second, a monument to the assumption coursing via the aspect. When Pedro Bigas was relegated on the age of 33 with this Elche aspect, it might be pure for him to doubt whether or not he would style the sweetness of Primera soccer once more.

“A purpose that sums up the staff we need to be” ⚔️

Phrase from @edersa10 🤍💚#ElcheRayo #LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/J8MiKRkyzO

— Elche Membership de Fútbol (@elchecf) December 23, 2025

Caressing the ball round from the again, the outdated canine has been applauded foolish by the Martinez Valero for his new tips all season. Laying the observe for Elche to seal the match, Bigas burst via the center of the pitch from centre-back, controlling a move on the run completely, rounding Augusto Batalla and squaring for an additional redemption tune, Alvaro Rodriguez, to complete. Bigas, at 35 is enjoying the very best soccer of his profession, getting probably the most out of his abilities. Three minutes later, Rayo had been washed away. Arguably probably the most organised press in La Liga was continually a second too gradual, as Elche swept the ball from side to side throughout the pitch, simply 5 passes left German Valera with an open purpose after successful it again close to the sting of their field. Elche felt the passes and the timing, by no means rushed, by no means egocentric. Their greatest and most spectacular win, to cap off a 2026 that has Elche flying.

The Dangerous – A catastrophe that should not develop into a trademark

Twice in two weeks, Actual Sociedad held a lead at half-time towards a aspect within the relegation zone. Twice, they’d go on to move up the only of alternatives to double that lead. Even nonetheless, La Actual had been comfy, controlling the course of the sport, and on track for 3 factors. On the very least towards Girona, Viktor Tsygankov was required to provide you with two targets of fantastic high quality. Levante’s stoppage time penalty, from a badly defended nook, took on the texture of a slow-motion explosion, the place in tragic style, our protagonist is blissfully unaware of the urgency of the state of affairs, nor the results.

Luckily, La Actual should not lifeless but. However new supervisor Pellegrino Matarazzo has quite a lot of the Bee Gees to take heed to if he’s to rescucitate this aspect. The Txuri-Urdin lie simply two factors away from the drop, and have misplaced three of their final 4 Liga video games; additionally they got here again from two all the way down to degree with Villarreal, earlier than conceding a stoppage time loser to Alberto Moleiro, simply seven minutes later. Be it mentality, high quality or technique, this aspect is continually quick in some regard, regardless of having a squad full of excellent gamers. ‘We’ve made fools of ourselves’, mentioned Igor Zubeldia after their loss to Girona. Idiot us as soon as, Txuri-Urdin…

The Stunning – The Oblaktopus is a splendidly clever creature

There’s a good likelihood that this part turns into the house of the numerous nice targets thumped, stroked and sliced in – with apologies to Carlos Romero this week. What number of gamers sidefoot a volley in from 25 yards? Our coronary heart was pulled at by Don Jan Oblak – identified to his goalkeeping fraternity because the Oblaktopus – this week although.

It is a cathedral outrage 😮#LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/JCruNyTLQR

— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) December 21, 2025

When the ball got here again the route of Axel Witsel, he didn’t actually react to what might need been a tap-in previous Oblak on the ground. The one conceivable cause being that when he thumped the ball heading in the right direction from shut vary, he didn’t actually take into account the likelihood that it might come again his method. In lower than a second, the large Slovenian inverted his backbone to hit full stretch and attain behind to in some way throw the ball again out of the online earlier than it handed the goal-line, a super-hero save. It stored Atetico on degree phrases, however that was an anecdotal a part of a transfer that deserved an even bigger stage, spotlights, a magic hat and a 52 digicam angles. Koke Resurreccion scored a fantastic purpose, however Oblak’s save was the spotlight of Atletico’s 3-0 win. Someplace, an Atletico Madrid fan has determined that ‘I need to be a goalkeeper’, identical to Oblak.