#la-liga

#la-liga

Two late goals from Olmo and Lewandowski clinch victory in a tight, intense encounter in which Joan García made several game-saving interventions.

"We didn't deserve it, I will be honest. I have to say thank you to Joan García because he played unbelievable. He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He's been fantastic. I think he'll never forget what he experienced here. Manolo gave him the confidence to play. Now he's with us and he's had an incredible performance. He's having a great season. He was one of the key players in the victory."

Nevertheless, embarking on a stunning Europa Conference League adventure and cruising their way to a knockout stage ticket, Inigo Perez's men will be searching for some domestic stability. Getting 2026 underway sat way down in 15th-place and holding just a three-point buffer from slipping into the drop zone, Rayo Vallecano will also be excited by their extended rugged success in Madrid.

FC Barcelona are set to enter into 2026 with the league position that Hansi Flick would have hoped for at the beginning of the season. Top of La Liga, 46 points from 18 games and a four-point cushion over Real Madrid make for good reading. The numbers are loud: 51 goals scored already, but the feeling is even louder. This is a team that plays with incisive attacking power, sometimes, even at the cost of defensive solidity.

Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen has reportedly picked up another injury and been ruled out of Sunday's La Liga game with Villarreal. The Dane was back in the starting XI in midweek and also on the scoresheet in the 2-0 victory over Guadalajara. He will no doubt have been hoping for more minutes on Sunday at La Ceramica but was a late withdrawal from the squad after picking up a problem in training on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly now also a target for Atletico Madrid in case he doesn't end up staying at Barcelona. The England international is currently on loan at Barca for this season, having fallen out of favour at Old Trafford. But even if Rashford has made a strong start to life at the Nou Camp, it is still not entirely clear if Barcelona will choose to make his move permanent.