The third week of action in the current La Liga season brought about a series of unexpected outcomes that altered the standings. Reigning champions Real Madrid ended with a 1-1 stalemate against Las Palmas, despite dominating the shot count. This second draw of their campaign has seen them slip to 5th place, trailing league leaders Barcelona by four points.
Barcelona have maintained a perfect start with three wins out of three after overcoming Rayo Vallecano 2-1 in their Week 3 match. Villarreal secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over Celta Vigo, propelling them to the second position with 7 points.
Here’s a closer examination of some of the major narratives and key moments from this week’s La Liga action.
Real Madrid Manage 1-1 Draw Against Las Palmas
Real Madrid nearly faced their first defeat of the season on Thursday but were salvaged by forward Vinicius Jr, who converted a second-half penalty to ensure a tense 1-1 draw.
The champions have struggled to find their rhythm since the summer acquisition of star striker Kylian Mbappe. Despite having numerous chances over the first three matches, Mbappe has yet to open his goal-scoring account in La Liga.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti opted for four changes to the starting lineup from the previous week, but this had little effect as Las Palmas’ Moleiro netted an early goal in the 5th minute. The lead almost doubled soon after, but Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois delivered a series of remarkable saves to keep his team in contention.
Substitute Rodrygo’s second-half entrance injected some much-needed dynamism into the squad.
Eventually, a handball by defender Alex Suarez resulted in a penalty, which was successfully converted by Vinicius Jr, equalizing the score.
Real Madrid is set to host Betis on Sunday, while Las Palmas will travel to face Alaves.
Barcelona Secures Third Win with Late Goal
A late strike from new recruit Dani Olmo earned Barcelona a 2-1 comeback victory at Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday. Currently at the top of the La Liga standings, they are the only team to begin the season with three consecutive wins.
Olmo, who had missed Barca’s initial two matches due to the club’s challenges with La Liga’s Financial Fair Play regulations, came off the bench in the second half and netted the decisive goal in the 82nd minute. His effort completed the comeback initiated by Pedri’s 60th-minute equalizer, after Unai Lopez had given the home side the lead in the 9th minute.
With this win, Barcelona now leads the standings by two points over second-placed Villarreal, while Rayo sits in eighth place with four points.
Barcelona is scheduled to play Real Valladolid at home in a quick turnaround tomorrow.
Villarreal Clinches Victory Over Celta Vigo in Thrilling Contest
Dani Parejo’s goal in the 100th minute secured a 4-3 triumph for Villarreal over Celta Vigo on Wednesday, marking Villarreal’s second victory of the season.
Celta Vigo trailed for the majority of the match but managed to equalize at 3-3 with just 10 minutes of regular time left, pushing the game into overtime.
The visitors initially took the lead in the 12th minute with Borja Iglesias capitalizing after Alfon Gonzalez’s effort was cleared from the line.
Sergi Cardona brought Villarreal level with a close-range effort, but Celta regained the lead with a stunning long-range shot from Oscar Mingueza that ricocheted in off the post.
Thierno Barry and a Jailson own goal then put Villarreal ahead early in the second half, a lead they maintained until the 80th minute. Tasos Douvikas nearly clinched a winner but struck the woodwork of Diego Conde’s goal.
Ultimately, Dani Parejo made the decisive impact. Although Ivan Villar saved his penalty, the goalkeeper could only deflect it back to the midfielder, who made no mistake on the follow-up attempt.
Check out our La Liga predictions page to find more info about the upcoming matches.
