Elsewhere, Barcelona enjoyed a crucial 2-0 victory away to Sevilla to climb up to second in the table.

Another round in the Spanish Primera Division has gone by, offering us more twists in the 2020/21 La Liga title race. Defending champions Real Madrid, after moving within three points of current league leaders Atletico Madrid, have once again suffered a setback, drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad to drop to third. Barcelona have leapfrogged their Classico rivals, albeit on goal difference, thanks to their crucial 2-0 victory away to Sevilla. As for Simeone's men, they ended their three-game winless run by beating Villarreal 2-0 to move five points clear at the top. Here's everything you need to know about the recent round of fixtures in La Liga.

Top five teams in La Liga until March 6, 2021

La Liga, Standings, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico, Sevilla, Real Sociedad 

La Liga top 3 scorers

Luis Suarez has now gone four league games without scoring, drawing blanks for Atletico Madrid in the 2-0 weekend triumph. As a result, Messi added to his lead in the race to lift the Pichichi, with his late goal in the 2-0 victory over Sevilla taking his Spanish top-flight tally this season to 19, three more than his Uruguayan mate. Gerard Moreno's tally of 14 goals in 20 appearances for Villarreal this season has him in third.

 

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Gerard Moreno, Pichichi, Golden Boot, Atletico, Barcelona, Villarreal, La Liga

La Liga – top headlines

  • Real Madrid's clash with Real Sociedad on Monday was a disappointing one but it was a memorable game for Vinícius Júnior as he made his 100th appearance for Los Blancos, becoming the first player born in 2000 or later to reach this milestone.

  • Atletico's 2-0 win over Villarreal saw Simeone register his 308th victory since taking over Los Rojiblancos. He has now equaled the record for most wins at the club set by Luis Aragonés, with El Cholo needing 100 fewer games to become the club's joint-most successful manager.

  • Valencia's 3-0 weekend defeat vs Getafe means they boast only 27 points after 25 games, their worst tally at this stage in the competition since 1985/86 season. Interestingly, the 1985/86 campaign was the only time Los Ches got relegated. 

  • Barcelona's 2-0 triumph at Sevilla saw the Blaugrana stretch their winning run away from home to seven games, their fourth-best run in history.

  • Messi registered a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win over Sevilla, meaning he has contributed to a goal in 11 consecutive league games. Furthermore, he has netted a whopping 12 times in La Liga in nine appearances in this calendar year.

Top matches to watch in La Liga: Mar. 10, 2021

Osasuna vs Barcelona: Given that Barcelona's two biggest rivals will be locking horns this weekend, the Blaugrana's trip to Osasuna is understandably a crucial game. Should Real Madrid slip up in the Madrid Derby, then Messi and Co. could move three points clear of Los Blancos. Should Aletico stumble, then the Catalan giants could go within two points of the league leaders. A win is crucial for Koeman's men.

Atletico vs Real Madrid: This Madrid derby is crucial to the title race. Should Simeone's men lose to their bitter city rivals once more, then Los Rojiblancos will find themselves in danger of bottling the title race. Zidane's side, on the other hand, know they must beat the home side in order to keep their title defense alive. Do not miss this clash!

Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Club: This midweek clash is Atletico's game in hand. Athletic Club are always a tricky side to face and given that this fixture comes straight after the Madrid derby, Simeone's men could find themselves in deep trouble if they pick up back-to-back poor results.

*Keep track of all the activity in the Italian top-flight by following our dedicated La Liga competition page.