Top 5 stats from La Liga Gameweek 32

Atletico Madrid continue to lead the way

It is as you were in Spain after another weekend which failed to separate the challengers at the top or the bottom.

Three points between three teams is still the difference in La Liga’s most intriguing title race in years, while five points separate a bunch of teams hoping to avoid playing their football in La Segunda next season.

One thing that does look increasingly certain though is that we will be saying out goodbyes to Real Betis sooner rather than later.

Atletico Madrid continue to lead the way

If Atletico Madrid are going to win the league it is, probably, wins like the one over Villarreal this weekend which they will be best remembered for.

Denied the services of top scorer Diego Costa and Arda Turan, they crafted just six shots at the Vicente Calderon throughout the course of the 90 minutes – Villarreal managed eight.

The Yellow Submarine also led the way for possession, pass completion and corners, but Atleti won’t mind at all because their ability to dig in once again meant they won in terms of the only stat which really mattered: goals scored.

Raul Garcia got it after just 14 minutes – his eighth in the league this season and his fifth header – maintaining Atletico’s lead of one point with six games to play.

Penalties and an own goal help Barcelona

Real Betis – or the referee? – were their own worst enemies as they went down 3-1 to Barcelona on Saturday at Camp Nou.

Jordi Figueras fouled the lively Alexis Sanchez to hand Lionel Messi the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot, before the same defender then converted Adriano’s pass into his own net to double Barca’s lead.

The visitors then hit back through substitute Ruben Castro but, as they were beginning to get on top, were the masters of their own downfall.

Antonio Amaya handled Neymar’s cross and the hosts were awarded another spot kick.

Messi saw this one saved, but was on hand to pop home the rebound to take his tally to 10 goals in his last five La Liga games as Barcelona kept tabs on Atletico Madrid at the top of Spain’s Primera Division.

Will Real Madrid lose another league match?

The trip to Anoeta, where Barcelona were soundly beaten recently, was supposed to be Real Madrid’s most difficult remaining fixture and, worse still, they travelled north without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Difficult it wasn’t though.

Los Blancos racked up over 20 shots on route to a comprehensive 4-0 victory thanks to goals from former Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi, Gareth Bale, Pepe and Alvaro Morata.

Bale’s 17th goal of the season was the pick of the bunch: The Welshman was handed the ball 30 yards out following a sloppy Claudio Bravo clearance, but that shouldn’t take anything away from the accuracy of his left foot finish.

It keeps Madrid in the queue to win the league although, three points behind Atletico, they’re still relying on their rivals slipping up.

With the most favourable run-in though, they still have a great chance.

Drab Valencia going nowhere too fast

Any brief signs of life at Valencia after the appointment of Pizzi have been well and truly sucked out of them.

They’ve recently given away a two goal lead against Almeria, been beaten by Getafe and hammered by FC Basel in the Europa League – Sunday’s goalless draw with Real Valladolid was probably the most painful of the lot, though.

Paco Alcacer and Eduardo Vargas missed chances as they edged a lacklustre match which deserved to end 0-0.

Rumours in Valencia are that the club will at last be bought out in the summer and, if they are, the first thing on the agenda should be to return some excitement to the Mestalla: La Liga wants their Valencia back.

Three teams each score three huge points

During some proverbial six-pointers this weekend, there were three massive victories for three of the relegation-threatened sides.

With Real Betis nine points from safety, and with one foot in La Segunda, there are seemingly two places which around eight teams are all actively trying to avoid slipping into.

Six of those sides met this weekend, with Osasuna, Elche and Rayo Vallecano all having emerged the victors from their matches with Almeria, Getafe and Celta Vigo respectively – the former two now join Betis in the drop zone.

Rayo’s win was once again the most impressive. They have now won six of their last 10 games, after having been holding hands with Betis at the bottom for such a large chunk of the season.

Five points now separate 12th and 19th in the table with six games and 18 points to play for.