Barcelona squandered the opportunity to enter the October international break as La Liga’s leaders, as they fell to a stunning 4–1 defeat at an improving Sevilla on Sunday afternoon.
Real Madrid’s 3–1 triumph over a good Villarreal outfit means it’s Xabi Alonso’s side who lead the way at the second interval of 2025–26.
Spain’s two behemoths are projected to go back and forth at the summit this season, with Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid the only team to break their duopoly over La Liga during the past decade. And while Atléti have been resurgent over the past month following a poor start to the campaign, it looks unlikely for a third party to enter the title discussion.
Every La Liga champion has failed to hold onto their crown since Barcelona went back-to-back in 2019, so that trend would suggest the current league leaders are the favorites to hold the title aloft next May.
Here’s how supercomputer projects Spain’s race at the summit to play out.
