MADRID, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- There was a reduced round of matches in Spain this weekend due to the Spanish Supercup in Jeddah, but there are still plenty of things to highlight. Here are four things we learned this weekend in Spain and Saudi Arabia.
1. Atletico takes advantage to return to the top
Atletico Madrid won 1-0 at home to Osasuna on Sunday to go back to the top of La Liga with a typical display, in which they did just enough to take all three points against a rival that rested several regular starters with an eye on their Copa del Rey fourth round tie in Bilbao next Thursday.
Julian Alvarez continues to show that he has been an excellent signing with the only goal of the game, after peeling away to find space in the six-yard box.
The win puts Atletico a point ahead of Real Madrid and gives them a six-point lead over FC Barcelona, and with a short trip to Leganes and home matches against Villarreal and Mallorca, they have the chance to consolidate that advantage before visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in early February.
2. Barca gets huge confidence boost from Supercup win
FC Barcelona completely outplayed Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercup final, ripping their rivals apart to race into a 4-1 lead at halftime before extending that lead to 5-1.
They were also able to defend well for over half an hour with 10 men after goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the 56th minute, frustrating all of Madrid's attempts to get back into the game.
Barca looked ragged at the end of 2024, with players maybe paying physically for coach Hansi Flick's high press and a short squad, but the Christmas holidays look to have done them good and winning the first domestic title of the year will be a huge boost for what lies ahead.
3. Relegation battle heats up
The weekend games in La Liga put a lot of focus on the struggle to avoid relegation and it now seems that seven teams will be jostling to avoid dropping into the second division.
Leganes will be content with the point they took away to Espanyol on Saturday, while the focus of Alaves coach Eduardo Coudet on ensuring his side doesn't concede any goals backfired when their only defensive error of the game cost them defeat at home to Girona.
Alaves plays both Getafe and Leganes in early February but is in serious danger of dropping into the relegation zone before then, especially if Valladolid is able to build on their win at home to Real Betis.
4. Hope for Valencia?
Although Valencia was frustrated by a late goal away to Sevilla, the arrival of Carlos Corberan as new coach looks to have given more fight to the side even though they are now bottom of the table.
Valencia was unlucky to lose to Real Madrid in his first game in charge, with a defensive error costing them a point, before they cruised into the fourth round of the Copa del Rey with a 2-0 win in Eldense.
They sat deep and looked to play on the break against Sevilla, and although a deflected shot cost them two points, the feeling is that before Corberan's arrival, this was a game they would have lost rather than drawn. ■
