Real Madrid’s lead at the top of the La Liga standings was reduced to three points after they were held to a barren draw by Real Valladolid on Sunday.
Despite dominating the game and having over 20 shots on goal, Valladolid stood firm and handed Carlo Ancelotti’s side their first draw of the season. They remain at the helm with 31 points, but all three teams below the league leaders took all three points in their games over the weekend to maintain the pace.
Barcelona took full advantage of the leaders’ slip and cruised to a blockbuster 4-2 away win at Celta Vigo, inspired by a Robert Lewandowski hat-trick. Barca finished the game with 10 men after Frenkie de Jong was shown a second yellow in stoppage time, but it was already over for Celta, who saw their four-match unbeaten streak halted.
Related: Serie A weekend wrap – Inter Milan, Roma lead standings
Villarreal round off the top three with 26 points after an impressive 2-0 victory on the road against Espanyol.
Their third win on the bounce reinforces their stay at the top, as they continue their best start to a league season in a decade. The defeat was a second successive one for Espanyo,l and they dropped into sixth place on the log. They will be desperate to return to winning ways when they host Sevilla after the international break.
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Earlier, Antoine Griezmann was on hand to score twice to help steer Atletico Madrid to a 3-1 home win against Levante on Saturday afternoon. With their fourth consecutive win, Atletico seem to have found their form and occupy fourth place with 25 points.
Athletic Bilbao, Mallorca and Sevilla all bounced back from defeats to secure identical 1-0 victories in their home matches over the weekend.
Related: Bundesliga weekend wrap: Leaders Bayern win streak halted
Betting lessons & trends
Favourites pick up the pace
The usual La Liga title contenders have shaken off unconvincing starts and are each on admirable winning streaks. Aside from Madrid’s stalemate, the other top teams all registered convincing wins. This gives them a significant edge to bet on when they are in action.
No upsets
There were no surprise winners over the course of the weekend in La Liga, which repeats the trend set in Matchday 11. The home teams winning or settling for a draw has been a constant plus for gamers.
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