Raphinha brace sends Barcelona seven clear as Atletico keep pace; Mallorca climb, Girona stun Real Sociedad
FC Barcelona opened up a seven-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga with a 2-0 win against Osasuna on Saturday night, a result powered by a late Raphinha burst and framed by slips and surges elsewhere in the league. Atletico Madrid stayed in the title conversation with a gritty home win over Valencia, Mallorca eased relegation fears at Elche’s expense, and Viktor Tsygankov’s dramatic double lifted Girona out of the bottom three with a comeback at Real Sociedad.
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At the Olympic Stadium, Barcelona labored for nearly 70 minutes against an organized Osasuna side before Brazil winger Raphinha broke the game open. He took a crisp pass from Pedri and, with a defender backing off, arrowed a low strike past Sergio Herrera from outside the area in the 69th minute. Five minutes from time he sealed it, arriving on cue at a tight angle to steer home the second and assure the points.
The victory extends Barcelona’s cushion and heaps pressure on Real Madrid and their under-fire coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Sunday’s trip to Deportivo Alaves. For Barcelona, the performance will please as much as the scoreline: patient, controlled, and decisive when space finally appeared. Pedri’s line-breaking vision repeatedly probed Osasuna’s block, while Raphinha’s direct running and sharp finishing provided the cutting edge when it mattered.
Behind Barcelona, Atletico Madrid kept pace and complicated Valencia’s plight with a 2-1 win at a charged Metropolitano. Koke put Atletico in front in the 16th minute, guiding a low right-footed shot into the corner to reward early territorial dominance. Valencia, battling at the wrong end of the table, hung on and then hit back just after the hour when Lucas Beltran slalomed through midfield traffic and lashed in an excellent equalizer.
But this Atletico side still finds match-winners from familiar sources. With just over 15 minutes left, Antoine Griezmann controlled a long ball dropping over his shoulder and leathered a left-footed shot beyond the keeper, a reminder of the Frenchman’s technique in tight spaces and his knack for timing runs into the box. The result keeps Atletico very much in the title race and underscores Valencia’s need for points as winter bites.
Mallorca, meanwhile, took a step away from danger with a 3-1 home win over Elche built on opportunism and late composure. Manu Morlanes set the tone after five minutes with a deft finish to make it 1-0, but the hosts were pegged back before halftime when Pablo Maffeo, under pressure in the six-yard area, inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net.
As a tense second half drifted toward a draw, Elche goalkeeper Inaki Pena offered Mallorca an opening with a costly error playing out from the back. Omar Mascarell pounced to put the hosts 2-1 up with fewer than 10 minutes to play. Mascarell then turned provider in the 88th minute, swinging over a precise cross that Vedat Muriqi met with a firm header to seal the win and punctuate a pivotal night in the relegation fight.
Friday brought its own drama in San Sebastian, where Girona nicked a vital 2-1 win at Real Sociedad. Goncalo Guedes had put the home side ahead and, for a while, La Real controlled the tempo. But Girona found one of those chaotic late spells that can change a season. Viktor Tsygankov equalized inside the final quarter-hour, then, with four minutes left, produced a smart backheel finish that wrong-footed the defense to complete the turnaround.
The result snapped Real Sociedad’s run in the wrong direction—by deepening it. It was their third straight defeat, and the hesitancy after conceding the first goal to Tsygankov will concern the home support. For Girona, the three points were as precious as they were unexpected, lifting them out of the bottom three—at least temporarily—and giving shape to a survival push defined by resilience rather than possession.
The table-stakes dynamics are clear. Barcelona’s seven-point cushion sets the pace and forces Real Madrid into a response at Alaves. Atletico look capable of grinding their way into spring with a puncher’s chance, buoyed by a refreshed Griezmann and Koke’s leadership. Below, margins are paper-thin: Mallorca’s ability to capitalize on mistakes could yet be the difference, while Girona’s late-game verve offers a lifeline. For Valencia and Real Sociedad, the road back runs through confidence as much as tactics.
Key results and scorers
- Barcelona 2, Osasuna 0 — Raphinha (69, 85)
- Atletico Madrid 2, Valencia 1 — Koke (16), Antoine Griezmann (75+), Lucas Beltran (Valencia, 61)
- Mallorca 3, Elche 1 — Manu Morlanes (5), Pablo Maffeo (own goal, 45-), Omar Mascarell (81), Vedat Muriqi (88)
- Real Sociedad 1, Girona 2 — Goncalo Guedes (La Real), Viktor Tsygankov (76, 86)
Up next: Real Madrid visit Deportivo Alaves on Sunday with the gap to Barcelona at seven and scrutiny on Xabi Alonso’s choices. Across the league, momentum is fragile—and the smallest swing is starting to look decisive.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
