Madrid, March 16 (IANS) FC Barcelona and Real Madrid both recorded comfortable victories over the weekend, leaving the situation unchanged at the top of La Liga 2025-26 standings.

Real Madrid started the weekend with a 4-1 victory over Elche with Antonio Rudiger (39), Federico Valverde (44), Dean Huijsen (66), and Arda Guler (89). Barcelona FC, on the other hand, defeated Sevilla 5-2 on Sunday.

Here are four things we learned from the latest round of matches in Spain:

1. Barcelona celebrate Laporta’s victory

Barcelona celebrated on and off the pitch on Sunday as the team beat Sevilla 5-2 at Camp Nou while club president Joan Laporta secured re-election.

The victory came in a festive atmosphere at the stadium and continued Barcelona’s strong form on the field. Laporta’s management of the club has faced criticism, with concerns over the club’s large debt, delays to the Camp Nou redevelopment, and struggles in the basketball section, reports Xinhua.

However, performances such as Sunday’s win underline why many supporters continue to back him, with results on the pitch remaining the main measure for most fans.

2. Madrid’s youngsters take their chance

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa rotated heavily in Saturday’s 4-1 home win over Elche, allowing several young players to impress.

Thiago Pitarch kept his place in the starting lineup after an encouraging midweek display, while Gonzalo, Diego Aguado, Manuel Angel, Cesar Palacios, and Daniel Yanez all featured from the bench as Arbeloa rested key players ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Manchester City.

Goals from Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde, and Dean Huijsen put Madrid firmly in control, and although Manuel Angel was unfortunate to score an own goal, the young players delivered solid performances.

The question now is whether their involvement will remain occasional or develop into a longer-term role in the first team.

3. Mallorca’s win sets up relegation showdown

Mallorca came from behind to beat Espanyol 2-1 on Sunday, giving coach Martin Demichelis his first victory since taking charge and lifting the team above Elche and out of the relegation zone.

Mallorca benefited from a controversial moment as VAR failed to detect a clear foul in the buildup to Pablo Torre’s opening goal, but the result still proved crucial.

The win sets up a potentially decisive match next weekend when Mallorca travels to face Elche.

Elche’s defeat to Real Madrid means it has now gone 12 games without a victory, a run that has dragged the early-season surprise into the relegation places. Coach Eder Sarabia remains in charge for now, but the upcoming clash with Mallorca could prove critical.

4. Rincon impresses against parent club

Hugo Rincon produced a standout performance as Girona defeated Athletic Club 3-0 on Saturday.

The right-back, who is on loan at Girona from Athletic after impressing at second-division Mirandes last season, opened the scoring just three minutes into the match with a powerful angled shot.

Rincon followed the goal with a strong defensive display, while Athletic struggled at right-back through Andoni Gorosabal and Jesus Areso. “They told me to save my goals for next season,” Rincon said afterward, but his display suggested he may soon return to Athletic as a regular first-team option.

–IANS

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