Madrid (Spain), Oct 20 (IANS) La Liga returned to action this weekend, with both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona having to work very hard for their wins just a week before they meet next weekend. Real Madrid are currently leading the standings with 24 points from nine matches, with eight wins and one defeat. Barcelona are second with 22 points from seven wins, one draw and one loss. Villareal are third with five wins, two draws and two defeats in nine matches.

Here are some things we learned this weekend in Spain:

1. Mbappe key again as Getafe commits football suicide

Kylian Mbappe again scored the only goal of the game as Real Madrid claimed a 1-0 win away to a well-organised Getafe side that made it difficult for Xabi Alonso’s side to create clear chances.

Mbappe’s job was made much easier when Getafe substitute Alex Nyom was sent off just three minutes before the goal for a wild challenge just moments after he had been brought on to toughen up the defense, reports Xinhua.

Four minutes after the goal, Alex Sancris left Getafe with nine men for a violent and completely unnecessary action on Vinicius Junior. If it’s hard to beat Real Madrid with 11 men, with nine, it is completely impossible.

2. Barcelona defense gives Real reasons for optimism

Although Ronaldo Araujo scored an injury-time goal to give FC Barcelona three points at home to Girona on Saturday with a 2-1 win, the result could easily have gone the other way. Girona went in 1-1 at halftime, but with better finishing could have easily been 3-1 or 4-1 ahead after missing several chances.

The Barcelona defense looked vulnerable on the break, as it did in the 4-1 loss to Sevilla a fortnight ago, and next week, Real Madrid have Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo to run at it.

A lot has been talked about Barcelona’s injuries in attack, but its defense looks to be the weak point.

3. Carrion has a difficult job ahead of him

Oviedo’s decision to sack Veljko Paunovic – the man who guided the club to promotion to La Liga last season – after just eight weeks was one of the big surprises during the international break, and the decision to name Luis Carrion as his replacement was another.

Carrion took Oviedo close to promotion two years ago, but then left the club to join Las Palmas (where he was sacked after nine winless games), and some fans are unhappy at his return.

Carrion’s first game back in charge was at home to Espanyol – the sort of game Oviedo needs to win to have a chance of staying up, but it ended in a 2-0 defeat, implying he isn’t going to have things any easier than his predecessor.

4. Players show solidarity against La Liga’s Miami plans

Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde said on Saturday that the players are the most important asset in La Liga and so when a group that is not known for protesting does protest, then they should be listened to.

Players in every game in La Liga this weekend stood still for the first 15 seconds of every game in a symbolic protest against the La Liga plan to take the December 20th game between Villarreal and Barcelona to Miami.

The players’ union said it hadn’t asked Barcelona and Villarreal players to follow the protest to not cause them trouble, but in the end, they did. “We were not part of the protest, but we felt that we needed to follow along out of respect for our fellow professionals,” said Barcelona midfielder Pedri, with words La Liga should take very seriously.

–IANS

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