The 2025/26 La Liga season is starting to heat up after Matchday 7, with plenty of twists and turns across the table.
Atletico Madrid have bounced back in style after a sluggish start to the 2025/26 La Liga season. Meanwhile, Barcelona are back on top under Hansi Flick, while Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid have suffered their first major setback.
Newly promoted Elche continue to defy expectations with an unbeaten run, and Real Oviedo are making headlines with a dramatic comeback win. With surprises at both ends of the table, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the five biggest talking points from the seventh round of the season.
Julian Alvarez helps Atletico Madrid back on track in La Liga
After a slow and sluggish start to the 2025/26 La Liga season, Atletico Madrid seem to be finally getting back to their best. They were in the bottom half of the points table with just one win in their first five league outings. However, Diego Simeone’s team have climbed back up to fifth place with consecutive wins over Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid.
The win over Vallecano set them up for a blockbuster derby, where they completely dominated the best team in the division until the weekend 5-2. While a lot of credit will go to Simeone for turning things around, on the pitch, it is the in-demand Julian Alvarez, who has been making the big difference.
The Argentine international bagged a hat-trick to help his team secure all three points against Vallecano and backed it up with a brace against Real Madrid. He was frustrated after being subbed off against RCD Mallorca just over a week back, and the World Cup winner has responded with sensational performances on the pitch.
Simeone’s team have now made it three wins in a row, having defeated Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last night. They are certainly back playing the dominating brand of football they are known for.
Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid falter in first big test
Real Madrid’s perfect start to the season ended when they suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid on the weekend. While they have returned to winning ways in the UEFA Champions LEague, the defeat to rivals in the derby has certainly raised a lot of question marks.
So far, the team in white have defeated Osasuna, Real Oviedo, RCD Mallorca, Real Sociedad, Levante, and Espanyol. The fact that only Espanyol are in the top half of the table suggests Xabi Alonso’s men have not really been tested.
Their first real test was the game against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. The Colchoneros were not in the best of form heading into this fixture, making Real Madrid firm favourites given the kind of start they have had.
Unfortunately, the game did not go to plan as they struggled to defend set-pieces, with Simeone exploiting nearly every weakness Alonso’s team has shown. While they dominated possession, Los Blancos lacked creativity in the final third and were not up to the mark at the back, issues that must improve if they are to win the big games.
Barcelona return to the top of La Liga
Defending champions, Barcelona, have finally claimed top spot after Real Madrid dropped points in the derby. Hansi Flick’s team played out a draw against Rayo Vallecano before the September international break, which is why they were playing catch-up to Xabi Alonso’s team.
With the Blaugrana maintaining a winning streak post the break, they have finally overtaken Rea Madrid. Flick’s charges have been very impressive in recent weeks, both in the attacking and defensive thirds.
The Blaugrana dominated the proceedings against Real Sociedad in their 2-1 win. While they should have added a few more goals, it was still a very good performance from them. The biggest positive was Lamine Yamal’s return from injury, with the young Spaniard setting up their winning goal on the night.
Elche’s dream run in the top flight
With every passing week, newly promoted Elche are drawing more and more attention. Eder Sarabia’s men are fourth in La Liga with 13 points in their seven outings, and they have maintained an unbeaten run so far.
While pushing for a European spot could be a bit too much to ask for, Elche can certainly fight for a top-half finish given the kind of start they have had. They secured a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo in Matchday 7. They dominated the ball, created a lot of chances and were deserved winners.
The fact that Barcelona and Elche are the only two teams who are yet to lose a game suggests how well the newly promoted outfit are doing. They will be hoping to maintain this record for as long as possible. While there are still a lot of games to go, early signs suggest Elche could script quite a few upsets this season.
Real Oviedo script an incredible comeback win
For a team playing in the Spanish top flight for the first time since 2001, securing two wins in seven outings could still be considered a decent start as they are far away from the drop zone.
Their second win came last time out against Valencia, as they came back from behind to secure all three points. The opposition dominated the ball and created more chances. They scored very early in the first half and were 1-0 up heading into the final five minutes of regulation time.
But Real Oviedo scored twice within a minute to turn things on its head. Their forwards delivered when it truly mattered, and they came out with the desired result.