A compilation of some of the most interesting La Liga stories of the week, we go through the good, the bad and the good.
The good: There is life at Real Sociedad at the moment
It was hard not to avoid being dragged into the Reale Arena, that was the gravity of Real Sociedad’s victory over Barcelona. No one, including manager Pellegrini Matarazzo, is under any illusion that the result was heavily influenced by the completion of the Catalan shoddy and high-flying Alex Remiro. There is an equal certainty that if this match had taken place in 2025, Real Sociedad would have lost.
Since Matarazzo arrived, he has won three times and drawn, in the second against Atletico Madrid. The other two wins were on penalties against Osasuna, 2-0 down with a late equalizer, and a stoppage-time win over Getafe, with an equalizer – also in stoppage time. There’s an argument to be made that La Real simply converted another chance or two and rode the luck they didn’t have under Sergio Francisco.
That ignores the new found belief and edge with which La Real play. Barcelona had just finished celebrating when La Real responded with a goal of their own – a punch that drew Hansi Flick’s side back. The last 15 minutes were the period of the game where they suffered the most, with Jon Martin throwing himself into the blocks like he had a bonus for them all. La Real couldn’t match Barcelona in quality, they couldn’t fight.
Under Matarazzo, La Real has scored seven goals in four games, which is not a big difference from before, but in the last four games, Real Sociedad scored three times in the last five minutes of the games, played two draws and won by one point. La Real wins by a margin. This renewed brand has charisma. After their victory over Getafe, Matarazzo was asked if their stoppage time win was due to luck, desire to win or belief in them. “The desire to win – luck, we work for you, we get it.” And they do.
The bad: Annoying Ernesto Valverde
Athletic Club returned to the Champions League for the first time in ten years this year, but they are not exactly enjoying themselves. A bullish, aggressive team, backed by a strong media and an unheralded top line that tested every team it faced last season. Their 3-2 loss to RCD Mallorca was the epitome of everything that went wrong.
Enfado morrocotudo de Valverde: “Me toca los cojones que no podamos ir ganando este partido”.
[📹 @DAZN_ES] pic.twitter.com/i14ORZKQXe– Athletic Xtra (@AthleticXtra) January 17, 2026
“It makes me angry that we don’t win this game for the love of God.” That’s the politically correct interpretation of Ernesto Valverde, who was caught just before half-time saying “It’s up to the bollocks that we’re not winning this game, I stand*** with God.” His team was at 2-2, and after five minutes, they scored again in three minutes, before they dominated in the first half. Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman made a late save to keep Athletic’s attack at bay, before the first two penalties were converted.
Nico Williams’ stunning strike leveled things before another second-half handball penalty allowed Muriqi to level the winner. These days the defense needs insurance just to clear the cross. Mallorca moved with its easy press – whenever it really needed to. For opposition teams the rule of thumb is to give Athletic a chance to make a mistake. The other sides are Mallorca who scored three points against Elche and Sevilla, which is a sad indication of where Athletic are at the moment.
After the second penalty, Gorka Guruzeta, Unai Gomez and Inigo Lekue were all sent off for dissent. “We feel wronged,” Williams said after the game, which is understandable – but most of the damage was done by them.
Good: Good things happen to good Gaya
The price of gold continues to rise, and the price of loyalty is rising at an even faster rate. That’s why you will find few people in Spain who would hate Jose Gaya for the joy he can get in a Valencia shirt. For those who don’t know, Gaya was once the best full-back in Spain, and Barcelona were willing to replace him with Jordi Alba. There were plenty of other big clubs willing to pay him more than the best.
¡CAPITÁN gold! 🦇🧡
Gold @jose_gaya! ⚽#GetafeValencia | #LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/B4NWir8Lo7
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf) January 20, 2026
As a tense, tense battle between Valencia and Getafe drew to a close, Gaya turned inside, found Luis Rioja, and began a run that Alba would be proud of. Perhaps he was surprised when Filip Ugrinic opened the Getafe stadium with the first pass, and Gaya, Valencia, who had lost hope, stood up and said ‘trust me, I will be there no matter how small things become.’ That he had the courage to end it with David Soria? That’s just class and style.
