A compilation of some of the most interesting La Liga stories of the week, we go through the good, the bad and the good.
Positive: Ring the bells, this is not a drill – a victory for Real Oviedo!
Ring the bells, set off the fireworks, this is not a drill; Real Oviedo won again. Any Oviedo fan is willing to admit that there was a good reason why their victory did not go hand in hand, and indeed goalscorer Ilyas Chaira was quick to point out that Girona played better than them in his post-match interview. However when Santi Cazorla smiles, it is impossible to complain about anything on this side.
You don’t play finals, you win them. And with manager Guillermo Almada declaring this matchday 22 home game as Oviedo’s ‘World Cup final’, they rose to the occasion. “Playing well, average or bad, we should have won,” said Almada after the fact. Cazorla, 40, started the move that four passes later led to Chaira’s first win in four months, and 14 matchdays.
🎯 Un 𝑔𝑜𝑙 que significa…
✅ 𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐑
🫡 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐑
🫵🏻 🍈#LALIGAHighlights#RealOviedo 🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/tbdWu1EIap– Real Oviedo (@RealOviedo) February 4, 2026
Levante’s surprising resurgence and the cauldron of a relegation battle, which drags a new team into its molten welcome every week, means that Oviedo’s progress is not represented in the Liga table. Los Carbayones remain bottom, seven points from safety. Almada’s side have lost just twice since the Uruguayan took over, once to Barcelona, and once in stoppage time to Osasuna. Apart from those games, they have conceded only twice in four games, playing in draws against Celta Vigo, Alaves and Real Betis.
It’s almost too late, and Almada hasn’t received the gift every side in La Liga’s bottom yearns for: a clinical goalscorer. But it keeps the door of hope open for a while. And if they can get back into contention, they are in half of the league.
The bad: Atletico Madrid flatline, not for the first time
After a defeat to Bodo/Glimt that shook the faith of even the most ardent Cholistas, Atletico Madrid responded with a brilliant performance… drawing 0-0 with Levante. As already mentioned, this side of Granota seems to be made of hard stuff, but it didn’t have to be deep to draw. Levante eliminated Atletico (9-8), and what opportunities Los Colchoneros collected were in sets. Any bullying Levante had to do, and the save of the game came from Jan Oblak.
“I’m not stupid, or at least I don’t think I am,” remarked Diego Simeone when asked about his removal of Pablo Barrios against Glimt in favor of Robin Le Normand, a change that brought rare boos from the ferociously loyal Metropolitano crowd. That’s why Atletico’s game against Levante must have made the two-hour journey back from Valencia feel so long – Simeone’s side looked out of breath.
El Cholo may have valid complaints about the resources at their disposal, but they don’t hold up against Bodo/Glimt or Levante – the pace and excitement that Ademola Lookman could bring to Atletico is just in time. If his side can’t provide results that will get the critics off his back, then the fans need a good route to stick to. The last good performance came against Inter in November. Atletico face Real Betis in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday, and not since they won at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid in 2013, making a statement in Seville has never seemed more important.
🇳🇬✨ Ademola Lookman: “Thursday’s game against Real Betis? I’ll be ready.” pic.twitter.com/fy8ugQ5Nga
– Atlético Universe (@atletiuniverse) February 3, 2026
Good: Nico Williams, just for fun
The cold mists of the Basque winter can often be staved off by the comfort of a roaring fire, and San Mames is arguably Bilbao’s largest. However, their dream of returning to the Champions League officially ended last Wednesday, leaving the burning coals of Ernesto Valverde’s side fighting a losing battle. Athletic, hampered by injuries to star players, starting with Nico Williams, and lacking their usual enthusiasm, seem lost in a bad situation. This week President Jon Uriarte announced that his club’s main objective for the rest of the season was survival, something that has not been suggested since before Valverde’s start.
It is in times like that that heroes, leadership and threads are needed to save the team’s morale. Athletic Club were sinking to defeat in the Basque derby at San Mames for the first time in six years, and deservedly so. The younger Williams, with more injury concerns, the older, off the bench, is still off his game. Los Leones threw everything they had at La Real, but down to ten men, Txuri-Urdin exuded confidence in their ability to overcome Athletic’s attack, evidenced by Jon Aramburu’s impressive performance at right back.
🎩 Marvel, Galaxy 🪄
🤤 Ruiz de Galarreta! #AthleticRealSociedad #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/qxRvesw4TB
– Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) February 3, 2026
As a result, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta deserves a lot of credit for stepping up in the 88th minute. Replacing Nico Williams, the 32-year-old passed Wesley first, then the noisy Aramburu. Surfing inside Carlos Soler, his finish was perfect. A ball-playing midfielder, Ruiz de Galarreta relies on his passing and game-reading to make things happen in the middle of the pitch, a position he rarely leaves. But at that time, he realized that his team needed Nico Williams from last season, and he dared to be him, just for one game.
