LaLiga Matchday 7 saw Atlético Madrid destroy Real Madrid 5-2 in the Madrid Derby, Barcelona jump to the top of the table, and Elche stay undefeated with a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo. Let’s review these LaLiga Matchday 7 fixtures and rank teams ahead of Matchday 8.
20. Girona
Girona managed to scrap out a 1-1 draw with Espanyol on Matchday 7 thanks to a five-save performance from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. The Argentine was the Blanquivermells man of the match, but the entire defense did their part, holding Espanyol to just 1.08 xG from 20 shots.
Offensively, though, Girona really struggled to convert solid opportunities. Of their seven shots in the box, they only managed to get one on target. They missed their only big chance of the game. Results like this draw are why I think Girona are probably going down this season.
19. Mallorca
Mallorca have almost the exact same xG numbers as Girona this season, but they managed to score this weekend in a 1-0 win over Alavés. A well-timed run from veteran striker Vedat Muriqi allowed winger Takuma Asano to link up with Marc Domenech to score Los Piratas lone goal. I really liked this goal because it reminds me of what Mallorca can be at their best. Unfortunately, though, their defense remains a major problem, and Muriqi isn’t as reliable as he used to be.
On the bright side for Mallorca fans, they’ve had a tough schedule so far. The next three matches against Athletic Club, Sevilla, and Levante will be a real litmus test for the club’s chances of staying up this season.
18. Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo picked up their second win of the season on Matchday 7 with a shock 2-1 victory away at Valencia. The Oviedistas are now in 14th place, but just one point out of the relegation zone. Like Mallorca,
Oviedo’s defense leaves a lot to be desired —they’ve conceded the third-most xG this season (per FotMob) and allowed Valencia to take 12 shots inside their box. If Salomon Rondon starts creating and converting chances like he did this weekend though, anything is possible for Los Azules.
17. Levante
Of the five teams currently level on five points in LaLiga, I think Levante are the most likely to go down. That said, I’ve ranked them above Mallorca and Real Oviedo because I think they’ve been a bit more consistent to start the season. They also have a defined play style that can earn them points against midtable sides.
Against Getafe, Levante played very direct and asked José Bordalás’s side to break them down. They couldn’t. Levante drew 1-1 and earned what could be a valuable point later on in the season.
16. Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo started the 2025-26 LaLiga season with a 2-0 loss to Getafe followed by five consecutive 1-1 draws. They broke that streak on Matchday 7. Unfortunately for Los Celestes, they broke it with another draw — a 2-1 defeat to Elche.
Claudio Giráldez’s team finished seventh last year. They have the talent to be a lot better than they are right now. In this form though, I can’t rank them any higher than 16th.
15. Real Sociedad
Like Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad are a team that will likely be higher in our LaLiga power rankings later in the season. But, on current form, 15th might be generous. La Real suffered a 2-1 defeat by Barcelona, meaning they have lost four of their last five fixtures. One of those losses was a dismal 1-0 loss to Real Oviedo.
Real Sociedad host Rayo Vallecano on Matchday 8. Rayo will come into the match with just two days’ rest, after playing KF Shkendija in the UEFA Conference League. Iñigo Pérez’s side haven’t won at the Reale Arena since Barack Obama was president. If Real Sociedad lose this match, it might be time to ring some alarm bells.
14. Rayo Vallecano
Speaking of Rayo Vallecano, they suffered their most disappointing loss of the season on Matchday 7, a 1-0 defeat at home to Sevilla. Los Franjirrojos conceded just four shots to Matías Almeyda’s team. Rayo failed to convert 18 of their own, including six shots on target and two big chances.
Rayo Vallecano are now in 16th place. The only clubs they’ve managed to beat this season are Girona and Belarusian side Neman Grodno. Iñigo Pérez is a good coach, and Rayo have a history of overperforming, but their issues defending in transition are becoming a real problem that could cause them real trouble going forward. Especially if their Conference League campaign leads to fatigue or injuries.
13. Alavés
After drawing with Atléti and beating Athletic Club in the first few weeks of the season, Alavés have come back down to Earth a little bit. The Babazorros suffered a 1-0 defeat in Mallorca on Saturday, making it three matches in a row without a win. Eduardo Coudet’s side were the definition of midtable last year, and look on track for something similar this year.
12. Osasuna
Osasuna lost 2-0 to Real Betis in a cagey affair on Matchday 7 at the Estadio La Cartuja in Sevilla. The result flattered Betis, but I can’t say it was completely undeserved. Osasuna were outplayed in the first half, and Betis were happy to sit back and collect all three points.
Both of the Betis goals came from poor defending at the back, which has been a problem for Osasuna early this season. Los Rojillos goalie Sergio Herrera has been one of the best in LaLiga so far, but it might be time to get Alejandro Catena some more help in the back line.
11. Sevilla
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Matías Almeyda has quickly turned Sevilla into one of the most formidable sides in LaLiga. They are far from perfect, but the Argentine has imprinted his style on Los Nervionenses already, which gives them a chance against anyone.
Sevilla have scored in all seven of their LaLiga games this season, including their 1-0 win at Vallecas this weekend. However, the reason I’m so high on Rojiblancos this season is because they play with that typical Almeyda bite. They lead the league in tackles and yellow cards.
10. Valencia
Valencia started the season with three straight wins at home. Oviedo snapped that streak on Matchday 7, beating Los Blanquinegros 2-1 at the Mestalla. It’s really hard to explain this loss. Salomon Rondon put on a clinic, and Luka Ilic benefited from a lucky bounce.
With all this being said, Valencia did show a lack of composure down the stretch, which has now come to bite them in back-to-back weeks. They conceded a 96th-minute goal to Espanyol on Matchday 6.
9. Espanyol
If not for Elche, Espanyol would be the surprise of the season so far. Los Periquitos are in seventh place after seven matches. The only team to beat the Catalan club this season are Real Madrid. They could only manage a 0-0 draw with Girona this week, but I was impressed by Pere Milla and the fact that Espanyol got off 20 shots in that match. If they could be more clinical, they might challenge for Europe this season.
8. Getafe
Getafe are another team that have overperformed so far this season. Los Azulones are eighth in the table and undefeated at home. To be honest, they probably should be lower in our power rankings after drawing 1-1 with Alaves on Matchday 7 and 1-1 with Levante last weekend. I have more faith in José Bordalás and Getafe’s history than other clubs, though.
The numbers back up Getafe’s strong start more than other teams, too. The club have allowed the fourth-fewest expected goals against and the fourth-fewest touches in their penalty area.
7. Athletic Club
Athletic Club suffered a 1-0 defeat to Villarreal on Saturday, continuing their poor start to the 2025-26 season. The Lions have lost four of their last five matches and are in tenth place in the LaLiga table.
As bad as they’ve been, Athletic are still a very talented team. I can also strongly argue that they have been unlucky. They have the lowest expected goals allowed in the league and are underperforming their xG by almost four goals. Once Nico Williams comes back, I’ll reassess. For now, though, I’m not worried about Athletic Club.
6. Elche
We’re seven weeks into the 2025-26 LaLiga season, and Elche are still undefeated. Los Franjiverdes are fourth in the table, with three wins and four draws. They picked up their third win last weekend, beating Celta Vigo 2-1 at home. To say that Elche dominated would be an understatement. The Valencian club created nearly four xG and smothered Celta as the match went on — Los Celestes had just one shot in the second half.
Elche will lose eventually, maybe even next week to Alavés. For now, though, the Los Ilicitanos should enjoy the ride while it lasts.
5. Real Betis
Real Betis benefited from two instances of poor defending to beat Osasuna 2-0 on Matchday 7. That result also saw Los Verdiblancos extend their unbeaten streak to four matches in all competitions. The most impressive thing about Betis during this season so far is how professional they’ve been.
Manuel Pellegrini’s team do what they do to get a result. Sometimes that means Valentin Gomez making last-ditch clearances. Other times, it’s Cucho Hernández scoring from outside the box. Whatever the case, Betis have been impressive so far.
4. Villarreal
Villarreal finished in the top five convincingly last season, and look on track to do the same this year. The Yellow Submarine beat Athletic Club 1-0 last weekend, keeping their record as the best defense in LaLiga.
They’ve conceded just five goals this season, while performing offensively just like they did last year. Nicolas Pépé has created the second-most chances in the league, and the club overall has scored the fourth-most goals.
3. Atlético Madrid
On Matchday 7, Atlético Madrid scored five goals against Real Madrid for the first time in 75 years. It’s hard to overstate just how impressive Los Colchoneros were against their City rivals. Julián Alvarez scored two goals just three days after scoring a hat-trick against Rayo Vallecano.
The only reason Atléti aren’t higher than Madrid after this dominant performance is because of their form earlier this season. It’s strange to say, but I want to see Atléti win against Elche and Espanyol before I put them above Real Madrid.
2. Real Madrid
Everything I said about Atlético Madrid, you can just apply the opposite to Real Madrid. Los Blancos were in the game for the first 35 minutes, then fell apart. They had just six shots in the game. Their two goals were their only two shots on target. Madrid created only 0.13 xG from three shots combined in the second half. That’s dreadful for a team as talented as Real Madrid.
If they weren’t perfect in their first six matches, they would be a lot lower in our LaLiga Matchday 7 power rankings.
1. Barcelona
Barcelona delivered another high-quality performance on Matchday 7. The Blaugrana took care of business in a 2-1 win over a struggling Real Sociedad side, with goals from Jules Koundé and Robert Lewandowski.
There’s not much more to say about this result besides that it saw the club jump into first place. Based on how things are going, I would expect them to stay on top for at least a few more weeks.
