Barcelona extends lead in La Liga

December 21, 2025 / 11:53 PM

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Barcelona strengthened their position at the top of the Spanish La Liga by defeating a depleted Villarreal side 2-0 on Sunday in the seventeenth round of the season. The victory restored their four-point advantage over rivals Real Madrid.

Brazilian Rafinha converted a penalty in the 12th minute, and Lamine Djamel scored in the 63rd minute to secure the win. The result increased Barcelona's points tally to 46, marking their eighth consecutive league victory. Villarreal suffered their first home defeat of the season, remaining on 35 points and losing third place to Atlético Madrid.

Player reactions

Barcelona captain Frenkie de Jong expressed satisfaction after the win: "We're happy to have finished the year top of the table, which was our objective. Villarreal have fast players who can attack quickly, and we had to deal with that better... but in the end, I think we were the better team. It was a deserved win."

Villarreal captain Dani Parejo voiced disappointment: "We're hurting from the result, our first defeat at home before the holidays. But we're proud of the team's performance and how we prepared for this match."

Atlético Madrid maintains momentum

Atlético Madrid ended 2025 on a high note with a 3-0 victory over Girona, marking their fourth consecutive win in all competitions. Captain Koke opened the scoring in the 13th minute, followed by goals from substitute Conor Gallagher (38th minute) and Antoine Griezmann in stoppage time (90+2).

The win lifted Atlético to third place with 37 points, five behind Real Madrid and nine behind league leaders Barcelona. Girona, meanwhile, dropped to 18th place with 15 points, remaining in the relegation zone.