Andy Mitten takes a look at the 10 Primera Liga games that shaped the 2014/15 season
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Matchday 3
Real Madrid 1 Atletico Madrid 2
Real Madrid had already lost their second game with a 4-2 defeat at Real Sociedad. Another defeat at home to Atletico saw Barcelona open up a six-point lead after three matches. Madrid would claw it back, and even lead La Liga, but while title-winning teams can usually afford one slump in results each season, they can seldom afford two, as did Madrid.
Matchday 6
Atletico Madrid 4 Sevilla 0
A full house at Vicente Calderon saw third-placed Sevilla, the Europa League champions much improved under Unai Emery, visit the reigning Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.
Diego Simeone’s side destroyed Sevilla 4-0 yet rather than fade away, Sevilla improved. They rose as high as second in the table, but were then hammered 5-1 by Barca. Sevilla had a great season, finishing fifth, and can retain the Europa League on Wednesday with victory over Dnipro, but if one team can benefit from the new collective TV deals by holding onto the many talents brought in by sporting director Monchi, it’s them.
Matchday 7
Valencia 3 Atletico Madrid 1
Champions Atletico were reeling as a rejuvenated Valencia were 3-0 up inside 13 minutes, with their new stars Nicolas Otamendi, Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer involved in the goals at a buzzing Mestalla. It was Atletico’s first defeat of the season and when they lost at Real Sociedad a month later, it became clear their indomitable spirit had been dented.
Matchday 9
Real Madrid 3 Barca 1
The result in the first clasico was expected with Madrid's early season swagger and form making them the best team in Spain. The European champions went top with Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Karim Benzema all scoring. The game also marked Luis Suarez's debut for Barcelona. He was, unsurprisingly, rusty, but the Uruguayan striker quickly found form after serving a four-month ban for biting to become one of the league's best players.
Matchday 10
Barca 0 Celta Vigo 1
Barca had started the season with seven wins and a draw, but dropped to a second successive defeat, this time to Celta Vigo, the club Luis Enrique had left to join the Catalans. Barca dropped to fourth as a result and the defeat, with the only goal scored by a former Barca player Nolito, brought the first serious criticism of the Asturian’s reign at Camp Nou. More credit should have gone to the Galicians who were sixth after 10 games and went on to successfully establish themselves back in the top flight.
Matchday 13
Valencia 0 Barca 1
Madrid and Atletico would lose at the Mestalla in 2014/15, and while Barca were given a rough ride, they rode it well and stung their hosts with a 94th-minute winner from a deflected Sergio Busquets shot. Though all the talk was of Madrid at the time, the win showed that Barca had the spirit needed to become champions.
Matchday 17
Real Sociedad 1 Barca 0
The most significant result of Barca’s season – and not because it provided the highlight for David Moyes’s career so far in Spain. It was the only league game Lionel Messi didn’t start and with his team already behind to a second-minute Jordi Alba own goal, the Argentine was summoned at half time for early season wunderkind Munir El Haddadi. Messi could do little as the obdurate Basques defended heroically. Defeat heralded “crisis” headlines in Catalonia and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta lost his job. Early club elections were called and Xavi defused discontent between Enrique and Messi. It would pave the way for a superb run of results.
Matchday 18
Eibar 2 Getafe 1
A seemingly innocuous win which pushed Eibar, the smallest team to play in La Liga, up to eighth, where they sat comfortably for six weeks. They had won seven of their opening 18 games, incredible for a club whose home ground holds just 5,600 and from a town of 27,000. The Basques would win just once more in the next 19 games as they slid alarmingly down the table. By the time they won their final home game against long-doomed Cordoba, it was too late. Eibar went down, despite having the same points as Deportivo La Coruna and Granada.
Matchday 22
Atletico Madrid 4 Real Madrid 0
Having already triumphed in the Bernabeu, won the Spanish Super Cup against their neighbours and also knocked them out of the Copa del Rey, Diego Simeone wore an unstoppable half-time smirk as his Atletico side trounced Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. Real’s players, especially Ronaldo, who celebrated his 30th birthday with a party after the game, were criticised for the defeat. Had Madrid beaten Atletico twice, as Barca did, they would be champions.
Matchday 36
Real Madrid 2 Valencia 2
After their 2-1 clasico defeat at Barca on Matchday 28, Madrid won seven in succession, scoring nine against Granada in one match alone. The Andalusians were wisely saving their best players for a successful relegation fight. Madrid stayed in touch with Barca, but were again unable to defeat Valencia, a result which as good as put Barca out of reach at the summit with two games to play. Gareth Bale and Iker Casillas were jeered by home fans. Both have uncertain futures at the Bernabeu, while Ancelotti was sacked. The Italian did little wrong, and finished only two points off the title and has the support of the players. But no European Cup or league title means failure at Real Madrid. With a 23rd league title in the bag and forthcoming Copa del Rey and Champions League finals, life couldn’t be sweeter for Barcelona.
