La Liga Daily Report - 2026-11-01: Barcelona thrash Alavés to reclaim La Liga summit

Barcelona beat Deportivo Alavés 6-1 at Camp Nou on Saturday, 31 October, to return to the top of La Liga. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal both scored twice, while Fermín López and substitute Anthony Gordon completed a commanding victory for Hansi Flick’s side. Mariano Díaz scored Alavés’ late consolation. Barcelona led 4-0 at half-time and moved to 30 points from 11 matches, restoring a two-point advantage over Atlético Madrid. The result followed consecutive defeats by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and Real Madrid in the league, making the response particularly important for Flick’s team.

Raphinha’s double took him to 15 league goals, according to MorungExpress, while López contributed one goal and two assists in an influential display. Barcelona’s performance was built on early attacking efficiency, with the hosts scoring after eight minutes and adding three more before the interval. Yamal struck again in the second half, underlining his growing importance to the attack. The emphatic margin eased the pressure created by the recent setbacks and ensured Barcelona retained control of the title race, although Atlético and Real Madrid remain close behind in the standings.

Atlético Madrid beat Levante 2-0 away on Saturday, 31 October, extending their winning run to seven matches. The victory took Diego Simeone’s side to 28 points from 11 league games, leaving them two points behind leaders Barcelona after the Catalans defeated Alavés. Atlético’s result also kept them ahead of Real Madrid, who later won at Racing Santander. South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in started and played 67 minutes, hitting the post with a long-range effort in the second half. The result strengthened Atlético’s position as Barcelona’s closest challenger at the top of the table.

Lee completed 31 of 34 passes and all three of his attempted long passes, according to FotMob figures cited by The Korea Herald, although he was given a 6.4 rating. Atlético’s run has placed Simeone’s team firmly in the title conversation after 11 matches, with defensive control again securing a valuable away victory. Barcelona’s six-goal response meant Atlético did not take first place despite their own success, but the gap remained narrow. Their next fixtures will test whether this winning sequence can sustain pressure on the leaders.

Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0 at El Sardinero on Sunday, 1 November, to record a fourth successive La Liga victory. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring from an 11th-minute penalty, Jude Bellingham doubled the lead and Yan Diomande completed the first-half scoring. The result left José Mourinho’s side third, three points behind Barcelona and one point behind Atlético Madrid. It also extended Madrid’s winning run across all competitions to six matches. Mbappé’s goal was his 12th in the league this season, according to the Egyptian Gazette, keeping him among the division’s leading scorers.

Mourinho said Madrid were “growing” and that the team had been “very strong” in the first half, while also suggesting they could have scored more. Bellingham’s goal was reported to be his 50th for the club in all competitions, achieved in his 154th appearance. Madrid’s first-half authority provided a convincing response after a turbulent week surrounding Mbappé, while the result maintained their pursuit of the leading pair. The gap remains manageable, but Barcelona’s emphatic win means Madrid must continue their winning sequence to stay within immediate reach of the summit.

China’s state broadcaster declined to show La Liga matches on Sunday, 1 November, after Kylian Mbappé’s comment about a meme featuring Mao Zedong. The Real Madrid forward had described the figure in the image as a “Chinese dictator” during an online interview, then apologised on 27 October, calling his remark “ill-judged”. Chinese companies ended or suspended commercial partnerships with Mbappé, while reports also said his Xiaohongshu account was banned. The broadcast blackout created a commercial problem for La Liga, with El Mundo cited as saying the dispute threatened a significant part of the league’s business in China.

La Liga president Javier Tebas met China’s ambassador to Spain on 28 October to help “find solutions” to the controversy, according to reports carried by Yahoo Sports and The Epoch Times. The episode has affected both the league’s international visibility and Real Madrid’s commercial environment, because Mbappé is one of the competition’s most prominent players. Chinese broadcaster CCTV removed the fixtures from its schedule, while digital platform Migu reportedly continued carrying most coverage. The dispute therefore remained unresolved even as Mbappé scored in Madrid’s win at Racing Santander.

Getafe beat Sevilla 3-1 at the Coliseum on 1 November after recovering from a half-time deficit. Enrique Salas headed Sevilla in front in the 19th minute, but Enes Ünal equalised in the 68th before Martín Satriano put the hosts ahead five minutes later. Orel Mangala added Getafe’s third in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The comeback gave Getafe their third league victory of the season and left their record at three wins, three draws and five defeats. Sevilla’s record stood at five wins, two draws and four losses after the defeat.

The result highlighted Getafe’s ability to change the contest after the interval, with all three of their goals arriving in the second half. Ünal’s equaliser restored momentum before Satriano completed the turnaround, and Mangala’s late strike settled the match. For Sevilla, the failure to protect a narrow advantage cost them an opportunity to add to their five league victories. Getafe’s points haul remained more modest than that of the leading clubs, but the win provided a useful boost as the side continued its campaign in the middle and lower reaches of the table.