La Liga Daily Report - 2026-11-03: Barcelona thrash Alavés 6-1 to reclaim LaLiga leadership

Barcelona returned to the top of LaLiga by beating Alavés 6-1 at Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday. Raphinha scored in the eighth minute and added another in the 41st, while Fermín López, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo also scored in a dominant first half and after the interval. The result followed two successive defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, giving Hansi Flick’s side an emphatic response. Barcelona had 77 per cent possession and moved back above Atlético Madrid, who had briefly taken first place after winning at Levante on October 31.

The victory also restored Barcelona’s attacking rhythm before their meeting with Atlético at the Metropolitano. The Catalan side had scored 46 goals and conceded 12 in the league, according to the official table cited in the report, while Atlético had scored 22 and conceded eight. A reshuffled Barcelona defence held Alavés to one goal, allowing the hosts to control the game after establishing a four-goal half-time advantage. The result mattered beyond the margin because it ended a difficult run and put Barcelona back in front before a direct contest between the leading two sides.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas said on Monday that the fallout from Kylian Mbappé’s remarks about a meme involving Mao Zedong was creating problems for the league’s sponsorship business. Chinese broadcasters had not shown Real Madrid’s away match at Racing de Santander on November 1, while reports said Mbappé’s Chinese commercial partners had withdrawn their support. Tebas said he did not know how long China’s boycott would last, but described it as a problem for LaLiga’s sponsors. The controversy began after a resurfaced interview in which Mbappé referred to an image depicting him as a Chinese “dictator”.

The dispute has consequences beyond one player’s endorsement portfolio because China is an important broadcast and commercial market for Spanish football. Global Times reported that LaLiga’s Chinese broadcasting business could be worth up to €400 million through 2030, or approximately €100 million per season. Mbappé, Real Madrid and LaLiga reportedly issued apologies, but a purported announcement claiming that broadcasts had resumed was identified as false. The continued absence of LaLiga coverage therefore remained a commercial concern, with Tebas saying dialogue with Chinese authorities was ongoing and stressing the need to understand China’s history.

Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 3-0 at El Sardinero on Sunday, November 1, extending their winning run in all competitions to six matches. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 11th minute after being brought down by Matteo Prati. Jude Bellingham doubled the advantage ten minutes later, finishing Arda Güler’s through ball, before Yan Diomande struck in the 36th minute with a powerful effort into the top corner. The result gave Madrid another convincing league win away from home.

Racing attempted to respond after the interval, but Thibaut Courtois and an organised Madrid defence protected the clean sheet. Mbappé also hit the post in the second half as the visitors maintained control without needing to extend their lead. The performance underlined Madrid’s current momentum, although Tebas later questioned the decision to award the opening penalty and asked why VAR had not intervened. Madrid’s ability to secure the points despite that debate kept the focus on their six-match winning streak and the influence of their leading attackers.

Javier Tebas said Real Madrid should not have been awarded the penalty that put them 1-0 ahead against Racing Santander on Sunday. The LaLiga president argued that the foul on Mbappé did not merit a spot-kick and questioned why VAR had not intervened when, in his view, the error appeared obvious. Mbappé converted the penalty before Madrid went on to win 3-0. Tebas also said he retained the support of LaLiga’s clubs and rejected the idea that pressure from the Spanish capital could control his decisions.

The same appearance saw Tebas intensify his broader dispute with Real Madrid over the Negreira case and the league’s television operations. According to Tribuna, he accused Madrid of undermining LaLiga while promoting alternative competitions such as the Super League, and claimed the club had changed its position on the refereeing investigation. Tebas also defended Barcelona against what he described as excessive media pressure. His remarks highlighted the increasingly hostile institutional relationship between the league office and one of its most powerful clubs, with refereeing and competition governance remaining central points of conflict.