The Spanish La Liga has been known as a two-horse race for most of the previous seasons. With Barcelona and Real Madrid often being the main and only contenders for the crown. Not a lot has changed for the 2022/23 La Liga season, with Barca close to securing another title and Real finishing a close second.
Nevertheless, we can’t disregard the efforts of other Spanish sides, which did their best to challenge the dynamic duo of Spanish football. Basically, they did as much as they could and, in some cases, performed better than expected. Here are the best La Liga teams and their current performance for the season.
Barcelona
Barcelona is very close to capturing their 27th Spanish championship title. Their Champions League and Europa League performances may have been disappointing. But as far as La Liga goes, they have been one of the most dominant sides.
What’s changed for Blaugrana is that they are not beating down their opponents by destroying offence. They are stifling other teams with staggering defence. Barca’s defence has conceded only 9 goals so far, making them the best defensive team in all of Europe.
Real Madrid
As things look now, Los Blancos are not going to be able to defend their La Liga crown. They might host the best offence in the league and have scored the most goals. But it is not enough to challenge for the first spot.
Nevertheless, Real is set to face Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final and are in the semis of the Champions League. Basically, if Real manages to win a back-to-back UCL title, it will save their season.
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone’s side had an embarrassing exit from the Champions League. They finished fourth in Group B, which ended their European campaign for this season. But it allowed them to focus more on the domestic matchups, which greatly improved their form.
Before losing to Barcelona, Los Colchoneros were on a 13-game unbeaten run. They are now looking great, with Antoine Griezmann as a revised player with 20 goal contributions this season. They are more than likely to finish third and secure a Champions League spot for next season.
Real Sociedad
Sociedad has been quietly having one of their best seasons as of late. They are currently ranked fourth in La Liga and have a chance to secure a Champions League spot in years.
Unfortunately, they finished their Europa League campaign in the Round of 16 at the hands of Roma. Nevertheless, all things point to Erreala improving on their sixth place from last year.
Real Betis & Villarreal
Betis and Villarreal are currently battling for the fifth spot in La Liga. Two points separate them at this moment, and literally anything can happen till the end of the season.
Real Betis has had a much better first part of the season. They ranked among the best Spanish sides for the majority of the season. Man Utd eliminated them in the Round of 16 of the Europa League. But it was a successful Europe outing for them nonetheless.
Villarreal started playing their best football in the latter part of the season. They got to the Round of 16 of the Conference League, but could not get past Anderlecht. The Yellow Submarine had their best showcasing after beating Real Madrid by 3:2. If they continue in the same manner, they should be on their way to European football for next season as well.
