LaLiga Standings 25/26 MD17: Barça closes out 2025 as winter champions!

Published New:21/12/2025 - 18:14h

Updated New:21/12/2025 - 18:16h

Barça maintained their 4-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga thanks to their victory against Villarreal (0-2). The Catalans, with 18 games played, are already winter champions

FC Barcelona maintains the lead in LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26 on matchday 18, still with a 4-point lead over Real Madrid. The victory of Hansi Flick's team in Villarreal (0-2) ensured that the Catalans would finish the first half of the tournament as winter champions, although matchday 18 and the bulk of matchday 19 are yet to be played, where so far only the four teams from the Spanish Super Cup have played

A goal from Raphinha, from a penalty, put Barça ahead against Villarreal in a first half where Marcelino García's team finished with ten men after the expulsion of Renato Veiga. In the second half, Lamine Yamal extended the lead in the 63rd minute to seal the match half an hour before the end

This way, Barça reaches 46 points, 4 more than Real Madrid (42) and nine ahead of Atlético (37). Villarreal now drops to fourth place with 35 units, but with two fewer games than the 'colchoneros'. LaLiga will resume action on January 2, 2026, after the year-end break.

LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26 Standings on Matchday 17

Pos.	Club	PJ	PTS	DG
1️⃣	FC Barcelona	18	46	31
2️⃣	Real Madrid	18	42	20
3️⃣	Atlético	18	37	17
4️⃣	Villarreal	16	35	16
5️⃣	Espanyol	16	30	4
6️⃣	Betis	16	25	6

Check the complete standings table at FCBN.

Flick's Barça Ends 2025 as Winter Champions

On Saturday, Real Madrid had put pressure on Barcelona with their victory against Sevilla (2-0) at the Bernabéu. The goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé (penalty) did not hide another forgettable collective performance from the 'merengues', as well as the disastrous refereeing by Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz

The referee missed a clear sending-off for Rodrygo Goes before halftime and, towards the end, 'gifted' two penalties to Madrid, both corrected by VAR. Despite the white team's victory, Barça manages to close 2025 as winter champions with a clear lead, after winning their last 8 league matches consecutively.

The blaugrana team was 5 points behind Real Madrid on matchday 11, but ended the year with a +4 difference after Xabi Alonso's team's slump between November and December. On matchday 17, Atlético thrashed Girona (0-3) to temporarily regain second place.

On Saturday, in addition to Real Madrid's victory, Osasuna did the same, thrashing Alavés in Pamplona (3-0) with a brace from Ante Budimir and another goal from Raúl García. Matchday 17 began with a full slate of draws between Valencia and Mallorca (1-1), Levante and Real Sociedad (1-1), and Oviedo and Celta (0-0)

After Villarreal-Barça, Elche hosts Rayo and Betis closes the Sunday matchday against Getafe. On Monday, Athletic-Espanyol will be played, the last match of the year for LaLiga. The competition will return on January 2nd with matchday 18, the first of 2026.