LaLiga Matchday 20 Roundup

Last Updated on January 20, 2026 4:24 pm by Erwin Noguera

Matchday 20 of LaLiga took place this weekend and tightened the standings after Barcelona suffered a defeat and Real Madrid picked up a win.

In a controversial match, Barcelona lost away to Real Sociedad, while Real Madrid defeated Levante 2–0, closing the gap to just one point behind the leaders.

Atlético Madrid, meanwhile, beat Alavés 1–0 and also closed the gap, something Villarreal were unable to do as they fell 2–0 to Real Betis.

At the bottom of the table, Valencia earned a hugely important 0–1 away victory over Getafe, allowing them to climb out of the relegation zone.

At Gambyl Exchange, you can explore all the predictions for the LaLiga EA Sports, the final bets for this matchday, and the odds for each match.

LaLiga Matchday 20 Games

LaLiga Matchday 20: Real Madrid vs. Levante

Real Madrid took care of business after a couple of difficult weeks and defeated Levante 2–0, closing the gap at the top of the table.

After losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona, the departure of Xabi Alonso and the arrival of Álvaro Arbeloa, they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Albacete, which came as a cold shower.

The ‘Merengues’ were dominant and pushed for goals from every angle until they finally broke the deadlock in the 58th minute from the penalty spot. Kylian Mbappé, who had been fouled, stepped up to take it and scored his 19th goal of the season, leading the scoring charts.

A few minutes later, in the 65th minute, Raúl Asencio rose to head in a corner kick to make it 2–0. Madrid continued to press but could not extend their lead. It was enough, and with 48 points, they now sit just one behind leaders Barcelona, while Levante remain 19th with only 14 points.

Result: Real Madrid 2-0 Levante

LaLiga Matchday 20: Real Betis vs. Villarreal

Real Betis secured an important victory in their European ambitions by defeating one of their direct rivals, Villarreal, 2–0.

The first half featured clear chances for both teams, and it was not until the second half that the ‘Verdiblancos’ opened the scoring, when Aitor Ruibal finished from close range in the 57th minute.

In the 76th minute, the ‘Submarino Amarillo’ were reduced to ten men after a straight red card was shown to Santi Comesaña. A few minutes later, in the 83rd minute, Pablo Fornals sealed the match with a fine curling strike from outside the box.

With this win, Betis remain in sixth place with 32 points, while Villarreal stay third with 41.

Result: Real Betis 2-0 Villarreal

LaLiga Matchday 20: Atlético vs. Alavés

Atlético Madrid found it tougher than expected but eventually managed to defeat Alavés 1–0 and move closer to the top of the table in Spain.

The ‘Colchoneros’ registered 23 shots, six of them on target, but only one found the back of the net. Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth rose to meet the ball and produced a powerful header, almost from the penalty spot, to score the lone goal in the 48th minute.

It was a one-sided match for Diego Simeone’s side, who must improve their finishing after missing many key chances.

Atlético now sit fourth with the same 41 points as third-placed Villarreal, who have a game in hand, and are eight points behind Barcelona. Alavés, meanwhile, dropped into the relegation zone, sitting 18th with 19 points.

Result: Atlético 1-0 Alavés

LaLiga Matchday 20: Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona

In a controversial match with numerous goals ruled out, Real Sociedad pulled off a surprise by defeating the recent Spanish Super Cup champions, Barcelona, 2–1.

Things started in favor of the hosts, as they scored after just 24 seconds, but the goal was disallowed for offside. In the 8th minute, it was Barcelona’s turn, as after a VAR review, Fermín López’s goal was ruled out due to a prior foul.

At the 21st minute, another goal was disallowed for the Catalans due to an offside by Frenkie de Jong, and at the 27th minute, yet another was ruled out for a millimetric offside call on Lamine Yamal’s heel.

After four disallowed goals, the last three for the ‘culés’, the opener finally came through a left-footed strike by Mikel Oyarzabal from the edge of the six-yard box following a cross from Gonçalo Guedes.

In the final play of the first half, VAR overturned a penalty for Barcelona due to another offside call, and it was not until the 70th minute that the visitors found the equalizer with a header from Marcus Rashford.

The joy was short-lived, as on the very next play the Basque side regained the lead after a rebound and a fine finish by Guedes.

The closing minutes were tense after Carlos Soler was sent off in the 88th minute, but the score did not change again.

Real Sociedad now moved up to ninth place with 24 points. Barcelona, meanwhile, remains top with 49 points, but now holds just a one-point lead over Real Madrid, ending an 11-match winning streak.

Result: Real Sociedad 2-1 Barcelona