Barcelona said goodbye to the competitive year 2025 and goes on Christmas break as the solid leader of LaLiga, with a four-point advantage over Real Madrid after beating Villarreal 0-2 at La Ceramica in a match initially scheduled to be played in Miami and which was again resolved in favor of the fourth Barcelona team, which is already the winter champion by finishing 2025 at the top of the table.

Barcelona had gone eighteen years without losing at Villarreal's ground. They added another notch to their tally with goals from Raphinha, a penalty awarded by Santi Comesana on the Brazilian player himself (12th minute), and Lamine Yamal (63rd minute), who finished in true futsal style, stepping on the ball and scoring with a toe-poke. Villarreal, comfortably positioned among the top four throughout the season, came into the match with the backing of six consecutive LaLiga victories, but with the bitter taste of their Champions League elimination and the blow of their Copa del Rey defeat against Racing Santander. They succumbed once again despite enjoying numerous clear chances, even after being reduced to ten men following the 38th-minute dismissal of Portuguese player Renato Veiga for a harsh tackle on Lamine Yamal. Their lack of accuracy and the performance of goalkeeper Joan Garcia paved the way for Hansi Flick's team, who didn't need their best. This result allows Atletico de Madrid to overtake Villarreal and move into third place, nine points behind Barcelona and five behind Real Madrid, although they have played two more games than Villarreal. Diego Pablo Simeone's team goes into the break with a smile after rediscovering the taste of victory away from home by beating Girona 3-0. This time they had the finishing touch that they lacked on other occasions and benefited from a great performance by Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who made one of the saves of the season from a shot by his former teammate Axel Witsel that looked set to equalize the great goal with which Koke Resurreccion opened the match (13th minute). Englishman Conor Gallagher, who had replaced Nico Gonzalez,Argentine international winger Aitor Ruibal, who had to leave the field in the 27th minute with a hamstring strain,extended the Rojiblancos' lead with a shot from the edge of the area that deflected off Brazilian Vitor Reis (38th minute), and Frenchman Antoine Griezmann added the finishing touch in stoppage time (92nd minute). Betis consolidated their European qualification spot by returning to winning ways after two matches without a victory. They secured a resounding 5-0 win against a toothless Getafe side that barely troubled Manuel Pellegrini's team, handing them their third consecutive defeat. A brace from Aitor Ruibal (16th and 49th minutes) paved the way for the Seville side's victory at La Cartuja. First, he capitalized on a pinpoint cross from Antony, and then he pounced on the rebound after the Brazilian's shot hit the post. This second goal definitively sank Getafe. With momentum, Betis finished the job quickly and decisively. Pablo Fornals (52nd minute) and the Colombian 'Cucho' Hernandez finished off Jose Bordalas's side, who were completely outmatched. To make matters worse, Borja Mayoral missed a penalty in the 88th minute. Elche continues to prove its strength at home in the Martinez Valero stadium, winning its second consecutive match, this time with a resounding victory against a lackluster and ineffective Rayo Vallecano (4-0). After extending their winless streak to six games, Rayo Vallecano finds itself in a precarious position, just three points clear of Girona, who occupy the relegation zone. Hector Fort set Eder Sarabia's side on the path to victory after six minutes with a beautiful goal following a brilliant individual effort – he injured his shoulder as he went to celebrate – and although Inigo Perez's men tried to respond, they lacked the necessary precision in the opposition's penalty area. Elche capitalized on this in the second half, in which they were clearly superior, increasing their lead through Uruguayan Alvaro Rodriguez (67th minute) and German Valera (70th minute). and the Portuguese Martim Neto (91st minute) to repeat the 4-0 scoreline from Rayo's previous visit to the Elche stadium.

*With information from EFE.