La Liga Matchday 3 belonged to Real Madrid, whose 4-0 victory over Malaga provided the clearest statement of the round. Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano was the more spectacular scoreline, but Madrid’s clean-sheet victory carried a different kind of authority: it combined attacking force with defensive control and immediately raised the pressure on the teams expected to challenge for the title.
The eight confirmed results also produced an early division in the table. The leading clubs are already showing an ability to turn superiority into convincing margins, while several other fixtures were decided by narrower margins and more carefully managed performances.
La Liga Matchday 3: Real Madrid combine control and attacking weight
Real Madrid’s 4-0 win over Malaga was the round’s most complete result. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a solo effort, added a second seven minutes later off a deflected clearance from an Herrero own goal, Kylian Mbappé made it 3-0 with a volley on the half-hour mark, and Arda Güler completed the scoring in second-half stoppage time, assisted by Vinícius Júnior. The performance gave Madrid a perfect start through three matchdays.
Barcelona provide the attacking spectacle
Barcelona’s 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano was the weekend’s most explosive result. Rayo’s Sergio Camello scored twice (12′, 59′) to unsettle the hosts, but Raphinha (19′, 71′) and Lamine Yamal (21′, 90′) both scored braces, with a Florian Lejeune own goal (51′) sealing the win. It extended Barcelona’s perfect start to nine points from three matches.
Atletico Madrid’s away win strengthens their early position
Atletico Madrid’s 3-1 victory at Sevilla was arguably the most consequential result outside the two headline matches. Alex Baena scored twice (4′, 33′) and Ademola Lookman added a third (26′), before Miguel Sierra pulled one back for Sevilla late on (66′). The win took Atletico to seven points from three games and provisional top spot at the time.
Levante’s seven-goal win is the round’s surprise
Levante’s 5-2 victory over Real Betis was the round’s biggest surprise in scoreline terms. Adrián de la Fuente headed Levante in front (24′), Betis levelled through Marc Bartra (34′), and Enzo Bardeli restored Levante’s lead right before the break (45′). Rodrigo Riquelme snatched a second Betis goal in first-half stoppage time, but Levante pulled away in the second half to complete the 5-2 scoreline.
La Liga Matchday 3: The rest of the round rewards efficiency
Real Sociedad defeated Espanyol 2-1, with Ander Barrenetxea opening the scoring. Deportivo La Coruna beat Valencia 3-1 at the Riazor. Athletic Bilbao secured a controlled away result with a 2-0 win at Celta Vigo, goals from Alex Berenguer and Robert Navarro putting the game to bed in the first half. Osasuna kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Getafe, Ante Budimir scoring the only goal.
Confirmed La Liga Matchday 3 results
- Levante 5-2 Real Betis
- Real Sociedad 2-1 Espanyol
- Sevilla 1-3 Atletico Madrid
- Real Madrid 4-0 Malaga
- Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 Valencia
- Celta Vigo 0-2 Athletic Bilbao
- Osasuna 1-0 Getafe
- Barcelona 5-2 Rayo Vallecano
Early conclusions
Real Madrid set the round’s strongest standard with a 4-0 win built on control at both ends. Barcelona supplied the greatest attacking volatility, coming from behind before pulling away. Atletico Madrid produced an important away victory to move level on points with the leaders, and Levante delivered the weekend’s most unexpected result. The next matchday will test whether these performances represent sustainable identities or the first dramatic swings of a long season.
You can track how these results shape the table on our League Tables page.