Nine wins in a row, then Barcelona’s first league defeat. Kylian Mbappé’s brace secured victory for Real Madrid in El Clásico, while Atlético moved to within two points of the Catalans. We review the key results from La Liga Matchday 10 and compare them with the pre-match odds recorded at 888STARZ.
Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid
Barcelona dropped points in La Liga for the first time this season. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 41st minute, Raphinha equalised after the break, but the French forward struck again in the 87th minute to finish a quick Madrid counterattack.
Barcelona dominated possession, 62% to 38%, and registered 18 shots to Real’s ten. Yet Madrid produced the better chances, finishing ahead 1.95–1.19 on xG. José Mourinho’s team created fewer opportunities overall but carried a greater threat in the final third.
Our preview highlighted Barcelona’s nine straight victories and six-point lead over Madrid. That gap has now been cut in half: Barcelona have 27 points, Real Madrid 24. The visitors deserved their win on both the scoreboard and the underlying numbers.
Atlético Madrid 1-0 Deportivo La Coruña
Atlético claimed all three points thanks to Julián Álvarez’s early second-half goal. The performance, however, was far less convincing than the league positions might have suggested.
888STARZ: 1.34 / 6.11 / 9.40 — Atlético’s home win at 1.34 came in.
Deportivo led 1.95–1.36 on xG and created enough chances to trouble Diego Simeone’s side. Atlético took their opportunity and kept a clean sheet, but they allowed the visitors far too much in attack.
The result takes Atlético to 25 points, just two behind Barcelona. The odds correctly identified the winner, although the favourites were nowhere near as dominant as the final score might suggest.
Valencia 1-2 Villarreal
Valencia led through a Pepelu penalty, but Álex Freeman equalised after the break. Deep into stoppage time, Georges Mikautadze finished a Villarreal counterattack to snatch the victory.
888STARZ: 3.33 / 3.69 / 2.25 — Villarreal’s away win at 2.25 came in.
The visitors deserved their victory on the numbers: 19 shots to nine and a 1.50–1.14 xG advantage. Villarreal created more chances and continued pushing for a winner even after Pape Gueye’s dismissal.
We had Villarreal as favourites in our preview despite their difficult start to the season. The market call proved right, while Valencia remain second from bottom with just six points.
Celta Vigo 0-0 Real Betis
The only draw among the four fixtures with recorded 888STARZ odds. Celta were more threatening before half-time, while Betis took greater control after the break.
888STARZ: 2.92 / 3.57 / 2.55 — the draw at 3.57 came in.
The xG figures were close, with Betis narrowly ahead 1.09–0.84. Celta registered four shots on target but could not beat Álvaro Valles. Betis enjoyed more possession, while Nelson Deossa struck the woodwork.
The visitors dropped points in the race near the top: Betis remain fourth with 20 points. Celta move to 12 but once again failed to turn a home performance into three points.
Real Sociedad 2-1 Levante
All three goals in San Sebastián came inside the opening 27 minutes. Orri Óskarsson put the hosts ahead, Nacho Pérez equalised, and Beñat Turrientes quickly restored Real Sociedad’s lead.
888STARZ: 1.72 / 4.32 / 4.98 — Real Sociedad’s home win at 1.72 came in.
The hosts comfortably won the xG battle 2.45–0.64, took 17 shots to Levante’s six and had 62% possession. They could have won by more, but Óskarsson failed to convert several further chances.
This was a clear case of the favourites backing up their pre-match status. Real Sociedad now have 19 points and sit fifth, just one behind Betis.
Other Matchday 10 Results
Athletic Club thrashed Getafe 4-0, scoring three times from set-piece situations. Their xG advantage was much smaller than the scoreline suggests, though: 0.74–0.41. Elche pulled off a surprise 3-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano.
Racing Santander beat Espanyol 2-1, while Alavés and Málaga drew 1-1.
The nine completed fixtures produced 22 goals. Sevilla vs Osasuna, the final match of the round, was scheduled for 26 October.
What the 888STARZ Odds Told Us
Of the four featured matches with recorded odds, three favourites won:
- Atlético Madrid — home win at 1.34
- Villarreal — away win at 2.25
- Real Sociedad — home win at 1.72
Celta vs Betis finished level, with the draw priced at 3.57. We did not have verified 888STARZ odds for El Clásico in our preview, so it is excluded from this comparison.
Atlético’s game shows why the final score is not enough to assess a performance. Simeone’s side won despite trailing Deportivo on xG. Villarreal and Real Sociedad, on the other hand, justified their favourite status with stronger underlying numbers.
What Changed After Matchday 10
Real Madrid have cut Barcelona’s six-point lead to three. Atlético now sit between the rivals and continue collecting points even when they are not at their best.
Betis and Real Sociedad remain in the top five. At the other end, Valencia’s position is becoming increasingly worrying: six defeats in ten matches and just six points.
Sevilla vs Osasuna could still change the mid-table positions, but the top five are already settled.
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