Spanish La Liga

Barcelona lead the way after round one on goal difference, ahead of Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol, with four more clubs level on three points after opening wins. As in every league, one round of results settles very little — but it's the first real data point of a long season, and worth a look.

The presence of Girona, Leganes and Osasuna inside the early top seven is a reminder of how competitive the middle of La Liga has become in recent seasons, even as Real Madrid and Barcelona remain the clear financial and historical heavyweights at the top. Atlético Madrid sitting mid-table after one round is unlikely to cause genuine alarm at the Metropolitano, but it's a reminder that Diego Simeone's sides have rarely started fast. At the bottom, Real Sociedad and Valencia's heavy opening defeats have them occupying relegation-zone positions earlier than either club would like, while Villarreal and newly promoted Valladolid round out an early bottom four. It's the smallest of sample sizes, but La Liga's traditional shape — Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top, a fiercely contested middle, and a handful of clubs fighting from round one to stay up — already looks familiar.

Real superlatives from this season's Spanish La Liga results — not a prediction, just what's actually happened on the pitch.