The La Liga respite is brief – a hiatus of just a fortnight – but the very short winter break over Christmas and New Year presents an ideal time to bring you up to speed on what is going on in the Spanish top flight.
You certainly won’t be surprised to hear it’s another two-horse title race this season.
It wasn’t long ago that Real Madrid edged out Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the campaign to move five points clear at the top.
Now reigning champions Barca hold a four point advantage at the summit so, as that nine point swing in just two months demonstrates, things can change quickly either way.
As a result, I’m not going to nail my colours to the mast just yet based on the SBOTOP La Liga 2025 betting odds, although my pre-season view – when I suggest you write off Real at your peril – has not really altered.
I fully expect Diego Simeone’s Atletico to complete the top three too, meaning the leading trio – in one order or another – for much of the past decade will remain unmoved.
After that though, it’s wide open and Villarreal head into 2026 in fourth place, despite seeing their run of six straight wins ended by the club from Catalonia just before Christmas.
For me, Espanyol (in fifth) are the team of the season so far.
While not quite at the level of Girona two years ago, the smaller club from Catalonia are currently in fifth place, five points clear of their nearest competitor, Real Betis.
Remember, Manolo Gonzalez’s men finished just two points clear of the drop zone last season in 14th place.
Now a combination of grit and grind, alongside quality, means they are firmly in the race for European spots.
Yes, it is hard to believe this is the same side that was hanging onto survival by the fingertips of Joan Garcia (now at Barcelona) last season.
So if you didn’t realise that Gonzalez was once a bus driver, the speed at which he is moving is the real headline news.
Outside of the top six – and remember we are not quite at the halfway stage yet – there is very little to choose between the next 10 or so sides and, if they can embark on a consistent run of form, I could still see the likes of Celta Vigo (currently seventh), Athletic Bilbao (eighth) or Sevilla (10th) making a surge up the table.
Real Sociedad may be in 16th place but I don’t expect them to stay there either.
And what of the bottom three?
As much as newly promoted Real Oviedo and Levante are still battling, it is going to take quite an improvement if they are to climb out of the bottom two and, more crucially, away from the drop zone.
However, I do not feel the same about Girona, even if their La Liga 2025 highlights have been few and far between.
They may have only three league wins to their name this term but they showed just before Christmas, when they held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw, that they have more about them than their current 18th place shows.
It’s true they were hammered at home by Atletico last weekend; it’s true they only finished one point clear of relegation last term and it’s true they have not been able to keep hold of a number of their best players over the last year and a half.
In fact, it’s still questioned just how exactly did a team, playing in the Spanish top flight for just the fourth time in their history, finish third in La Liga and qualify for European football for the first time in their history 18 months ago?
But it is those very qualities which suggest to me they will find what they require to move away from danger again this time around.
If reports are to be believed, the player may not be too keen on the move but Girona may be strengthening as soon as the January transfer window opens.
That’s because it looks like they are moving close to signing Claudio Echeverri on loan.
The teenage Manchester City forward has struggled on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and he is set to have his time in Germany cut short for another temporary move.
Both City and Girona are part of the City Football Group cohort of clubs and that may ensure the move happens.
The action resumes again on January 2 when Rayo Vallecano host Getafe and, before long, La Liga 25-26 will be gaining momentum once more.
How do you see it taking shape?
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