MADRID, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Matchday 30 in La Liga saw FC Barcelona move into second place in the standings, but they still are 12 points behind Real Madrid. Here are some things we learned in Spain over the weekend.
1. The 'old order' is restored once again
There was a time earlier this season when the top of La Liga looked different and although Real Madrid were leaders, second, third and fourth places were occupied by Sevilla, Betis and Real Sociedad, who looked comfortable in their roles as unexpected title challengers.
However, Barca's win over Sevilla on Sunday saw them leapfrog their rivals into second place, while Atletico Madrid's 4-1 thrashing of Alaves extended their winning run to six games and took them up to third. In short - the natural order has once again been re-established in La Liga, with the teams with the three biggest budgets back in the top-three positions. And that is unlikely to change between now and the end of the season.
2. Pedri makes difference in the Camp Nou
Barcelona's 18-year-old midfielder Pedri was the man of the match in Barca's win, with another all-energy display in midfield, which was capped off when he scored the winning goal, 10 minutes from time.
The teenager was the revelation of last season, playing nearly every match possible for his club, before then playing for Spain in both the European Championships and the Olympic Games. His season lasted from August to August with over 70 appearances with hardly any rest and at the start of this season his body said 'enough'.
Over three months out with injuries has allowed Pedri to recover and he is now back to his best, but hopefully both club and country have learned that there are limits of what they can ask of someone so young.
3. Controversy follows Real Madrid
Real Madrid claimed a vital win away to Celta Vigo, which allowed them to retain their lead at the top of the table in the wake of their defeat to Barcelona a fortnight earlier. However, the win came with a big dose of controversy as they were given awarded three penalties in the game, while their rivals also had a goal ruled out for offside.
While the first Real Madrid penalty appears clear, the offside decision against Celta's Iago Aspas, who was judged to have interfered with play, was open to interpretation and the second two penalties appeared more a case of the attacker looking for contact than the other way around.
What stands out is that in such a vital match, all of the decisions went the same way.
4. Europe could cost Villarreal on the home front
Villarreal's 2-0 defeat away to Levante was arguably the biggest surprise of the week in Spain as Unai Emery's men were beaten by the side who kicked off the weekend bottom of the table.
Two excellent goals from Levante captain, Jose Luis Morales decided the game and rewarded another spirited display from a team that has improved considerably since Alessio Lisci was named first team coach.
However, as the defeat also highlights how playing in the Champions League has hindered Villarreal's domestic hopes this season. The side from the east coast of Spain have dropped 26 points in matches played either directly before or after a European tie this season and although teams can expect some slip ups with a busy fixture schedule, that is the difference between a comfortable top-four finish and struggling to finish in the top-seven. ■
