Weird things happened this weekend, circle closed at the Bernabéu with a 0-0 draw that wasn’t just better than it sounds, but better than almost anything all season. Xavi Hernández, the Barcelona coach who declared “our history says you have to win and play well; a 1-0 in the 90th minute is no use”, went to Girona and oversaw a third 1-0 victory in a row, completing a run from pre-history to go five points clear and become winter champions. Real Madrid, who turned the plan upside down by playing well and not winning, didn’t score for the first time in 30 games. And Real Valladolid did score, six matches and nine hours later and in the 90th minute, a Canadian flying to the rescue.
Cyle Larin’s coach had welcomed him four days earlier by admitting “we need your help” and he was just 14 minutes into his Valladolid career when he took off to volley a brilliant winner against Valencia. Cádiz, whose top scorer had two, the entire squad on eight, beat Mallorca 2-0, climbed out the relegation zone and then slipped in again, up five places and down four in a day. Sevilla striker Youssef En Nesyri, who hadn’t scored in 15 league games, scored twice in 15 minutes, the opener a leap so prodigious he could have cracked his head on the moon. And Saúl Ñíguez finished the way Atlético’s forwards don’t for his first in two years.
