Late Drama And Derby Chaos - La Liga Round 26 In Review: Sunday's Matches As They Happened

Late Drama And Derby Chaos - La Liga Round 26 In Review: Sunday's Matches As They Happened

The La Liga Matchday 26 has seen four action packed matches on Sunday, with 12 goals scored between the clubs.

Football Park are here to give you the main stories from each game and how it affects the league table.

Elche 2-2 Espanyol

This was one of those games that just never settled. Espanyol came flying out and took the lead inside seven minutes through K. Garcia, and you could instantly feel Elche wobble a bit. But to their credit, they didn’t panic. M. Aguado pulled it back just before the break and suddenly it felt like we had a proper contest on our hands.

C. Romero put Espanyol back in front in the 57th minute and from there it looked like they would just see it out. They slowed it down, killed the tempo and frustrated Elche for large spells. R. Mir stepped up in the 90th minute and buried the penalty to make it 2-2 and the place just exploded. Espanyol then lost C. Pickel to a red card deep in added time which summed up their collapse.

From cruising to chaos in minutes. Espanyol will be furious. Elche will feel alive walking out of that stadium. This result is a big point for Elche in the relegation battle, whereas Espanyol needed all three points in their European fight.

Elche 2-2 Espanyol. A last minute leveller, a red card and the sun was out. Good little afternoon that. 🏟️🇪🇸☀️⚽ #ElcheEspanyol pic.twitter.com/3zR0iZPjqt

— IanWJ86 (@IanWJ86) March 1, 2026

Valencia 1-0 Osasuna

This was far from a classic, but Valencia won't care. Both sides came into this one fairly even on paper and it played out that way for long spells. It was tight, scrappy at times, and neither team really took full control in the first half. Osasuna looked organised, Valencia looked patient, but clear chances were hard to come by.

The moment that decided it came in the 67th minute. Penalty to Valencia. Mestalla holding its breath. L. Ramazani steps up and buries it. Pure conviction. That is the kind of moment that changes a game and sometimes a season.

From there, Valencia did what they had to do. They managed it properly. Slowed things down, stayed compact and did not allow Osasuna a clean look at goal. At this stage of the season, nobody in Valencia will care. Three points at Mestalla is what matters. A big three points that pushes Valencia further mid-table, helping them pull away from a potential relegation battle.

Largie Ramazani 67' (Pen.)

🇪🇸 Valencia 1-0 Osasunapic.twitter.com/2XRkmyBjxK

— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) March 1, 2026

Real Betis 2-2 Sevilla

Antony opened the scoring in the 16th minute and the noise inside Estadio La Cartuja told you exactly what it meant. Early goal. Derby atmosphere. Betis on top. They fed off it too. Confident in possession, sharper in the tackles, quicker to second balls. When A. Fidalgo doubled the lead in the 37th minute it felt deserved. Sevilla looked rattled and Betis looked in control. Derbies do not follow scripts.

Sevilla came out after the break with more urgency and A. Sanchez pulled one back in the 62nd minute to shift the momentum completely. Suddenly Betis were nervous. The passes were not sticking. The crowd got edgy. I. Romero in the 85th minute. 2 2. Silence in one end, chaos in the other. From cruising to collapsing. Betis will see it as two dropped. Sevilla will see it as character. That is derby football.

Real Betis are still securely in 5th despite dropping points, however 3 points would've excelled them in their fight for Champions League football. Sevilla still find themselves in a mid-table battle despite the point gained.

Alexis Sánchez is on stage !

🇪🇸 Real Betis 2-1 Sevillapic.twitter.com/7Cfzrc9HHn

— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) March 1, 2026

Girona 1-2 Celta Vigo

V. Vanat opened the scoring in the 35th minute and it was no more than the hosts deserved at that stage. They started brighter, pressed higher and carried more intent in the final third. The goal reflected that. Girona were on top and Celta looked a step behind.

F. Jutgla brought Celta level in the 58th minute and from that moment you could feel the shift. Girona lost a bit of control, Celta grew in confidence and suddenly the away side were the ones pushing. Then came the decisive moment on 70 minutes. V. Reis turned the ball into his own net and just like that it was 2 1 to Celta Vigo. A cruel way to concede and a massive blow in the context of the game.

Girona will look at this as one that got away after leading. Celta will see it as character, composure and a proper away performance when it mattered. This is a big win for the away side as they continue their push for European football. A big three points after finding themselves down at half time.

Vitor Reis own goal!

🇪🇸 Girona 1-2 Celta Vigo

pic.twitter.com/PBiwQaB2f0

— No FootBall Peace ⚽️ (@NoFootBallPeace) March 1, 2026