La Liga returns: How did the form table look before play was suspended?

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 11 June 2020

Ahead of the resumption of the 2019-20 La Liga season, Sports Mole looks at how the form table looked before play was suspended and who could benefit from the break.

Thursday night heralds the return of La Liga after an absence of more than three months as Sevilla host local rivals Real Betis in the first match back.

Every club will have played their first matches since the coronavirus lockdown was enforced by the end of Sunday night - the first round of a hectic schedule which will see 110 games in just 39 days.

While every team would have preferred the season to go as planned, the three-month break has also benefited some more than others - be that on the injury front or via the form guide.

Those who were on winning streaks have seen their momentum halted and will now be hoping to pick up where they left off, while clubs on losing runs have the chance to get out of the rut and start afresh for the upcoming mini-season.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at how the form table stood at the time La Liga was suspended.

Barcelona lead the way in the form table, as they do in the real table, taking advantage of Real Madrid's slump pre-lockdown with the exception of a Clasico victory for Los Blancos.

Barca picked up nine points from the last 12 on offer before play was halted compared to only four in the same timeframe for Madrid - a points swing which has seen the defending champions leapfrog their perennial rivals at the summit.

When it comes to the last five games played before lockdown, no team amassed more points than Real Sociedad, whose form lifted them into the top four ahead of Getafe and Atletico Madrid.

Granada were also on a charge up the table and have all but escaped the threat of relegation, with one eye now on a possible European push if they can pick up where they left off.

Eibar could perhaps benefit more than anyone else when it comes to turning their form around; they have just four points from their last six La Liga games - a run of form which came at the most inopportune of times considering Celta Vigo, Mallorca and Leganes, the three teams directly below them in the standings, had begun to improve.

Espanyol will also need an improvement upon the resumption of play as they sit six points adrift of safety and are in danger of dropping out of the top flight for the first time since 1992-93.

> Click here to listen to our podcast previewing the return of La Liga action