La Liga Standings: A Super Simple Guide to the Start of the Season

Welcome to the Spanish football league, known as La Liga! Think of it like a big school tournament where 20 teams play against each other over a whole year. At the very beginning, the standings table looks pretty empty. Let’s break down what’s happening right now.

What Is This Table Anyway?

Imagine a scoreboard that tracks how every team is doing. The table has columns for:

• Rank: Where the team sits (1st is the best).
• Played (P): How many games they’ve finished.
• Won (W): Games they won.
• Drawn (D): Games that ended in a tie.
• Lost (L): Games they lost.
• Goals For (GF): Goals the team scored.
• Goals Against (GA): Goals the team let in.
• Goal Difference (GD): GF minus GA (higher is better).
• Points (Pts): Win = 3 points, Draw = 1 point, Loss = 0 points.
• Form: Little icons showing the last 6 results (oldest first).

Important Point: At the start of the season, almost every number is zero because nobody has played yet!

The Current Standings (After Matchday 1)

Only two teams have kicked a ball so far. Everyone else is still at the starting line.

The Big Story So Far: Alavés and Getafe played each other and drew 0–0. Both get 1 point. Everyone else waits for their first game.

How Did We Get These Numbers? (Step-by-Step)

1. Alavés vs. Getafe was the only match played.
2. The score finished 0–0 (a goalless draw).
3. Because it’s a draw, both teams earn 1 point.
4. No goals were scored, so Goals For = 0 and Goals Against = 0 for both.
5. Goal Difference = 0 − 0 = 0.
6. The other 18 teams haven’t played yet, so their entire row stays at zero.

Key Takeaways for Beginners

• A draw is not a loss! Both teams walk away with a point.
• Goal difference matters later. If two teams finish on the same points, the one with the better GD finishes higher.
• Form column is empty because there’s no history yet—those little squares will turn green (win), yellow (draw), or red (loss) as the season goes on.
• The table will change fast! After the next round of matches, you’ll see wins, losses, and goals.

Summary

Right now, La Liga is just waking up. Alavés and Getafe share the early lead with 1 point each after a 0–0 draw. The other 18 teams—including giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid—are all sitting at zero, waiting for their first kick-off. As more games are played, the table will fill up with wins, goals, and movement. Check back after each matchday to see who climbs and who slips!

FAQ

Why do Alavés and Getafe have 1 point if they didn’t win?
In football, a draw gives each team 1 point. A win gives 3, a loss gives 0.

What does “Goal Difference” mean?
It’s Goals Scored minus Goals Conceded. It’s the first tie-breaker if teams finish level on points.

Why are there 20 teams?
La Liga has 20 clubs. Each plays the other twice (home and away) for a total of 38 games per team.

When will the other teams get points?
As soon as they play their first matches—usually within the same weekend or midweek.

What do the empty squares in “Form” mean?
They mean “no result yet.” Once a team plays, the squares fill with colors: green = win, yellow = draw, red = loss.

Enjoy the season!