Atlético Madrid 6–1 Granada (27 September 2020) Atlético Madrid 5–0 Eibar (18 April 2021)
Biggest away win
Real Sociedad 1–6 Barcelona (21 March 2021)
Highest scoring
Atlético Madrid 6–1 Granada (27 September 2020) Barcelona 5–2 Real Betis (7 November 2020) Levante 4–3 Real Betis (29 December 2020) Huesca 3–4 Celta Vigo (7 March 2021) Real Sociedad 1–6 Barcelona (21 March 2021) Celta Vigo 3–4 Sevilla (12 April 2021) Barcelona 5–2 Getafe (22 April 2021)
The 2020–21 La Liga season, also known as La Liga Santander due to sponsorship reasons, was the 90th since its establishment. The season began on 12 September 2020 and concluded on 23 May 2021.[1] The fixtures were announced on 31 August 2020.[2][3]
Atlético Madrid clinched their eleventh La Liga title on the final matchday of the season, after a 2–1 comeback win against Valladolid. It was their first title since 2013–14. Barcelona and Real Madrid were the only other teams to have won the title since Atlético Madrid last did so.[5]
Teams
Promotion and relegation (pre-season)
A total of twenty teams contested the league, including seventeen sides from the 2019–20 season and three promoted from the 2019–20 Segunda División. This included the two top teams from the Segunda División, and the winners of the promotion play-offs.
Teams relegated to Segunda División
The first team to be relegated from La Liga were Espanyol, after a 0–1 loss to city rivalsBarcelona on 8 July 2020, ending their 26-year stay in the top tier.[6] The second team to be relegated were Mallorca, following a 1–2 home defeat against Granada on 16 July 2020, suffering an immediate return to the second division.[7] The third and final team to be relegated were Leganés, after drawing 2–2 against Real Madrid on 19 July 2020 in their final game of the season. This ended Lega's four-year stint in the first tier.[8]
Teams promoted from Segunda División
On 12 July 2020, Cádiz became the first side to mathematically be promoted, assured of a return to the top flight after a fourteen-year absence following Oviedo's 4–2 win against Zaragoza.[9] The second team to earn promotion were Huesca, following their 3–0 win against Numancia on 17 July 2020. This marked an immediate return to the first division after a season away.[10] The final team to achieve promotion were Elche on 23 August 2020, following a 1–0 aggregate victory over Girona in the final of the promotion play-offs, sealing a return to La Liga after a five-year absence.[11]
Source: La Liga Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Fair-play points (Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played)[54] (C) Champions; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Since the winners of the 2020–21 Copa del Rey, Barcelona, qualified for the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League based on league position, the spot awarded to the cup winners (Europa League group stage) was passed to the sixth-placed team, and the spot awarded to the sixth-placed team (2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round) was passed to the seventh-placed team, Villarreal.
Source: La Liga, Soccerway Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Season statistics
Scoring
First goal of the season: Yangel Herrera for Granada against Athletic Bilbao (12 September 2020)[55]
Last goal of the season: Papu Gómez for Sevilla against Alavés (23 May 2021)[56]
The Zamora Trophy was awarded by newspaper Marca to the goalkeeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio. A goalkeeper had to have played at least 28 games of 60 or more minutes to be eligible for the trophy.[59]