After seven rounds, Barcelona have won every La Liga match: twenty-one points from twenty-one, with a goal difference of +24 (table as of 30 September). Atlético Madrid and Real Betis follow on sixteen, Real Madrid on fifteen — five wins and two defeats, +10 — and Sevilla on thirteen. At the bottom, Elche have five points, Valencia four and Málaga three.
Barcelona’s European start matched the domestic one: 5–1 against Feyenoord. Real Madrid beat Inter 2–1 and Real Betis won 3–2 at Lille, but Atlético Madrid lost 2–1 at Liverpool and Villarreal lost 3–2 at Borussia Dortmund. Spain finished Matchday One with three wins and two defeats from its five clubs.
The six-point gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid after seven rounds is already the central fact of the Spanish season. It does not decide the title in early October, but it removes the room for error. Madrid must now be close to perfect to catch a team that has been perfect.
Domestic perfection and European quality are not the same test. A league record tells you how a team handles opponents who defend against it. A European night tells you how it handles opponents who attack back. On 13 October Barcelona travel to Galatasaray, who lost 3–1 at Sporting CP on Matchday One, and that is as good a test as the round offers.
The rest of Spain’s fixtures are equally pointed. Atlético Madrid host Manchester United on 13 October and Villarreal host Napoli the same night. On 14 October Real Madrid travel to Roma and Real Betis host Porto. Spain’s clubs were three from five on Matchday One. Matchday Two will say whether that was form or luck.