MADRID, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona suffered a rare home defeat as La Liga takes its next international break. Here are a few things we learned as things got tight at the top of the table again in Spain's matchday 12.
1. Take the game to Barca
The international break has probably come at the right time for Barca, as their 4-3 home defeat to Betis showed. Key players such as Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, who have hardly rested since the middle of October, looked slow and flat-footed, and Busquets was even substituted as Betis took a well-deserved win.
Although Barca were below their best, full credit has to go to Betis coach Quique Setien, whose aggressive starting XI looked to take the game to the league leaders from the kick-off.
Barca never got to grips with Betis' three attacking players and were caught on the break time and again.
Many sides go to the Camp Nou trying to hang on for a draw, but Betis showed that in the toughest ground in Spain, fortune favors the brave.
2. Solari fulfils his side of the bargain
Real Madrid produced another much improved display to win 4-2 away to Celta Vigo, making it four wins in four matches since Santiago Solari replaced Julen Lopetegui as coach.
With the international break upon us and Solari having fulfilled the maximum permitted two weeks as interim coach, the club has to decide whether to give him the job on a permanent basis or look elsewhere.
Madrid have scored 16 goals and conceded just two since Solari took over; that should be enough to convince the club to trust in him until the end of the campaign.
3. Alaves, Atletico and Sevilla keep it tight at the top
Barca's defeat allowed Alaves, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla to close in at the top of the table, with Alaves fighting back from a goal down against Huesca to take another win built on determination and teamwork.
Atletico were outplayed by Athletic Bilbao for large periods of their game at the Wanda Metropolitano, but a fantastic strike from Thomas Partey and two goals from set pieces led to a smash-and-grab win for a side whose three goals came with their only three efforts on target.
Meanwhile, Sevilla kept the faith to come from behind to beat Espanyol in a game between two well-organized sides in the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium - a win that has a lot of merit considering Pablo Machin's side played a Europa League tie in Turkey on Thursday night.
4. Nobody wants to win at the bottom
Athletic Bilbao were unlucky, but lost 3-2 away to Atletico Madrid. Huesca took the lead away to Alaves, but ended up losing 2-1 in Vitoria. Rayo Vallecano once again had the lead, but saw how their rivals equalized in the last 10 minutes, while Leganes produced another disciplined display, but failed to score in a 0-0 draw away to Girona.
The bottom four sides in La Liga have just five wins between them this campaign, while Villarreal, who have just one point more than Athletic, have two wins in their favor.
That means the bottom five sides have won just seven out of a possible 60 games all season.
Those are worrying numbers for everyone, although the good news is that any team able to win two or three games after the international break will find themselves well clear of the danger zone. Enditem
