MADRID, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Matchday 26 in La Liga was dominated by the 'Clasico' between Real Madrid and Barcelona, but there was plenty of drama elsewhere. Here's what we learned this weekend in Spain.
1) Barca twist the knife in at the Bernabeu
Four disastrous days for Real Madrid and four excellent days for Barcelona have seen Ernesto Valverde's side end Real's interest in the Copa del Rey and La Liga. Saturday's 1-0 win for Barcelona may not have been by as big a winning margin as their 3-0 cup triumph the previous Wednesday, but it was more convincing as Madrid were reduced to a handful of half-chances, while Barca had opportunities to add a second or third goal.
Real Madrid have now lost three consecutive home games and the boos and whistles which greeted the final whistle showed all too clearly how unhappy the fans are after the confirmation of another barren season. They are still in the Champions League, but things will have to change drastically if they are to retain that trophy.
2) Time for a clearout at the Bernabeu?
It will be tough, if not impossible for Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari to survive two consecutive defeats to Barcelona after he was out-thought by his opposite number Valverde on both occasions.
The lack of an experienced replacement means he will remain until the end of the season, but the amiable Argentinian will almost certainly leave in the summer.
One thing the past four days has shown is that he should not be the only one to leave; to his credit, Solari has shown faith in youth and youngsters such as Sergio Reguilon, Vinicius Jr, and Marcos Llorente (injured on Saturday) have all progressed during his time in charge.
However, experienced players such as Gareth Bale, Isco, Marcelo and Toni Kroos have gone backwards, and if Madrid are to have a fresh start next season, they need a big clearout over the summer.
3) Huesca keep the dream alive
Chimy Avila's 98th minute winner for Huesca at home to Sevilla was arguably the most emotional moment of the weekend, as it sent fans in Huesca's El Alcaraz stadium into wild celebrations.
Six weeks ago, the side playing their first ever season in the top flight had just 11 points and two wins to their credit and were 10 points from safety. Six games later and they have doubled their points tally and are just four points off 17th place, and perhaps more importantly, they are the in-form side in the battle to avoid the drop.
Coach Francisco Rodriguez has built a team that is tough to beat and, just as importantly, believes in itself, and at the bottom of the table, confidence is everything.
4) A good week for Valencia
Valencia's 2-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao rounded off a good week for the club, who on Thursday also sealed their place in the Copa del Rey final.
It was a difficult start to the season with their strikers misfiring, but the fact they have drawn an incredible 15 matches in the league this season shows that they have always been hard to beat, even if they were only getting points one at a time.
Now with Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo - who scored a magnificent volley on Sunday - back on form, those draws are turning into wins and a top six or even a top-four finish remains possible.
