Atletico Madrid beat 10-man Real Madrid 2-1 in feisty La Liga derby

Can Real Madrid stop Barcelona from retaining the La Liga title? Barcelona have dominated the early stages of the Spanish top-flight season, winning all seven matches without a single loss. The Catalan giants have scored an impressive 31 goals while only conceding seven, making them the only team to enjoy a perfect record in La Liga.

Their attacking prowess is led by players such as Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Anthony Gordon, and their midfield remains the best in the league thanks to the summer signing of Rodri. Their defense, although not flawless, has been impressive by conceding just seven goals in seven matches.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, have struggled to maintain their usual dominance. While they have won five out of their six games, their record is not as impressive as Barcelona's. Their only defeat so far came against Real Betis, where a late goal from Troy Parrott secured a narrow 2-1 victory for the visitors. Since then, Real Madrid have had a mixed run, defeating Inter Milan in the Champions League but suffering a narrow loss to Elche in La Liga.

Their recent victory over Elche was marred by conceding two late goals, which could have been prevented by Carlos Espinosa's stoppage-time goal.

With Barcelona firmly at the top, the question on everyone's mind is whether Real Madrid can stop them from retaining the La Liga title. The Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho has led Real Madrid to a promising start, but the club's trophyless run over the last two seasons highlights a significant decline from their usual standards.

Real's title credentials will be tested on Sunday when they face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium. Atletico, too, boast a squad filled with world-class players, and they will enter the match having dominated their last two games against Real Sociedad and Osasuna.