Here's how LaLiga looks at the end of 2018

The year of 2018 has now come to an end, in Spanish football terms, and it is time to look back and analyse how each team has performed across the 17 matchdays which have been played since the 2018/19 season began in August.

If, for some bizarre reason, LaLiga Santander did not return in 2019, Barcelona would be the champions as they sit top of the league.

Ernesto Valverde's side have taken up top spot for 13 of the 17 games, showing that they have more than Lionel Messi, who leads the race for the Pichichi.

Despite that, the Catalan club have dropped 17 points, which includes defeats to Real Betis and Leganes, and no side has been leader at Christmas with fewer points since 2006.

The other two teams to have led the league table are Sevilla and Real Madrid.

Sevilla, led by Pablo Machin, have relied on leaders like Ever Banega and Pablo Sarabia to take them top on matchdays one and eight, while they end the year five points off Barcelona.

Real Madrid were top after matchday two, but their start tailed off and turned out to be one of the worst in recent years, breaking the record for minutes played without scoring, a factor in the sacking of Julen Lopetegui.

With a game in hand against Villarreal to be played in early January, they end 2018 with an eight point deficit, though in a better position than after matchday 10 when a 5-1 Clasico defeat left them ninth.

The next team invited to the title race is Atletico Madrid, who are as reliable as ever under Diego Simeone, having lost just once, the fewest in the league, against Celta Vigo at Balaidos.

Boasting the longest unbeaten run of any team this season with 14 games, they are three points off of top spot.

Below the top four, there is the race for the Europa League where as many as 13 different teams have taken up fifth or sixth place.

As the winter break arrives, the occupants are Alaves and Real Betis, the first of whom end the year on 28 points in fifth thanks to Abelardo Fernandez.

For the latter, Quique Setien has led his team to memorable wins over Barcelona, though costly home defeats to Levante and Real Valladolid mean they could be even higher up the table.

There is a long list of sides racing to apply the pressure on those two, with Getafe, Girona and Levante leading the pack, followed by teams who have lost their form such as Espanyol.

Then, there are big clubs who have had disappointing seasons, such as Valencia or Real Sociedad, or those who have struggled to maintain a consistent run of form, like Eibar, Celta or Valladolid.

At the bottom of the table, two teams have taken up relegation zone spots more than any others in the form of newly-promoted Huesca, who have been bottom since matchday eight, and Rayo Vallecano, who are yet to lift themselves out of the bottom three.

Just above them and fighting for safety are squads which possess far more quality, like Athletic Club and Villarreal, while Leganes are still in danger, despite a club record seven games unbeaten.