The eternal debate among football fanatics over the past twenty years has been: which league is the strongest in the world – the English or the Spanish? Those who side with the championship from the Iberian Peninsula point to international results as their main argument, as Spanish clubs have been far more successful in UEFA competitions. Fans of English football, on the other hand, claim that this is only because the grueling challenges of the domestic league take a toll on English teams. They argue that Premier League clubs have to take every match seriously, whether it’s against direct title rivals or teams like Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, and that this intensity hurts them in Europe.🚨 Most Minutes To U21 players 24/25🇫🇷 Ligue 1 – Strasbourg 🇪🇸 La Liga – Barcelona 🏴 Premier League – Brighton FC 🇩🇪 Bundesliga – Leipzig🇮🇹 Serie A – 🤔 pic.twitter.com/dMQlDJCijr— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) March 27, 2025 Both arguments are very valid, but interestingly, this season they’ve completely switched sides. Now it’s the English who are dominating in Europe, while Spain has a much tighter and more unpredictable domestic race. The club that best challenges all previous theories about the strongest European league is Leganes – a team currently in the relegation zone in La Liga, yet one that has beaten both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid this season and only narrowly lost to Real Madrid due to some controversial refereeing decisions.🔥 MATCHDAY! 🔥#LeganésBarça pic.twitter.com/EyOeWSkf4y— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 12, 2025 Barcelona, ahead of their visit to Leganes, is four points above Real Madrid, and El Clásico is still to come. Atletico trails by seven points.Let’s circle back to Leganes, currently sitting 18th in La Liga. This is a team that beat both Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, and pushed Real Madrid to the limit, losing only due to a few questionable refereeing calls. Now let’s look at the 18th-placed team in what’s considered the strongest league on the British Isles – Ipswich. This season, Ipswich was comfortably beaten by Liverpool (0:2, 1:4), Manchester City (1:4, 0:6), and even Arsenal (0:1), despite the Gunners not being particularly convincing in that match.🔝🥒 La enésima exhibición de Marko Dmitrović con el @CDLeganes.#LALIGAEASPORTS | #LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/xc7zE294VY— LALIGA (@LaLiga) January 22, 2025 So, who can confidently claim that Ipswich would actually be better than Leganes?Former Serbian international Marko Dmitrovic, who’s been excellent in goal for Leganes this season, sees his team’s current position as a testament to the strength of La Liga:“It just shows how competitive and tough the Spanish league is. No win is guaranteed here, you have to grind for every point. If we’ve beaten both Barcelona and Atlético, then we’re capable of beating anyone,” Dmitrovic told Marca.Premier League Best XI 24/2025 vs La Liga Best XI 24/2025, who wins? 👀 pic.twitter.com/DSHVqv4kvF— AS (fan) (@ArneSlotBall) February 18, 2025 Leganes has collected only one point in their last four matches – defeats to Celta (1:2), Betis (2:3), and Real Madrid (2:3), followed by a 1:1 draw with Osasuna on Monday.“We’re going through a tough run of form. But we’re working hard, and that’s what matters most. In a situation like this, you just try to minimize mistakes and play as pragmatically as possible,” he added.And yet, we’re left with a question that no one can answer with absolute certainty:Is the Premier League really better than La Liga?Premier League vs La Liga 😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/a4Z4hzoMrc— fan account (@Asensii20) September 14, 2024 Because when a team like Leganes, in the relegation zone, can challenge Spain’s elite and still suffer narrow defeats, while a similar-level team in the Premier League like Ipswich gets routinely steamrolled by the top clubs – it’s clear that the strength of a league goes far beyond its branding, TV rights, or the size of its transfer fees.At the end of the day, it might not be about which league is better, but rather how they are better – La Liga might be more technically refined and tactically competitive from top to bottom, while the Premier League might deliver higher pace, media spectacle, and financial might. It’s a battle of philosophies as much as it is football.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 31FridayValencia – Sevilla 1-0 (1-0)/Guerra 45+4/Saturday15:00: (1.85) Sociedad (3.40) Mallorca (4.60)17:15: (1.80) Getafe (3.40) Las Palmas (4.90)19:30: (1.67) Celta (3.60) Espanyol (5.70)22:00: (8.00) Leganes (5.30) Barcelona (1.35)Sunday15:00: (2.50) Osasuna (3.25) Girona (2.90)17:15: (5.60) Alaves (3.70) Real Madrid (1.65)19:30: (2.35) Betis (3.45) Villareal (2.95)22:00: (1.67) Ath.Bilbao (3.50) Rayo Vallecano (5.80)Monday22:00: (1.15) Atl.Madrid (7.75) Valladolid (19.0)***odds are subject to change***
