2010–11 La Liga
The 2010–11 La Liga season (known as the Liga BBVA for sponsorship reasons) was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División. In addition, a new match ball – the Nike Total 90 Tracer – served as the official ball for all matches.
| Season | 2010–11 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28 August 2010 – 21 May 2011 |
| Champions | Barcelona 21st title |
| Relegated | Deportivo de La Coruña Hércules Almería |
| Champions League | Barcelona Real Madrid Valencia Villarreal |
| Europa League | Sevilla Athletic Bilbao Atlético Madrid |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 1,042 (2.74 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Cristiano Ronaldo (40 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Real Madrid 7–0 Málaga (3 March 2011) Real Madrid 8–1 Almería (21 May 2011) |
| Biggest away win | Almería 0–8 Barcelona (20 November 2010) |
| Highest scoring | Valencia 3–6 Real Madrid (23 April 2011) Real Madrid 8–1 Almería (21 May 2011) |
| Longest winning run | 16 matches Barcelona |
| Longest unbeaten run | 31 matches Barcelona |
| Longest winless run | 11 matches Sporting Gijón |
| Longest losing run | 7 matches Almería |
| Highest attendance | 98,000 Barcelona 5–0 Real Madrid (29 November 2010) |
| Lowest attendance | 5,000 Almería 0–0 Villarreal (11 May 2011) Almería 3–1 Mallorca (15 May 2011) |
| Average attendance | 29,099 |
← 2009–10 2011–12 → | |
Defending champions Barcelona secured their third-consecutive and 21st La Liga title after a 1–1 tie with Levante on 11 May 2011. The result gave Barcelona a 6-point lead with two matches remaining which, combined with their better head-to-head record with Real Madrid, ensured that they finished top of the table. Barcelona led the table since defeating Madrid 5–0 on 23 November 2010. Since then, they lost only one match en route to winning the title. It was the third straight title for Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. Lionel Messi won LaLiga Award for Best Player, which marked his third consecutive win.
The season was again dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid, with second-place Madrid 21 points ahead of third-place Valencia. Having encountered each other in the Champions League semifinals and the Copa del Rey final, the top two teams met four times in 17 days, for a total of five times this season.
The most significant managerial change prior to the start of the season was two-time Champions League-winning José Mourinho taking over at Real Madrid.