Five biggest wins in La Liga history

One of the best leagues in Europe, La Liga has seen games with players shedding blood on the pitch, breaking the attackers' legs, and other such actions while defending. Despite those, the strikers and forwards have made sure that defenders are humbled enough to defeat them by big margins. The Spanish top-flight is no new to high-scoring games. La Liga is one of the leagues where the teams have conceded 10+ goals on multiple occasions.

In this article, we shall look at the Five biggest wins in La Liga history that have made the league fun for fans to watch:

1. Athletic Club 12-1 Barcelona (1931)

It was misty noon at San Mames when the Athletic Club decided to shellshock today's footballing behemoth, Barcelona. Atletico Madrid wrote their name in the folklore with an 11-goal win in league history. Agustin Sauto Bata turned the game on his head and converted the game into his personal showcase as he scored seven goals in the game, shocking Barcelona's defense. 

The Basque managed side moved precisely, devastating Barcelona's defense. The attack was more lethal than ever in the game. Under relentless pressure, Barcelona's defence collapsed. Ramon Llorens, the shot-stopper of Catalans, faced the avalanche of shots. Severiano Goiburu scored the lone goal in reply, which reduced the deficit to half in the tenth minute of the game. The local papers struggled to find words, with one simply printing "12-1" in giant letters across its front page.

2. Sevilla 11-1 Barcelona (1940)

In the post-civil war era, Sevilla’s greatest attacking prowess was on show at their old Nervión stadium. The game against Barcelona blended precision with power. The Spanish giants dismantled the other Spanish giants, piece by piece. The top scorer of the campaign, Guillermo Campanal led the charge against the Catalans with a striking display. Barcelona, the club that was reeling with the impact of war, did not have the answers to the blitzkreig and ruthless finishing of Sevilla. 

Campanal had five goals to his name whereas Torrontegui bagged a hattrick with a brace in the second half. Even the home fans were in disbelief after the display by Sevilla at old Nervion Stadium.

3. Sevilla 10-0 Oviedo (1941)

It was the second time when Sevilla destroyed and toyed around the opposition in their old home, the Nervion stadium. Lightning struck twice for Sevilla as they demolished Oviedo after the Civil War. The Andalusian side's forward line, led by the brilliant López, carved through Oviedo's defense at will. The match against Oviedo showcased Sevilla's tactical evolution under their visionary coach. Rafael Soler orchestrated the midfield like a maestro, creating chance after chance. 

Despite their reputation as one of the strong sides in the league, Oviedo found themselves overwhelmed by Sevilla's relentless attacking strides. The local papers in Spain dubbed it "The Perfect Storm," as Sevilla achieved their second ten-goal victory in as many seasons.

4. Athletic Club 10-0 Celta de Vigo (1942)

While the Athletic Club is known for hammering the opposition with double-digit goals, only some opposition are prone to that. However, Celta Vigo did not have a great evening in the La Liga fixture when Zarra decided to turn up with a stunning finishing display at San Mames for the Athletic Club. The Basque side's traditional direct approach towards football stuck Celta Vigo, who were more apprehensive with their defensive approach. 

Every attack from the Athletic Club was ending up with goals. Every attack was feared in the game. Every attack and every goal sent the home fans crazy, and they were growing delirious. Ceta Vigo's goalie felt he would rather face an army than a football team. The game underlined the dominance of Athletic Club in the early Spanish top-flight history. 

5. Athletic Club 10-0 UE Lleida (1950)

The then giants of Spanish football, the last in the Athletic Club's collection of double-digit victories, came against the recently promoted Lleida in 1950. Telmo Zarra, who was at his peak during the period, scored six goals in the game. It was a masterclass delivered by Zarra in the center-forward position. 

The Basque side's traditional values of strength and direct football approach shook the Catalan visitors at Bilbo. Panizo was pulling the strings like a master orchestrator with multiple pre-assists and assists. Lleida's inexperience at the Spanish top flight was visible in the game, with them facing a struggle to address the intensity of the opposition.

The match served as another reminder of Athletic's fearsome reputation at San Mamés, where visiting teams often crumbled under the intense atmosphere. At half time, the score read 3-0, but at the end of the game, they had conceded Sven in the second half, with Zarra bagging a hattrick in the second 45 minutes.