La Liga Week 6 Standings & Table: Barcelona & Real Madrid Surrender First Place to Villarreal

By Damon Salvadore First Posted: Sep 28, 2015 02:05 PM EDT

Week 6 provided soccer fans with the most stunning set of games in La Liga thus far. Upsets, disappointing draws, and terrible injuries highlighted this week.

The big news of course surrounded Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star forward is expected to miss about two month because of this knee injury. Messi suffered the injury in the third minute of play in a 2-1 victory over Las Palmas at home. Barcelona may have won the game, but this injury is extremely costly.

Suarez scored both goals in that win. Barcelona will take on Sevilla in their next game.

Messi will miss numerous UEFA Champions League games, and he will in fact miss the Nov. 22 El Clasico match against Real Madrid. Now we will really find out just how good Neymar and Luis Suarez without their ace player on the field. Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is also still out with a calf injury. Bravo is expected to return in early October. With five wins and one draw, Barcelona is in second place.

Amazingly, neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid sit atop the standings at the moment. Villarreal, who is undefeated, has that honor. After a draw in Week 1 against Real Betis, Villarreal has won their last five consecutive games. Villarreal had the most impressive victory in Week 6. They beat Atletico Madrid, 1-0.

Villarreal has never won la Liga in franchise history. Their best finish came in 2007-08 season when they placed second to Real Madrid. Last season Villarreal placed sixth overall with a 16-12-10 record. The rest of the league is on notice, Villarreal is the top club in Spain right now. Villarreal plays Levante in their next game.

Not only did Villarreal win their fifth consecutive game and Barcelona suffer a huge loss with Messi's injury, but Real Madrid had a stunning draw at home. Real Madrid tied with Malaga, 0-0. Rafael Benítez's club has been extremely inconsistent to the point where it is driving fans crazy. Real Madrid scored five and six goals in back to back games in Weeks 2 and 3, but have scored a combined four goals in their other four games.

Fortunately for Real Madrid, they have allowed the fewest goals in the league, just one.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will play each other in the "Madrid Derby" on Sunday in the biggest game of the season. Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez is still out with a leg injury, and Gareth Bale has not yet returned from his injury. One could argue that Real Madrid and Barcelona are more vulnerable now than ever.