# 1986–87 La Liga

The 1986–87 La Liga season was the 56th since its establishment. It began on 30 August 1986, and concluded on 21 June 1987.
Real Madrid retained the title, but this time finished just a single point ahead of Barcelona, compared to the 11-point margin a year earlier. It was the last of three seasons as Barcelona manager for Englishman Terry Venables before his dismissal, the arrival of British strikers Gary Lineker and Mark Hughes not being enough to save his job or bring the title to Camp Nou.

## Teams and locations

It was composed of the following clubs:
| Team | Home city | Stadium |
| Athletic Bilbao | Bilbao | San Mamés |
| Atlético Madrid | Madrid | Vicente Calderón |
| Barcelona | Barcelona | Nou Camp |
| Cádiz | Cádiz | Ramón de Carranza |
| Español | Barcelona | Sarriá |
| Las Palmas | Las Palmas | Insular |
| Mallorca | Palma | Lluís Sitjar |
| Murcia | Murcia | La Condomina |
| Osasuna | Pamplona | El Sadar |
| Racing Santander | Santander | El Sardinero |
| Real Betis | Seville | Benito Villamarín |
| Real Madrid | Madrid | Santiago Bernabéu |
| Real Sociedad | San Sebastián | Atocha |
| Sabadell | Sabadell | Nova Creu Alta |
| Sevilla | Seville | Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán |
| Sporting Gijón | Gijón | El Molinón |
| Valladolid | Valladolid | José Zorrilla |
| Zaragoza | Zaragoza | La Romareda |

## Competition format

It was the longest season ever in Spanish football. The league had two phases. In the first one, all 18 teams played each other twice (home and away). At the end of the first phase, the first six teams qualified for the championship group (Group A), the next six qualified for the intermediate group (Group B) and the last six qualified for the relegation group (Group C). In the second phase, teams played only against teams of the same group twice (home and away) and carried their first phase record. The last three in relegation group should have been relegated at the end of the season, but in the middle of the season it was decided that the Primera División and Segunda División would be expanded to 20 teams. In the end, the last three teams of the relegation group played a playoff and only Racing de Santander was relegated.

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Real Madrid | 34 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 61 | 29 | +32 | 50 | Qualification for the championship group |
| 2 | Barcelona | 34 | 18 | 13 | 3 | 51 | 22 | +29 | 49 | Qualification for the championship group |
| 3 | Español | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 43 | Qualification for the championship group |
| 4 | Sporting Gijón | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 47 | 36 | +11 | 37 | Qualification for the championship group |
| 5 | Mallorca | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 42 | 46 | −4 | 36 | Qualification for the championship group |
| 6 | Zaragoza | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 31 | 30 | +1 | 36 | Qualification for the championship group |
| 7 | Atlético Madrid | 34 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 37 | 40 | −3 | 35 | Qualification for the intermediate group |
| 8 | Real Betis | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 36 | 43 | −7 | 34 | Qualification for the intermediate group |
| 9 | Sevilla | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 34 | Qualification for the intermediate group |
| 10 | Real Sociedad | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 45 | 35 | +10 | 34 | Qualification for the intermediate group |
| 11 | Murcia | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 31 | 43 | −12 | 32 | Qualification for the intermediate group |
| 12 | Valladolid | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 31 | 32 | −1 | 31 | Qualification for the intermediate group |
| 13 | Athletic Bilbao | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 39 | 40 | −1 | 31 | Qualification for the relegation group |
| 14 | Las Palmas | 34 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 41 | 48 | −7 | 29 | Qualification for the relegation group |
| 15 | Osasuna | 34 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 24 | 40 | −16 | 27 | Qualification for the relegation group |
| 16 | Racing Santander | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 31 | 49 | −18 | 26 | Qualification for the relegation group |
| 17 | Sabadell | 34 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 28 | 50 | −22 | 25 | Qualification for the relegation group |
| 18 | Cádiz | 34 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 22 | 42 | −20 | 23 | Qualification for the relegation group |

### Results

| Home \ Away | ATH | ATM | BAR | BET | CÁD | ESP | LPA | MLL | MUR | OSA | RAC | RMA | RSO | SAB | SEV | SPG | VLD | ZAR |
| Athletic Bilbao | | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Atlético Madrid | 2–0 | | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| FC Barcelona | 4–1 | 1–1 | | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–4 | 3–0 | 0–0 |
| Betis | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–6 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 |
| Cádiz CF | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| RCD Español | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| UD Las Palmas | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 3–2 | | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| RCD Mallorca | 1–1 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 |
| Murcia | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| Osasuna | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Racing de Santander | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| Real Madrid | 2–4 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 |
| Real Sociedad | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 7–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 |
| CE Sabadell FC | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Sevilla FC | 3–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | | 3–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 |
| Sporting de Gijón | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | | 3–1 | 1–0 |
| Valladolid | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 1–1 |
| Zaragoza | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | |

## Championship group
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Real Madrid | 44 | 27 | 12 | 5 | 84 | 37 | +47 | 66 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Barcelona | 44 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 63 | 29 | +34 | 63 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Español | 44 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 66 | 46 | +20 | 51 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Sporting Gijón | 44 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 58 | 50 | +8 | 45 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Zaragoza | 44 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 46 | 47 | −1 | 44 | |
| 6 | Mallorca | 44 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 48 | 65 | −17 | 42 | |

### Results

| Home \ Away | BAR | ESP | MLL | RMA | SPG | ZAR |
| FC Barcelona | | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
| RCD Español | 0–0 | | 5–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| RCD Mallorca | 0–1 | 1–0 | | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Real Madrid | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | | 4–0 | 2–1 |
| Sporting de Gijón | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | | 1–1 |
| Zaragoza | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | |

## Intermediate group
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Atlético Madrid | 44 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 58 | 54 | +4 | 47 | |
| 2 | Real Sociedad | 44 | 19 | 9 | 16 | 59 | 54 | +5 | 47 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 3 | Real Betis | 44 | 18 | 9 | 17 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 45 | |
| 4 | Valladolid | 44 | 15 | 11 | 18 | 42 | 45 | −3 | 41 | |
| 5 | Murcia | 44 | 17 | 7 | 20 | 50 | 63 | −13 | 41 | |
| 6 | Sevilla | 44 | 14 | 11 | 19 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 39 | |
* ↑ Real Sociedad qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as champions of the Copa del Rey.

### Results

| Home \ Away | ATM | BET | MUR | RSO | SEV | VLD |
| Atlético Madrid | | 3–2 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| Betis | 2–1 | | 5–0 | 5–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| Murcia | 1–2 | 3–2 | | 4–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| Real Sociedad | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | | 2–1 | 2–0 |
| Sevilla FC | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | | 1–2 |
| Valladolid | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | |

## Relegation group
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Athletic Bilbao | 44 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 51 | 50 | +1 | 42 | |
| 2 | Las Palmas | 44 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 59 | 67 | −8 | 41 | |
| 3 | Sabadell | 44 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 38 | |
| 4 | Osasuna | 44 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 40 | 48 | −8 | 38 | Qualification for the relegation playoffs |
| 5 | Racing Santander | 44 | 12 | 9 | 23 | 46 | 66 | −20 | 33 | Qualification for the relegation playoffs |
| 6 | Cádiz | 44 | 10 | 9 | 25 | 31 | 59 | −28 | 29 | Qualification for the relegation playoffs |

### Results

| Home \ Away | ATH | CÁD | LPA | OSA | RAC | SAB |
| Athletic Bilbao | | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Cádiz CF | 1–1 | | 2–4 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 |
| UD Las Palmas | 1–2 | 2–1 | | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Osasuna | 0–0 | 3–2 | 4–0 | | 4–0 | 0–1 |
| Racing de Santander | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | | 4–0 |
| CE Sabadell FC | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |

## Relegation playoffs
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Osasuna | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 | |
| 2 | Cádiz | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 3 | Racing Santander (R) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 | Relegated to the Segunda División |

### Results

| Racing de Santander | 1-1 | Cádiz CF | Penalties:4-3 |
| Cádiz CF | 1-1 | Osasuna | Penalties:4-3 |
| Osasuna | 2-0 | Racing de Santander |

## Pichichi Trophy

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Hugo Sánchez | Real Madrid | 34 |
| 2 | Gary Lineker | Barcelona | 20 |
| 3 | Enrique Magdaleno | Mallorca | 19 |
| 4 | Gabriel Calderón | Real Betis | 18 |
| 5 | Pichi Alonso | Español | 17 |
* La Liga 1986–87 winners
* Real Madrid 22nd title