Soccer-LaLiga resumes following Spain's midweek European debacle

(Reuters) - Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will be back on the pitch for their LaLiga games this weekend, licking their wounds after disastrous midweek performances in the Champions League.

For the first time in history Spain had three teams knocked out of the top European tournament in the group stage, as Barcelona, Atletico and Sevilla failed miserably to advance past their groups to the round of 16.

Even champions Real Madrid, who were already through and playing to wrap up top spot, lost 3-1 at Leipzig on Tuesday, their first defeat in all competitions this season.

Carlo Ancelotti's team, who will host modest Girona on Sunday, are on top of the LaLiga standings on 31 points, three ahead of Barcelona, who lost the lead thanks to a 3-1 defeat to their bitter rivals at Santiago Bernabeu in 'El Clasico' two weeks ago.

The Italian manager is expected to bring back into action against Girona several regular starters like Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Federico Valverde who did not play against Leipzig when Real looked stale against a young and energetic German side playing for a top-two spot.

"More is learned from one defeat than from 10 consecutive victories," Ancelotti told a news conference on Tuesday.

"It is a defeat that hurts, but not too much because we still have another opportunity in the last game to finish top in our group."

That luxury will be denied to Barcelona, Atletico and Sevilla, who have already been eliminated from the Champions League.

Sevilla at least managed to win their first game in the tournament 3-0 against Copenhagen on Tuesday and will continue in the second-tier Europa League after ending up third in the group.

Enjoying the new manager bounce since Jorge Sampaoli arrived for his second