Real Madrid and Barcelona will be looking to build on their solid starts to the season when they take on Alaves and Valencia on Saturday and Sunday respectively. First up though for La Liga fans is a Friday night double-header that sees Real Sociedad host Villarreal followed by Real Betis against Celta Vigo in an exciting start to Gameweek Two.
Full La Liga weekend fixtures:
Friday August 25th
Real Sociedad vs Villarreal
Real Betis vs Celta Vigo
Saturday August 26th
Alaves vs Barcelona
Levante vs Deportivo
Girona vs Malaga
Las Palmas vs Atletico Madrid
Sunday August 27th
Espanyol vs Leganes
Eibar vs Athletic Bilbao
Getafe vs Sevilla
Real Madrid vs Valencia
Real Betis vs Celta Vigo
Betis will both be looking to bounce back, after an opening day loss away to Barcelona, against a Celta side who threw away a lead against Real Sociedad and gave away a penalty in the dying minutes of the game to succumb to a 3-2 defeat at home. It is still early days in the campaign but neither side will have to contend with back-to-back defeats that will surely leave them in the bottom three and preparing for another season embroiled in a relegation battle. Celta Vigo finished 13th while Real Betis finished 15th, six points further back and just eight away from the dreaded drop.
In the corresponding fixture last season the two played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in which Celta striker Iago Aspas netted a brace for the visitors before Brazilian midfielder Petros was sent off for the home side in the closing stages for a second bookable offence. Real Betis’ 1-0 win away in April was their first over Celta since 2013, a run stretching 5 games which included three draws and two losses.
Alaves vs Barcelona
Barcelona began life without Neymar with a fairly straight forward 2-0 win over Real Betis in a game where none of their forwards could score. Messi hit the woodwork three times while right-back Sergi Roberto added to an own-goal by opposite number Alin Tosca. They will face a tougher test of their credentials against an Alaves side who 9th in La Liga last season in the first campaign back in the top flight for four years. The Babazorros opened their campaign with a 1-0 away to Leganes last week.
Alaves shocked the Blaugrana faithful in September last year when they came away from the Nou Camp with the unlikeliest of 2-1 victories courtesy of goals from Deyverson and Ibai Gomez. That was their first win in their last 10 attempts against Barcelona, dating back 15 years. Barca earned their revenge in the corresponding fixture however, hammering six unanswered goals past a hapless Alaves – Messi, Suarez and Neymar all on the scoresheet, before beating them once again in the final of the Copa del Rey, an achievement in itself for Alaves, but a real indicator of how far the team has come and the threat they pose to Barca this weekend.
Real Madrid vs Valencia
Los Blancos and Los Che will both be looking to make it two wins in two after victories last week over Deportivo la Coruna and Las Palmas respectively. No Ronaldo, no problem for Zinedine Zidane or Real Madrid as goals from Gareth Bale, Casemiro and Toni Kroos secured a comfortable 3-0 opening day win. They will be without defender and captain Sergio Ramos, however after he was sent off in stoppage time against Deportivo. Valencia, looking to improve on last season’s disappointing 12th place finish, opened their account with a 1-0 win – Simeone Zaza with the only goal of the game.
The two exchanged blows last season. Valencia won 2-1 at home, Zaza on the scoresheet that night, before Real Madrid returned the favour in the corresponding fixture at the Bernabeau in an eventful outing that saw Cristiano Ronaldo miss a second half penalty before Marcelo’s 86th minute goal cancelled out Dani Parejo’s late leveller for a 2-1 home victory of their own.
Valencia have won just four of their previous 20 encounters, however, against them and we have to cast our minds back nearly 10 years to March 2008, when David Villa netted a brace to help complete a 3-2 turnaround at the Bernabeau for their last away victory over Real Madrid.