La Liga Roundup, Matchday 1
The initial round of La Liga has wrapped up, showcasing thrilling games, standout player displays, and unexpected results. Below is a recap of the matches from the first matchday of La Liga.
Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Getafe
Athletic Bilbao and Getafe continued their trend of drawing matches, ending their game in a 1-1 tie at San Mamés, marking the fifth draw in their last six encounters. Ernesto Valverde’s team has gone 19 home league games without a loss, a feat not achieved since 1984, but they have failed to win their opening La Liga match for the fifth consecutive season. On the other hand, José Bordalás’ team has not secured a victory against Athletic Bilbao in their last nine meetings, dating back to the 2019/20 season.
Real Betis 1-1 Girona
Real Betis missed out on a victory in their La Liga season opener, settling for a 1-1 draw against Girona. This result allowed them to maintain an unbeaten streak against the Red and Whites at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, extending it to eight matches. Ultimately, neither team managed to secure a win, and Manuel Pellegrini’s side will regret the opportunities they squandered in the first half. On the other hand, Girona showed significant improvement after halftime, but the draw in Seville means that last season’s UEFA Champions League qualifiers have not won any of their last five La Liga opening matches.
Celta Vigo 2-1 Alaves
Celta Vigo broke an eight-year streak of not winning on opening day by overcoming Alavés 2-1, scoring both goals in the second half. Following four wins and a draw in preseason, along with several important new signings, there is a sense that Celta may be poised for a stronger season ahead. Conversely, Alavés, known for their solid defensive play, surprisingly struggled, allowing Celta to secure their first opening day win in nine attempts.
Las Palmas 2-2 Sevilla
Las Palmas managed to equalize twice against Sevilla in their La Liga season opener, resulting in a 2-2 draw that kept the home team winless in their last eight league matches at home. With momentum on their side, Las Palmas aimed for a winning goal but ultimately could not secure it, leading to a shared outcome on the first weekend of the season. The home supporters were grateful to Cillessen, who made two outstanding saves to thwart Djibril Sow in the final moments, helping Las Palmas break a seven-match losing streak in head-to-head encounters. Meanwhile, Sevilla managed to avoid defeat in their first away match of the season for the first time in three years.
Osasuna 1-1 Leganes
Osasuna came back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw against Leganés in their first match of the 2024/25 La Liga season, maintaining their unbeaten streak at home against newly-promoted teams to seven games. In the final moments, Osasuna had the upper hand and were unfortunate not to secure all three points, as a remarkable fingertip save from Soriano prevented Bryan Zaragoza from scoring. In the end, Leganés managed to hold on for what they will consider a valuable point in their return to La Liga.
Valencia 1-2 Barcelona
Barcelona kicked off their 2024/25 LaLiga season with a win, netting two goals just three minutes apart to achieve a 2-1 comeback victory against Valencia at the Estadio de Mestalla. Fueled by their enthusiastic home crowd, Los Che sought to equalize, but despite their efforts, the Blaugrana managed to secure the win, giving new coach Flick a successful start with three points.
Real Sociedad 1-2 Rayo Vallecano
In one of the biggest surprises of the La Liga opening weekend, Rayo Vallecano secured a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena, marking their first head-to-head win since January 2015. Even with Martín Zubimendi playing in the second half, Rayo remained unfazed. Substitute Sergio Camello sealed the win with a well-placed shot past Remiro just six minutes before the end of regular time. This win ends Sociedad’s nine-year dominance in their matchups, but it is just one contest in an ongoing rivalry, as Rayo will have just under a week to prepare for their match against Getafe on Saturday.
Mallorca 1-1 Real Madrid
Although Real Madrid extended their unbeaten streak to 28 matches across all competitions, they couldn’t secure a victory in their opening game of the 2024/25 La Liga season, settling for a 1-1 draw against Mallorca at the Estadi Mallorca San Moix. The match lacked a decisive goal, but there was a notable incident when Ferland Mendy received a late red card for a reckless tackle on Muriqi. Mallorca will likely be more satisfied with the outcome than Real Madrid. Ancelotti will hope this result is merely a minor setback, while Jagoba Arrasate, in his debut as Mallorca’s manager, clearly has a solid foundation to build upon.
Real Valladolid 1- 0 Espanyol
In the opening matchday clash between the two teams that returned to La Liga, Real Valladolid triumphed over Espanyol with a 1-0 win, extending their unbeaten streak to 12 head-to-head matches at the Estadio José Zorrilla, thanks to a goal from Raúl Moro. A solid performance from Paulo Pezzolano’s squad secured the three points for Valladolid, who had not managed to defeat Espanyol in three league and cup encounters last season, as they strive to break a four-year cycle of bouncing between the top two divisions.
Villarreal 2-2 Atletico Madrid
Villarreal and Atlético Madrid kicked off their season with an exciting 2-2 draw, featuring four goals in the first half. This result marked the third 2-2 tie in their last four encounters at Villarreal’s home ground. New signing Julián Álvarez made his debut for Atlético in the 78th minute, followed shortly by Ayoze Pérez for Villarreal. However, neither player was able to make a significant impact. The closest to scoring a winner was Nicolas Pépé, whose free-kick in the 82nd minute hit the crossbar. Ultimately, the match ended in a draw after an entertaining game.
