La Liga Roundup, Matchday 1
Matchday 1 of the 2025/26 La Liga season has concluded, featuring exciting matches, impressive performances from players, and surprising outcomes. Here is the La Liga roundup for this round of games.
Girona 1-3 Rayo Vallecano
Girona suffered the consequences of a poor first-half performance as Míchel’s team fell 3-1 to his former club, Rayo Vallecano, on the season’s opening day. This result marked the visitors’ first-ever away victory against Girona in La Liga.
Villarreal 2-0 Real Oviedo
Villarreal showed no mercy against Real Oviedo, who were celebrating their 100th anniversary season by returning to La Liga football for the first time in 25 years, beating them 2-0. Last season, Villarreal also won all six of their league games against newly-promoted teams. This loss was only Oviedo’s second defeat in their last 15 competitive matches, highlighting the challenge the Carbayones will face at this higher level.
Mallorca 0-3 Barcelona
Barcelona kicked off their title defense with a 3-0 victory over Mallorca at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, securing their eighth consecutive away win and extending manager Jagoba Arrasate’s personal losing streak against the Catalan team to nine matches. In the end, Barcelona comfortably achieved their 14th win in 17 season openers (alongside 2 draws and 1 loss), while Mallorca experienced their first opening day loss in a decade.
Valencia 1-1 Real Sociedad
Valencia and Real Sociedad ended their La Liga opening match in a 1-1 draw, with two goals scored in the second half. Sergio Francisco began his tenure as La Real’s manager with a point. Ultimately, neither team managed to score a second goal, resulting in their first head-to-head draw in six encounters.
Alaves 2-1 Levante
Levante, recently promoted, faced a harsh reality check in their return to La Liga after a three-year hiatus, losing 2-1 to Deportivo Alavés at Campo de fútbol de Mendizorroza. This victory marks Alavés’ first opening day win in a La Liga season in five years.
Celta Vigo 0-2 Getafe
Getafe secured only their second win in 15 La Liga season openers by defeating Celta Vigo 2-0 on the road, preventing the home team from achieving a record third consecutive top-flight head-to-head win. The visitors managed to maintain their lead for a surprising victory in the final moments, despite eight minutes of added time. Celta will be disappointed to lose their first home game, especially given their strong 2024/25 season.
Athletic Bilbao 3-2 Sevilla
Athletic Bilbao narrowly defeated Sevilla 3-2 after letting a two-goal advantage slip, extending their unbeaten streak against Sevilla to five matches (4 wins, 1 draw). Sevilla have now failed to win their opening game in the past four La Liga seasons, but new coach Matías Almeyda will likely be encouraged by his team’s determination.
Espanyol 2-1 Atletico Madrid
Espanyol overturned a goal deficit to create an upset on the first weekend of the La Liga season, defeating Atlético Madrid 2-1 at the RCDE Stadium. This victory ended an eight-match winless streak against Atlético. It was Espanyol’s first La Liga opening day win in eight tries, while Diego Simeone experienced his first opening day loss as Atlético’s manager.
Elche 1-1 Betis
Elche kicked off their L aLiga comeback with a strong 1-1 draw against last season’s UEFA Conference League finalists, Real Betis, at the Estadio Martínez Valero. However, it has been 52 years since Los Franjiverdes began a top-division season with a win. The result was a testament to the home team’s determination and earned them an important point before a challenging away match at the Metropolitano Stadium next Saturday against Atlético Madrid.
Real Madrid 1-0 Osasuna
Real Madrid began their season by extending their unbeaten streak in La Liga to 21 games against Osasuna with a 1-0 victory at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday night. This marks the 17th consecutive La Liga season in which Real Madrid have avoided defeat on the opening day (12 wins, 5 draws). Given that Osasuna only managed two away wins last season, their fans might have anticipated a defeat to start the new campaign.
