The new La Liga season gets underway across Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of August with several intriguing opening weekend fixtures. We take a closer look at three encounters from a betting perspective below.
After Barcelona’s title winning campaign last season, the side begin the new campaign as favourites to retain the crown at 1.70, while Real Madrid trade at 2.10 and Atletico Madrid are trailing at 5.00 and you can get 51.00 and better the balance
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SATURDAY:
SEVILLA vs RAYO VALLECANO
Sevilla endured a disappointing 2025/26 campaign, finishing 13th on the table with 43 points. They struggled for consistency throughout the season and ended the campaign with consecutive defeats to Real Madrid and Celta Vigo.
Their pre-season form has been more encouraging, recording victories over Utrecht, Nijmegen, AD Ceuta and Cordoba before a narrow 2-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in their final friendly that took place last Saturday.
Rayo Vallecano finished 8th last season with 50 points, securing a top half finish through their organisation and ability to avoid defeats. They ended the campaign strongly with a 2-0 win over Villarreal and a 2-1 away victory at Alaves.
However, their build up for the season has been poor with defeats to Feyenoord, Hearts and Ipswich although they did pick up a 3-2 win away at Charleroi two weeks ago.
Head-to-Head
Sevilla have dominated this fixture recently, remaining unbeaten in the last six meetings with three wins and three draws. The meetings between the sides last term were competitive with Sevilla edging the first clash 1-0 on the road while the second fixture was drawn 1-1.
Betting – click here to bet
Sevilla 2.35
Draw 3.25
Rayo Vallecano 3.40
Verdict
Rayo finished above Sevilla last season but Sevilla’s strong head-to-head record and improved pre-season form give them the edge at home. This looks likely to be a tight contest but I am backing Sevilla to make a winning start wuth a disciplined performance.
BET: Sevilla to Win at 2.35
SUNDAY:
RACING SANTANDER vs VILLARREAL
Racing Santander return to LaLiga after an excellent promotion winning campaign in the second division, where they finished 1st with 82 points. They ended last season in strong form, scoring four goals against both Cadiz and Valladolid in their final home fixtures.
Their preparation has been inconsistent, suffering defeats in four of their last five games despite claiming a win over Sporting Gijon as slight favourites where the final scoreline reflected 4-1 for the home side.
Villarreal enjoyed an outstanding 2025/26 season, finishing 3rd in LaLiga with 72 points and securing Champions League football qualification. They ended the campaign with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Atletico Madrid and were one of the league’s most dangerous attacking sides with 72 goals scored.
They have also looked sharp across friendlies in the last few months, defeating Galatasaray, PSV, Como and Levante, with only a couple of defeats against Benfica and Lens.
Head-to-Head
The historical record is evenly balanced, with two wins each and two draws in the last six meetings. Racing did cause an upset by defeating Villarreal 2-1 in the Copa del Rey last season while prior to that they met twice in the Segunda Division in 2012/2013 where Villareal won 3-0 and 1-0.
Betting – click here to bet
Racing Santander 3.15
Draw 3.65
Villarreal 2.30
Verdict
Racing’s home support will make this a difficult opening fixture but Villarreal finished among the elite sides in Spain last season and have carried strong momentum through their latest clashes. Their superior quality should be enough to take all three points and I think they will be able to overwhelm a newly promoted Racing side.
BET: Villarreal to Win at 2.30
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ESPANYOL vs LEVANTE
Espanyol finished 11th last season with 46 points, ending their league run in respectable form with a 2-1 away win over Osasuna before drawing with Real Sociedad in their final game on home soil. They showed improvement in the closing weeks after a difficult middle portion of the season.
Their preparation has been inconsistent with draws against Burnley, Middlesbrough and Sabadell, a heavy defeat to Coventry and convincing wins over Pau and Olot all taking place over the past month.
Levante narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing 16th with 42 points. They ended the campaign with a defeat to Real Betis but had built up a three match winning streak prior to that with a notable 3-2 triumph over Celta Vigo on the road.
The squads form throughout their pre-season has been relatively positive, recording wins over Castellon, Albacete, Al Qadsiah and Leganes, while only losing narrowly to Villarreal and Sheffield United.
Head-to-Head
Espanyol have enjoyed the better of this fixture in recent years, remaining unbeaten in the last six meetings with three wins and three draws. The teams drew both league meetings last season, including a goalless draw in Barcelona.
Betting – click here to bet
Espanyol 2.15
Draw 3.40
Levante 3.85
Verdict
These sides were separated by only four points last season but Espanyol’s stronger head-to-head record and home advantage make them deserved favourites in my book. Levante are capable of making this competitive, though Espanyol look the more likely winners and I think they will be fired up to break the run of stalemates between the sides with a dominant display this weekend.
BET: Espanyol to Win at 2.15
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
