New strength of La Liga: Osasuna Club sets out to conquer the top

Rayo Vallecano welcome Deportivo Alavés to the Estadio de Vallecas on Thursday, 20 August 2026, for a LaLiga EA SPORTS 2026/27 fixture kicking off at 21:00 local time. Both sides enter this encounter with fresh ambitions for the new campaign, having undergone significant squad changes during the summer transfer window. For the hosts, this marks the beginning of the Beñat San José era after the Basque coach replaced Iñigo Pérez at the helm in June 2026, while Alaves remain under the guidance of Quique Sánchez Flores as they look to build on their late survival push from the previous term.

The Franjirrojos opened their league account with a hard-fought 0-1 victory away at Sevilla on the opening weekend, a result that showcased their defensive resilience under new management. However, they come into this fixture still nursing the disappointment of their 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig back in May. The 2026/27 squad has been bolstered by the arrivals of Georgian midfielder Giorgi Tsitaishvili on a free transfer from Dynamo Kyiv, Albanian defender Marash Kumbulla on loan from Roma, and Dutch centre-back Jozhua Vertrouwd from Castellón, while captain Óscar Valentín, Jorge De Frutos, and Isi Palazón remain the creative core.

Real Betis and Real Sociedad open their 2026/2027 LaLiga accounts on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla. Both sides have reshaped their squads during the summer transfer window and are eager to start the new campaign with a positive result in this early-season Andalusian-Basque clash. The Green-and-Whites will look to capitalize on their home advantage, while the visitors from San Sebastián aim to implement their refreshed tactical approach under a new coaching setup.

Betis closed the 2025/2026 season with encouraging home form, securing a 2-1 triumph over Levante and a 2-1 victory against Elche at La Cartuja. For the 2026/2027 season, Manuel Pellegrini's squad features Cucho Hernández and Antony leading the line, supported by the creative talents of Isco, Pablo Fornals, and Giovani Lo Celso in midfield, with Álvaro Valles between the posts. The hosts will be without Abde Ezzalzouli, Diego Conde, Aitor Ruibal, and Ismael Barea due to injury concerns.

Málaga CF welcome Deportivo de A Coruña to Estadio La Rosaleda on Monday, August 24, 2026, for a LaLiga Round 2 clash between two clubs making their return to Spain's top flight. Málaga secured promotion through the play-offs after finishing fourth in LaLiga Hypermotion, while Deportivo earned automatic promotion by finishing second behind champions Racing de Santander. Both sides will view this early-season encounter as a vital opportunity to claim points against a fellow newly promoted rival.

For the 2026/2027 season, Málaga manager Juan Funes has added LaLiga experience through the arrivals of defender José Salinas and midfielder Carlos Dotor, while homegrown striker Chupe remains the focal point of the attack after scoring 25 goals last campaign. However, the hosts face a significant injury crisis with Aarón Ochoa, Adrián Nino, Fernando Calero, Carlos Dotor, and Diego Murillo all unavailable. Deportivo boss Antonio Hidalgo can call upon veteran forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and in-form goalkeeper Leo Román, though the visitors will also be missing Noé and Yeremay Hernández through injury.

Osasuna and Levante face off on Monday, 24 August 2026 at Estadio El Sadar in Pamplona for Matchday 2 of the LaLiga 2026/2027 season. Both teams come into this early-season clash with new managerial setups, as Luis Miguel Ramis leads the home side while Luís Castro remains in charge of the visitors. The fixture promises to be an intriguing test for both squads as they look to build momentum in the opening weeks of the campaign.

The hosts have assembled a competitive squad for the 2026/2027 season featuring Sergio Herrera in goal, a defensive line of Enzo Boyomo, Abel Bretoñes, Alejandro Catena and Jorge Herrando, and a midfield anchored by Lucas Torró, Jon Moncayola and Aimar Oroz. In attack, Ante Budimir leads the line supported by Raúl Moro and Jonathan Dubasin. Osasuna's form heading into this match has been mixed, suffering a 1-0 defeat away to Getafe and falling to a 1-2 home loss against Espanyol in their final matches of the previous campaign.