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

FC Barcelona open their 2026/2027 LaLiga account with a mouth-watering home fixture against Athletic Bilbao at Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Hansi Flick has shaped an exciting squad for the new campaign, blending La Masia graduates Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Pau Cubarsí with summer acquisitions Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, and João Cancelo, while the Basque visitors under Luis García Plaza will look to spoil the party with their trademark physicality and high-tempo pressing.

The Blaugrana's form heading into the new season offers a mixed narrative. Their 2025/26 league campaign concluded with a disappointing 3-1 reverse at Mestalla, though they quickly rediscovered their scoring touch by sealing a convincing 3-1 victory over Real Betis in their final home outing of that term. Yet a sobering 1-0 setback away to Alavés in mid-May served as a stark reminder that Barcelona remain vulnerable against well-organised defensive units, a blueprint Athletic Bilbao will surely look to exploit.

Celta Vigo will face Osasuna at the Estadio Abanca-Balaídos on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in what marks an early LaLiga 2026/2027 season fixture for both sides. The hosts come into this encounter following a hard-fought 0-0 draw away at Valencia on the opening weekend, while Osasuna will look to establish momentum after a mixed conclusion to their previous campaign.

The Sky Blues have assembled a competitive squad for the 2026/2027 campaign, with key players including goalkeeper Ionut Radu, defenders Carl Starfelt and Marcos Alonso, midfielders Ilaix Moriba and Miguel Román, and attacking options such as Williot Swedberg and Borja Iglesias. Manager Claudio Giráldez will however be without Matías Vecino and Javi Galán through injury. Celta's home form remains solid, having secured a 1-0 victory over Sevilla in their final home outing of the previous term.

Deportivo Alavés will face Villarreal at the Estadio de Mendizorroza on Friday, August 28, 2026, in a LaLiga 2026/2027 fixture that promises an intriguing contest between two sides with contrasting early-season trajectories. Alavés enter the match unbeaten after two games, having recorded a draw and a win, while Villarreal remain winless with two consecutive draws despite showing resilience against stronger opposition.

The home side are expected to line up in a 5-3-2 formation with Antonio Sivera in goal, a back five of Nahuel Tenaglia, Ville Koski, Jonny Otto, Ángel Pérez and Abderrahman Rebbach, a midfield trio of Pablo Ibáñez, Antonio Blanco and Mikel Rodríguez, and an attacking partnership of Lucas Boyé and Toni Martínez. Alavés will be without Facundo Garcés through suspension, though their recent form has been solid, drawing 1-1 away to Rayo Vallecano before registering a commanding 3-0 home victory over Getafe.

Racing Santander welcome Elche to the Estadio El Sardinero on Friday, August 28, 2026, for a crucial LaLiga 2026/2027 early-season clash. Both sides are desperate to pick up momentum after sluggish starts—Racing sit 14th with one point from two matches, while Elche languish in 18th with the same tally. The hosts will look to capitalize on home advantage in Cantabria, where they have historically been tough to break down, while Elche aim to recover from a humbling 0-5 defeat to Barcelona last time out. Manager José Alberto López has stressed the importance of defensive solidity, knowing that three points here could kick-start Racing's campaign.

For the 2026/2027 season, Racing Santander have assembled a competitive squad built around the experience of Sergio Canales and the creativity of Iñigo Vicente and Andrés Martín. New signing Julen Agirrezabala has taken over in goal after arriving from Athletic Club, while the backline features Álvaro Mantilla, Manu Hernando, Pablo Ramón, and Jorge Salinas. In midfield, Gustavo Puerta and Sergio Martínez provide the engine room, with Asier Villalibre leading the line. Elche, under new manager Martín Anselmi, counter with a squad captained by Pedro Bigas and featuring Matías Dituro in goal, defenders David Affengruber and Víctor Chust, and attackers Fer Niño and Ali Houary. The visitors will be without Yago Santiago and Adam Boayar through injury, while Racing are missing Pedro Felipe.

LaLiga 2026/2027 Matchday 3 brings an intriguing clash between Levante and Real Betis at the Estadio Ciutat de València on Saturday, August 29, 2026. Levante are still searching for their first win of the campaign after a difficult start, while Betis have opened with a victory and carry momentum under Manuel Pellegrini. With the visitors sitting higher in the early table and boasting superior firepower, our prediction for this fixture is a 1-2 away win for Betis.

Levante's 2026/2027 squad features captain Roger Brugué leading the attack alongside Iván Romero and Jon Ander Olasagasti in midfield, with Mathew Ryan between the posts and defensive experience provided by Aïssa Mandi and Jeremy Toljan under head coach Luís Castro. The Frogs were thrashed 3-0 by Espanyol on the opening weekend and managed only a 0-0 stalemate at Osasuna last time out, failing to score in either match and managing just one shot on target across both fixtures. That blunt attacking display is a major concern heading into a meeting with a Betis side that has kept clean sheets in competitive action this term.

Real Sociedad host Espanyol at the Reale Arena on August 29, 2026, in an early-season LaLiga Santander fixture that pits two sides with contrasting starts to the 2026/2027 campaign against one another. While the Basque outfit are still looking to get off the mark after an opening-day setback, the Catalan visitors have already shown promising signs and sit comfortably in the top half of the table.

The home side's form heading into this encounter offers cause for concern, as they began the new term with a 1-0 defeat away to Real Betis and also ended the previous season on a sour note, collapsing to a 3-4 loss against Valencia in their final home match of 2025/26. Those results have left Pellegrino Matarazzo's men searching for answers at both ends of the pitch, particularly in defence where they have struggled to keep opponents at bay.

Sevilla will host Atlético Madrid at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in what promises to be an electrifying early-season LaLiga encounter. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30 UTC. Both sides enter this fixture with renewed squads for the 2026/2027 campaign, and the match represents a significant test of their title credentials. Sevilla currently sit top of the table with six points from two victories, while Atlético Madrid occupy third place with four points from one win and one draw.

The home side has undergone notable squad changes ahead of the 2026/2027 season. Manager Luis García can call upon new arrivals such as Scottish striker Robbie Ure, Georgian midfielder Giorgi Kochorashvili, and French midfielder Lucien Agoumé, while goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos has returned on loan from Newcastle United. Captain Gabriel Suazo and defender Kike Salas provide experience at the back. Sevilla's early form has been impressive, as demonstrated by their recent victories including a 1-3 triumph away to Athletic Bilbao and a 2-1 home win against Rayo Vallecano.

Celta Vigo will host Athletic Bilbao at the Estadio Abanca-Balaídos on Sunday, August 30, 2026, in an early-season LaLiga 2026/2027 clash that pits two ambitious squads against one another. The home side have assembled a competitive roster featuring captain Iago Aspas, goalkeeper Ionuț Radu, defenders Marcos Alonso, Javi Rodríguez and Carl Starfelt, midfielders Ilaix Moriba, Matías Vecino and Sergio Carreira, plus attacking options Ferran Jutglà, Williot Swedberg and Hugo Álvarez. Athletic Club counter with a star-studded lineup led by captain Iñaki Williams and his brother Nico Williams, supported by goalkeeper Unai Simón, defenders Aymeric Laporte, Yuri Berchiche and Andoni Gorosabel, midfielders Oihan Sancet, Álex Berenguer and Beñat Prados, and striker Gorka Guruzeta.

Celta Vigo enter this fixture in formidable shape, having gone unbeaten across their last seven matches in all competitions while netting eight goals in their most recent five outings. Manager Claudio Giráldez has cultivated a well-balanced side that defends resolutely at Balaídos, though he will be without the injured Borja Iglesias and Couhaib Driouech. Their recent form includes a disciplined 0-0 draw away to Valencia and a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Sevilla on the final day of the previous campaign, results that underline their capacity to control games and grind out crucial points.

Deportivo La Coruña will face Valencia CF on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Estadio Municipal de Riazor in A Coruña for Matchday 3 of the 2026/2027 LaLiga EA SPORTS season. This fixture marks an important early test for the home side, who have returned to Spain's top flight after an eight-year absence following their promotion from the Segunda División. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30 local time, with both teams looking to build momentum after mixed starts to the campaign.

Antonio Hidalgo's Deportivo squad for the 2026/2027 season features a blend of experience and fresh talent, with 37-year-old striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the attack alongside youngsters like Luismi Cruz, Bil Nsongo, and Jonathan Asp Jensen. Goalkeeper Leo Román, signed from Mallorca, anchors a defense that includes Ximo Navarro, Bright Ede, Giacomo Quagliata, and Angelino on loan from Roma, while Lorenzo Amatucci and Mario Soriano provide midfield stability. The hosts have drawn both of their opening matches, earning a point in a 1-1 away stalemate at Málaga and another 1-1 result at home against Elche, showing defensive resilience but a lack of cutting edge in front of goal.

Real Madrid welcome newly-promoted Málaga to the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, August 30, 2026, for a LaLiga EA SPORTS fixture that marks an early test for both 2026/2027 squads. Los Blancos have assembled a star-studded roster headlined by Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and summer arrivals Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, and Denzel Dumfries, while Málaga counter with a blend of experienced campaigners like Alfonso Herrero, Fernando Calero, and Pablo Martínez alongside fresh faces such as Eneko Jauregi and Haitam Abaida.

Carlo Ancelotti's side enters the contest in confident mood after opening their league campaign with a hard-fought 1-2 victory away at Espanyol, building on the momentum of last season's closing run that included a dominant 4-2 triumph over Athletic Bilbao at the Bernabéu. The hosts will look to Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Endrick to supply the creativity and firepower needed to break down a disciplined Málaga back line.

Osasuna will host Getafe at Estadio El Sadar on Monday, August 31, 2026, in what promises to be a tightly contested LaLiga 2026/2027 fixture. Both teams enter this early-season clash looking to build momentum, with the Navarrese side aiming to capitalize on their home advantage against a Getafe outfit that has historically proven difficult to break down. The match kicks off at 17:30 UTC in Pamplona, where Osasuna have traditionally enjoyed strong support and solid results against visiting Madrid-based teams.

Recent form suggests a cagey affair could be on the cards. Osasuna come into this match off the back of a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Levante at El Sadar, demonstrating their defensive resilience but also their struggles in front of goal. The Rojillos will be keen to improve on that result, particularly after suffering a 1-0 defeat away to this same Getafe side in their last encounter back in May. For their part, Getafe secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Racing Santander in their most recent outing, though they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Alavés in their season opener, highlighting some defensive vulnerabilities that Osasuna will hope to exploit.