22/08/2024
22/08/2024
MADRID, Aug 22, (Xinhua): The second round of matches in La Liga sees Kylian Mbappe make his home debut for Real Madrid, while FC Barcelona face a player they made a lot of noise about over this summer and Osasuna and Mallorca see a meeting of former heroes who have now changed clubs.
The first games are on Friday night when Celta Vigo plays its second consecutive home match with Valencia visiting their Balaidos Stadium.
Celta won its opening match with a goal from Iago Aspas, who should probably have been sent off earlier in the game. At the same time, Valencia impressed for half an hour against Barcelona, before running out of gas in the second half.
Sevilla will play Villarreal in Friday’s second match, with both sides still adjusting after a busy summer in the transfer window, and Sevilla is still trying to sign a new left-back.
Saturday kicks off with Osasuna at home to Mallorca, with the visitors traveling after holding Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw on the season's opening day. The team from the Balearic Islands is now coached by Jagoba Arrasate, who left Osasuna in the summer after six seasons in charge, with Osasuna naming Vicente Moreno as his replacement.
Moreno had a brief spell at Almeria last season but is best known for leading Mallorca to consecutive promotions and keeping them up in La Liga.
All eyes will be on Nico Williams when Athletic Bilbao visits FC Barcelona on Saturday evening.
The Spain international rejected a move to Barca over the summer, opting to stay at the club where he has spent all his career and who he helped win the Copa del Rey last season.
The fact that Barca have so far been unable to include new signing Dani Olmo in their squad, coupled with the decision to allow Ilkay Gundogan to leave on a free transfer, shows the depths of Barca’s financial problems against a rival that has got its house in order. It also implies that Williams made the right decision in staying at Athletic.
Real Sociedad was disappointed in its opening-day defeat to Rayo Vallecano and will again be without Arsenal-bound Mikel Merino for its visit to play Espanyol, although Martin Zubimendi should be in condition to start after being substitute last weekend.
Rayo travels to Getafe, who performed well in Bilbao last weekend, despite financial issues limiting their squad for the moment before Sunday kicks off with Real Madrid at home to Valladolid.
The game sees Kylian Mbappe make his Real Madrid home debut and the Santiago Bernabeu will be full, despite the game being played at the hottest time of the day.
Carlo Ancelotti is without the injured Eduardo Camavinga while Fran Garcia will step in at left-back for the suspended Ferland Mendy. For all of its attacking talent, Real Madrid looked unbalanced in Mallorca last weekend, although that shouldn’t be a factor against a recently promoted rival.
Leganes got a positive start to its return to the top flight as they drew away to Osasuna in its opening match, and they will fancy their chances of a win against Las Palmas on home soil.
Alaves take on Betis, hoping for better luck with the referee than in Vigo, while the weekend ends with a big game between Atletico Madrid and Girona.
Atletico has signed well over the summer, with Conor Gallagher the latest arrival this week, and the game will measure their potential against the team that finished third last season.
Girona has seen a lot of changes since the end of last season but did well to take a point from their visit to Betis, although this promises to be the biggest test of their top-four credentials against a rival who looks to be the only credible rival for Real Madrid this season.