Ladies and gentlemen, it's here. The brand new LaLiga season kicks off this weekend, as does Flashscore's best-in-class betting coverage of Spain's flagship domestic competition. We've meticulously analysed the stats to provide you with a data-driven prediction for each of La Liga's opening round of La Liga fixtures, helping you bet with confidence this weekend. Here we go!
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Girona - Rayo Vallecano; Friday, 19:00h
The very first fixture of the La Liga season often throws up a few surprises, so it's usually difficult to predict the outcome of such ties. However, this one could be a little easier to read....
Historically, Girona have struggled at the Estadi Montilivi on matchday one, failing to win on each of the last five occasions (D4, L1) they've been handed a home tie on the opening weekend. Therefore, the Blanquivermells will have to reverse a prevalent recent trend if they are to secure all three points on Friday evening.
Rayo Vallecano will be eager to pick up where they left off, having concluded the 2024/25 La Liga campaign on a five-match unbeaten run. Notably, Los Franjirrojos haven't lost an opening day away fixture since 2021, and commenced the past two seasons with victories outside of the Spanish capital.
Iñigo Pérez has conducted plenty of positive work in the summer, which has been primarily focused on increasing his side's defensive intensity and operating more cohesively as a team. These efforts have translated into an impressive set of pre-season results. Rayo hammered PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands last month, before registering an eye-catching 3-0 triumph over Premier League new boys Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Rayo's current momentum, combined with Girona's aforementioned home record, leads us to believe the visitors are set to claim at least a share of the spoils in Catalonia.
Betting tip: Draw or Rayo Vallecano (8/15) (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Rayo Vallecano do not lose the match, regardless of the final scoreline.
Villarreal - Real Oviedo; Friday, 21:00h
The stats suggest Villarreal will comfortably dispatch Real Oviedo - and potentially score a decent number of goals in the process. The Yellows have never been beaten by Oviedo in La Liga (W2, D2), and only conceded one goal across the two clubs' four previous Spanish top-flight meetings.
Furthermore, Villarreal are currently on the cusp of delivering their best sequence of league results since 2007, having registered six consecutive victories to press. Conversely, Oviedo have only won once in their last five domestic outings. Perhaps even more concerningly, the Carbayones have never scored or gained a point when playing a La Liga away fixture on a Friday - is this a bad omen for this week's tie?
Marcelino's men consistently find the net on multiple occasions when facing inferior opposition, with the likes of Gerard Moreno capable of leveraging his varied attacking talents to break down stubborn defences. Given that Oviedo are also particularly susceptible to conceding away from home, Villarreal to win with over 1.5 goals in the match feels like a good bet to pursue.
Betting tip: Villarreal win and over 1.5 goals (4/6) (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Villarreal win and there is a total of two or more goals in the match.
RCD Mallorca - FC Barcelona; Saturday, 19:30h
The recent head-to-head record between these two clubs heavily favours Barcelona, who often defeat Real Mallorca by a high margin of victory. The San Moix has recently been a happy hunting ground for the Blaugrana, having recorded 14 wins in 17 league visits since the turn of the century. Throughout this remarkable run of results, Barça averaged more than two goals per match.
Hansi Flick's star-studded side haven't lost a domestic contest outside of Catalonia for over nine months (W8, D3), and are currently targeting an eight consecutive away triumph in La Liga. It's also worth noting Barcelona netted 174 times across all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, routinely scoring more than three goals in a single fixture.
On the other hand, Real Mallorca have lost in four of their last six La Liga outings, and clearly have a poor historical record against Saturday's opponents. Although Los Piratas often acquire a respectable number of points in the opening weeks of a new campaign, few will expect them to lay a glove on the reigning league champions.
We firmly believe the visitors will win this one convincingly.
Betting tip: Barcelona to win and score two or more goals (8/11) (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Barcelona win and score two or more goals in the match.
Valencia - Real Sociedad; Saturday, 21:30h
Although recent clashes between these two sides have mostly been tight affairs, there's evidence to suggest this fixture could produce a high volume of goals.
Valencia have scored in each of their last four meetings with Real Sociedad at the Mestalla, and can rely on prolific marksman Hugo Duro, who surpassed the ten-goal threshold for a second season in a row last term, to competently lead their front line. Sociedad also have a potent attacking weapon in their ranks, with homegrown hero Mikel Oyarzabal often finding his way onto the scoresheet. The Basque-born forward has already netted five times against Valencia, and will undoubtedly be desperate to add to this tally.
Both sides have also demonstrated their goalscoring prowess during pre-season. The Blanquinegros put three past Torino in the annual Trofeo Naranja on Saturday night, while Sociedad have scored in five of their seven pre-season friendlies this summer. Hopefully, we'll see plenty of further goalmouth action in the Turia capital this weekend....
With defences a little rusty and players struggling to maintain a competitive pace for the full duration of the 90 minutes, we often see plenty of goals on the opening matchday. This reality, coupled with each team's impressive attacking capabilities, leads us to the 'over goals' market.
Betting tip: Over 2.5 goals (2/1) (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if three or more goals are scored, regardless of the outcome of the match.
Athletic Club - Sevilla; Sunday, 19:30
Upon analysing the data, we believe a bet on Athletic Bilbao to win under 3.5 goals in the match is the most sensible course of action. San Mamés is a fortress: Valverde's side have only lost three league games at home in the last two and a half seasons, and have only once in their last eleven clashes with Sevilla (W9, D1) in Bilbao. Many of those wins have been secured by narrow margins, although Lehoiak's last triumph over the Andalusians on home soil was achieved thanks to a two-goal advantage.
Will the hosts prevail once more on Sunday evening? If Sevilla's recent troubles are anything to go by, surely the answer to this question is yes. Los Nervionenses have notched only two victories in a pre-season riddled by recruitment issues, with the club continually struggling to process new signings. As a consequence, Matías Almeyda only has 12 registered first-team players at his disposal for his first competitive match as Sevilla manager.
Betting tip: Athletic Club to win and under 3.5 goals (11/10) (bet365)
Explanation: The bet will land if Athletic Club either win 1-0, 2-0, 2-1 or 3-0.
Espanyol - Atlético Madrid; Sunday, 21:30
Historically, neither of these sides have dominated this fixture. Each of the last four clashes between Espanyol and Atlético Madrid have ended as a draw, with both teams often cancelling out one another.
Los Colchoneros seem to find it difficult to impose their game on Espanyol, who have a strong reputation for being awkward to play against. As a naturally cautious coach, Diego Simone is unlikely to commit a disproportionate number of players forward in pursuit of victory at such an early stage in the season, while Espanyol would surely be happy with a point against a potential title contender. Therefore, don't be surprised if we see little action in the final third, particularly during the first 45 minutes.
Although Espanyol's recent opening day record makes for dismal reading (no wins in the last seven seasons), their ability to shut down La Liga's 'elite' outfits increases the likelihood of a low-scoring affair. We expect very few chances to materialise in the first half as the two teams attempt to figure out each other's plans, giving us reason to believe the match will be all-square at the interval.
Betting tip: Half-time result - Draw (6/5) (bet365)
Explanation: The bet will land if the match is tied at half-time, regardless of the exact scoreline.
Elche - Real Betis; Monday, 21:00
This fixture is another difficult one to call.
Recent results could be used as evidence to back Real Betis, who have emerged victorious in each of their last two visits to the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero. Los Verdiblancos also boast an incredible record against newly promoted teams, having lost just once in their last 36 meetings with those who have recently arrived in Spain's top-tier.
However, Betis are currently wrestling with some major headaches. As well as losing the likes of Jesús Rodríguez in the summer transfer window, they've so far been unable to agree a deal for Brazilian international Antony following his glittering loan spell last term and have now lost influential playmaker Isco through injury.
Contrastingly, Elche are in a confident mood after finishing as runners-up in the Segunda División last season. Nevertheless, Los Franjiverdes have failed to win on the opening day in each of the last 11 seasons, registering zero goals on nine of these occasions.
With Real Betis nursing the absence of several key figures from last season's exceptional side and Elche likely to be in a tentative mood following a series of disastrous starts, it's almost impossible to predict what will happen in Monday's tie. As a consequence, we believe very few betting markets offer any genuine value. Avoid!
Betting tip: Don't place a bet on this fixture!
Real Madrid - Osasuna; Tuesday, 21:00
Xabi Alonso takes charge of his first domestic match since being appointed Real Madrid boss earlier in the summer.
Los Blancos will hope to continue enjoying facing Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabéu, having not lost on home soil to the Pamplona outfit for over two decades. The last two meetings between these sides in the Spanish capital ended in 4-0 victories for the hosts, with Madrid's superior attacking quality proving the difference. Indeed, Vinícius Júnior often produces his scintillating best in this fixture, netting 11 goals in his last 11 appearances against Los Rojillos.
Impressively, Real Madrid have triumphed in 14 of their last 17 league openers, most of which have been won by comprehensive scorelines. Having managed to retain all of their big stars during the summer transfer window, it's difficult to make a case for any other than a home victory.
For their part, Osasuna are a competitive side, but their recent record against Madrid - and in particular at the Bernabéu - speaks of a huge difficulty in containing Los Blancos' attacking flow. Furthermore, talismanic frontman Ante Budimir has never scored at the Santiago Bernabéu, which doesn't exactly bode well for a side who needs all of their key assets firing to have any chance of a result.
Although it's their first match of the campaign, Real Madrid certainly won't go easy on their unfancied opponents. Expect plenty of goals on Tuesday evening, with most going in at the Osasuna end.
Betting tip: Over 3.5 goals (3/2) (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if there are four or more goals scored in the match, regardless of the result.
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Odds, correct at time of publication, are subject to change.