EA Sports LaLiga continues with Matchday 2 of the competition. Celta and Valencia will open the second round by facing each other this Friday, August 23, at Balaídos. On Saturday, FC Barcelona will host Athletic in Montjuic, in one of the big matches of the day. Finally, the second round of the championship will end on Sunday, August 25, with Real Madrid facing Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabéu and Atlético de Madrid facing Girona at the Metropolitano.
Celta – Valencia (Friday, August 23 at 7:00 p.m. | DAZN)
Celta are looking for their second win of the season to stay at the top of the table, after having come from behind against Deportivo Alavés in the first matchday. They will face a Valencia team that FC Barcelona turned around at home in the opening game, but that has shown that it is still the same competitive team as last season, far from the crisis of other years.
Sevilla – Villarreal (Friday 23 August at 9.30pm | Movistar, GolPlay)
Sevilla and Villarreal face each other at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Both teams are coming off a draw in their respective league debuts and will be looking to take home the first three points. Sevilla came close to taking the win against Las Palmas, but a great Jasper Cillessen prevented them from doing so. Villarreal had an entertaining draw against an Atlético de Madrid side that had been greatly reinforced in the summer.
Osasuna – Mallorca (Saturday 24th August at 17.00 | Movistar)
Osasuna is back at home after being held to a draw by newly promoted Leganés. Vicente Moreno’s team knows that it cannot afford to let points slip away at El Sadar and will try to get back on track against Mallorca. It won’t be easy because Jagoba Arrasate’s team, which is returning to what was its home for many years, showed against Real Madrid that it has what it takes to make anyone uncomfortable.
Barcelona – Athletic (Saturday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m. | DAZN)
Barça will be hoping to continue their strong run when they host Athletic Bilbao at Montjuic on Saturday. The Catalans were unable to secure the signing of Nico Williams this summer and will now have to face him again as a rival, as they did in the quarter-finals of the last edition of the Copa del Rey, when the Basques won. Barça also hope to be able to count on Dani Olmo, the Catalans’ star signing who missed the opening matchday because the club did not have the financial means to sign him.
Getafe – Rayo Vallecano (Saturday 24 August at 9.30pm | DAZN)
Getafe will face Rayo Vallecano in a duel between two teams from Madrid. The blue team has just taken a good lead in its visit to San Mamés, in which Christantus Uche was the star, coming on as a striker and scoring, being a midfielder by training. Now, Bordalás’ team will want to record its first defeat against a Vallecano team that also surprised everyone by winning away against Real Sociedad. Íñigo Pérez’s team cannot be underestimated, as they want to stay at the top of the table for one more match.
Espanyol – Real Sociedad (Saturday 24th August at 9.30pm | Movistar)
The RCDE Stadium, Cornellá for the nostalgic, will once again host a Primera Division match this Saturday when Espanyol host Real Sociedad. The periquito team is coming off a painful defeat in their visit to Valladolid, in what was a direct duel for survival. Espanyol knows that if they want to stay in the top flight, they will have to add a lot at home. On the other side of the field will be a Real Sociedad side that is out of place after a summer with important casualties, having just lost at home to Rayo Vallecano.
Real Madrid – Valladolid (Sunday, August 25 at 5:00 p.m. | Movistar)
Real Madrid were not satisfied with the draw in the first matchday and will seek redemption at home against newly promoted Valladolid. The Whites will have to find the necessary balance so that a squad with so many stars can become a compact, solid and complete team. Valladolid come to the Santiago Bernabéu with nothing to lose and will try to hurt their rival through counterattacks led by players such as Raúl Moro, a winger with a lot of balance who already guided Pucela to its first victory of the season.
Leganés – Las Palmas (Sunday, August 25 at 7:00 p.m. | DAZN)
Leganés is once again in the Primera Division. The newly promoted team from El Pepinero, who drew well at El Sadar, will host a UD Las Palmas team that could only manage to salvage a point at home, saved at the end by goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen. The Canary Island team had a great year last season, but will have to adapt quickly to the post-García Pimienta era if they don’t want to get into trouble this season.
Alavés – Betis (Sunday 25th August at 19.15 | Movistar)
Alavés host Betis after losing their visit to Balaídos. Luis García Plaza’s team knows that the key to last season’s great season was the strength they showed playing at Mendizorroza, where they host the Betis this Sunday in search of their first home win of the year. Betis, meanwhile, is coming off a draw at Benito Villamarín against Girona and will also want to add three points this Sunday.
Atlético de Madrid – Girona (Sunday, August 25 at 9:30 p.m. | DAZN)
Atlético de Madrid and Girona close the second day of the League with a match that promises to be exciting. Two of the best four teams from last season face each other at the Metropolitano, both looking for their first victory of the season. The colchoneros will present their new signings at home, against the Catalan team, who always compete with the help of a great coach like Míchel.
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