Most of the headlines around the soccer universe today have been taken up by the Premier League, with 14 of the division’s clubs back in action on Saturday. But it wasn’t just England that saw the return of first-division football this weekend — over in Spain, La Liga kicked off the season with Real Sociedad hosting Getafe. The Erreala secured a 2-0 victory thanks to goals on either side of the break, thanks to goals from Carlos Vela and new boy Haris Seferović. That should give Real Sociedad a boost before their upcoming Champions League qualifying match, with the first leg taking place on Tuesday against Lyon.
Next up was a match between two sides that finished in the lower midtable last season, so you wouldn’t necessarily think you were about to see a thrilling match. But the game between Real Valladolid and Athletic Bilbao was fast paced and fun. Markel Susaeta kicked off the scoring for Athletic in the 28th minute, but Valladolid found an equalizer just three minutes later thanks to Patrick Ebert. Shortly after the restart, Athletic regained the lead through a goal by Iker Muniain, which seemed to break the hosts’ spirits. The match ended as a 2-1 victory for Athletic Bilbao.
The final match of La Liga’s Saturday saw Valencia play host to Málaga. With the sides taking 4th and 5th respectively last season, taking all three points was never going to be an easy task. But it was an important one for the new coach of los che, Miroslav Djukic, a former Valencia player. Fortunately for Djukic, Ricardo Costa broke through the Valencia defense in the 64th minute, and despite a flurry of activity from the visitors, the scoreline stood at 1-0.
La Liga action continues on Sunday with a host of great matches. First up is Barcelona hosting Levante, followed by Real Madrid vs. Real Bestis and Osasuna vs. Granada. The weekend wraps up with Atlético Madrid paying a visit to Sevilla.
