La Liga Roundup, Matchday 2
The second matchday of the 2026/27 La Liga season has concluded, featuring exciting games, impressive individual displays, and surprising outcomes. Below is a recap of these La Liga encounters.
Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Alaves
Mariano Díaz once again made an impact coming off the bench for Deportivo Alavés, scoring in the 84th minute to secure a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano. The match was held at Leganés’ Estadio Butarque because Rayo Vallecano’s usual stadium was unavailable.
Betis 1-0 Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad have now gone seven consecutive away LaLiga matches without a victory, after losing 1-0 in their season opener against Real Betis Balompié at Estadio La Cartuja. Betis, who have only lost two of their last 14 head-to-head encounters, secured an ideal start to the season. Having qualified for the UEFA Champions League last season, Betis will be keen to build on their success this year.
Athletic Bilbao 1-3 Sevilla
Sevilla built on their late victory over Rayo Vallecano last weekend by securing another win, defeating a 10-man Athletic Club 3-1 in LaLiga. Oso played a crucial role with both a goal and an assist, helping Sevilla achieve their first win in four trips to San Mamés.
Valencia 0-0 Celta Vigo
Valencia and Celta Vigo showed little spark in a lackluster start to their LaLiga seasons, ending in a goalless draw at the Mestalla Stadium. Los Che have managed only one win in their last eight head-to-head encounters, with three draws and four losses.
Espanyol 1-2 Real madrid
Real Madrid managed to avoid defeat in their first LaLiga match for the 18th consecutive season, thanks to a late winning goal from newcomer Carlos Espí, securing a 2-1 victory over Espanyol. This marked José Mourinho’s seventh consecutive win in his managerial debuts. Real seized their crucial moment in the first minute of added time when Espí was the fastest to respond to a loose ball inside the penalty area, dribbled past Dmitrović, and powerfully scored into an empty net, ending Espanyol’s four-game unbeaten streak in LaLiga and securing a winning start for Real.
Atletico Madrid 2-2 Villarreal
Iñigo Pérez is still awaiting his first victory as Villarreal’s head coach after his team was held to a 2-2 draw by a 10-man Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium in LaLiga. Meanwhile, Atlético manager Diego Simeone will be satisfied with his squad’s determination, as earning four points from their first two matches is a solid start.
Getafe 1-0 Racing Santander
A penalty save and a late goal earned Getafe their first victory of the new LaLiga season, as they defeated Racing Santander 1-0 at the Coliseum. The visitors remain without a win since their return to the top division. Getafe have now gone 10 home games unbeaten against newly promoted teams, while Los Verdiblancos suffered their first defeat at Getafe in their last five visits.
Elche 0-5 Barcelona
Barcelona extended their winning streak against Elche to 13 consecutive matches across all competitions with a 5-0 triumph at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero. This defeat marked Elche’s first home loss in eight matches (with 4 wins and 3 draws previously) and prevented Martín Anselmi from becoming one of the five club managers (out of 24) to win their debut game against Barcelona. Following this victory, Hansi Flick’s team has yet to draw in their last 36 LaLiga matches, holding a record of 30 wins and 6 losses.
Osasuna 0-0 Levante
Osasuna moved past their disappointing end to last season, which saw five consecutive losses, but were unable to secure a victory as an outstanding performance by Mathew Ryan helped Levante earn a 0-0 draw at the Estadio El Sadar in La Liga. Since both teams ended last season with the same number of points as relegated Real Mallorca, they will be eager to claim their first win of the new campaign as soon as possible. However, earning a point helps both teams halt their negative streak.
Malaga 1-1 Deportivo de A Coruña
La newly promoted LaLiga teams Málaga and Deportivo de A Coruña played to a tight 1-1 draw at Estadio La Rosaleda, with Juan Francisco Funes’ team maintaining their strong home form, suffering only one loss in their last 20 games (11 wins, 8 draws).
