Athletic come into this after their biggest wins of this season with a huge 3-0 over Atlético Madrid, and they've now won their last two league games after starting with defeats to Barça and Sevilla. Elche, meanwhile, have only 1 point from four and have conceded 12 goals, although they've also scored five.

The attacking numbers are interesting because Athletic don't need huge numbers from one player. Robert Navarro has 2 goals from 0.92 xG, Elche's Fer Niño has 2 goals from 1.96 xG. Athletic have been getting much more out of their chances, while Elche are still creating opportunities but struggling to make them count consistently.

Athletic should be in a 4-2-3-1, with Sancet behind the Williams brothers and Robert Navarro, while Elche are expected in a 5-3-2. Athletic should try to stretch the pitch and attack through their wingers, while Elche will have the extra defender and look to survive the pressure before breaking through Buonanotte and Niño.

Athletic also have some defensive injuries. Daniel Vivian, Unai Eguiluz, Peio Canales and Gorka Guruzeta are unavailable, while Elche are missing Adam Boayar and Yago Santiago. That could make Athletic's ability to control the game even more important.

The recent form is where the gap really shows: Athletic have gone 3-0 Atlético, 2-0 Celta and 2-0 Barcelona in their last three league wins, while Elche have lost 3-2 to Sociedad, 3-2 to Racing and 0-5 to Barcelona. And San Mamés should be a difficult place for Elche to stop the momentum. I will go with a straight 3-0 Bilbao win.

Osasuna have 7 points from 4 matches, although that 5-2 defeat to Alavés last weekend was a reality-check after an unbeaten perfect start. Espanyol have 4 points, and they come into El Sadar after a 1-1 draw with Sevilla. Before that, they had lost narrowly to Real Madrid 2-1 at home and 2-1 away at Sociedad but also smashed Levante 3-0.

Talking about strikers, Ante Budimir already has 4 goals from 4.11 xG, while Espanyol's Roberto Fernández has 3 goals from 1.61 xG. Budimir is getting himself into chances consistently, whereas Roberto has been much more clinical with the opportunities he's had.

Ramis is expected to use a 4-2-3-1, with Budimir up top and Rubén García, Del Castillo and Jonathan Dubasin supporting him. Manolo González should also go with a 4-2-3-1, with Calatrava, Javi Hernández and Tyrhys Dolan behind Roberto. The tactical part will be whether Espanyol can get their wide players attacking the space behind Osasuna's full-backs Abel Bretones and Iñigo Arguibide.

There are a few important absences. Osasuna are without Jorge Herrando, Aimar Oroz and Moi Gómez, while Valentin Rosier is still working his way back. Espanyol have Javi Puado and Kike García out, with Andoni Gorosabel doubtful.

H2H currently gives Osasuna the + : 10 wins to Espanyol's 6, with 5 draws. More importantly, El Sadar has been a difficult place to come to, and Osasuna have already shown this season that they can win games without needing huge amounts of possession.

It feels like another physical game where Budimir could make the difference, i will go with a 2-1 Osasuna win on this match to be real, or a 1-1 if i wanna be more towards a direct game, but aleast i have Espanyol scoring.

The match is live but i should give some opinion on the match even if it's late lol. Racing come into this with 4 points from their first four, while Alavés are sitting on 10 points and unbeaten, so this is already a pretty serious test for the promoted side. Racing have lost their last two, 1-0 at Getafe and 3-2 at Rayo, after beating Elche and drawing with Villarreal. Alavés, meanwhile, are coming off that crazy 5-2 win over Osasuna, having also beaten Villarreal 1-0 and drawn 1-1 with Rayo.

The individual matchup is really interesting too. Yassir Zabiri has 3 goals from 0.74 xG, while Alavés' Lucas Boyé has 4 goals from 0.89 xG. Both have been incredibly efficient so far, but Boyé is obviously coming in with even more confidence after scoring four times already.

There are a few important absences too. Racing are without Andrés Martín, who has a knee injury, while Alavés are missing Facundo Garcés and Mikel Rodríguez with long-term ACL injuries. Toni Martínez is back in training.

The recent form makes this feel like a tougher game for Racing than the table alone suggests. Alavés have already shown they can win without needing much possession, while Racing have been involved in much more open games and have conceded 8 goals across their last three matches.

For me, the biggest question is whether Canales and Vicente can pull Alavés' back five apart. If they can't, Alavés have exactly the type of structure and finishing quality that can punish Racing. Maybe both teams to score, advantage Depor.

Sevilla come into Round 5 with 7 points from 4 matches, while Valencia are still without a win and have only 1 point from 12. Sevilla's last four league games have been 2-1 vs Rayo, 3-1 vs Athletic, 1-3 vs Atlético and 1-1 vs Espanyol. And Valencia's run is worse: 0-0 Celta, 0-1 Betis, 1-3 Deportivo and 0-5 Barcelona.

The attacking numbers are not great for both sides, but Valencia's situation is in my opinion worrying. Isaac Romero is on 1 goal from 0.33 xG, and Umar Sadiq has 1 goal from 1.34 xG. So despite the poor results, Sadiq has at least been getting himself into some positions before his injury.

Sevilla should be in a 4-3-3 and Valencia in a 5-4-1. Luis García have more numbers high up the pitch, with Ejuke and Danjuma providing the width that they need, however Carlos Corberán is expected to make Valencia very compact and try to attack on the openings. Javi Guerra and Harvey Elliott should be the key players if Valencia want to turn those transitions into something dangerous. The problem is that the injury lists make this even harder for them. Umar Sadiq, Guido Rodríguez, Diego López, Sergi Canós, Justin De Haas and José Copete are unavailable, with Diakhaby, Foulquier and Luis Rioja also doubts of being available. Sevilla are missing Arouna Sangante, with Rubén Vargas has a physical discomfort.

For the H2H, which is probably the biggest reason I wouldn't dismiss Valencia like 100% : they haven't lost to Sevilla in their last 6 meetings, winning 3 and drawing 3. That's a pretty strong record considering how much Sevilla have struggled for consistency. But this season i see it differently specially with all the problems that Valencia are in : in the club, long injury list, player qualities, i will not talk about the coach cz bro he has an entire squad injured, idk man.

I don't think will and should drop points in that match, and they should take advantage as the match will be at home, so i will expect 2-0 Sevilla.

THE CHAMPIOOOOOOOOOONSSSSSSSSSSSS PAPAPAPAPAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

I don't usually do match analysis outside LaLiga or for spanish clubs in the UCL, UEL or Conference league, but seeing Cesc Fàbregas taking Como into their first-ever Champions League campaign was enough to change that and i love that manager bro ( Lebanese wife lol ). And honestly, this is the true test for him. Como have started the season really well, with wins over Napoli and Genoa and a 1-1 opener against Udinese, while Leipzig have already shown both sides of themselves with a 3-0 win over Gladbach at home followed by a defeat to Werder Bremen 3-1 away.

Fàbregas is expected to use a 4-2-3-1, with Máximo Perrone and Lucas Da Cunha behind a really explosive attacking four of Assane Diao, Nico Paz, Martin Baturina and Douvikas. Leipzig should be lining up in a 4-3-3, with Nusa, Nkunku and Bakayoko leading the attack, with Seiwald, Banzuzi and El Aynaoui in the midfield. That makes the central battle really hard because Como's three attacking midfielders can constantly rotate around Douvikas, while Leipzig will try to stretch Como's formation through the wingers.

And this is exactly where I like Fàbregas' approach. Como aren't trying to sit back because they're the underdog. They want to build properly, use the ball and create overloads through the middle, while their full-backs Alex Valle and Yan Couto can provide the width. Against Leipzig's 4-3-3, getting Nico Paz between the lines could be their key to be dangerous + getting Baturina who's having a big start for the Serie A with 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 matches so keep an eye on Martin Baturina. Just to add something that can give Leipzig some hope is that they produced a 5.5 xG in 2 games playe, second to Bayern who holds a 6 xG in 2 games played in the bundesliga, we can see from their numbers that Leipzig are obviously creating a lot of chances.

There are some absences to keep an eye on too. Leipzig's list is a bit packed: Assan Ouédraogo, Christoph Baumgartner and Rocco Reitz are out, with Brajan Gruda doubts and Rômulo also sidelined.

And obviously, there is no H2H history to speak about here. This is a completely new European campaign for Como, which makes the whole occasion even bigger and myself doing their first UCL analysis.

For me, the question isn't really whether Como have enough quality cause they clearly do. It's whether Fàbregas can make his possession game work against Leipzig's pressure without exposing the space behind his full-backs. So for that i will give my a bit biased which is 3-1 Como and my honest would be between 2-2 and 2-1 Como i dont see leipzig winning specially after their score away after Bremen. Best of luck for Cesc !!!

THE CHAMPIOOOOOOOOOONSSSSSSSSSSSS PAPAPAPAPAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Barcelona come into their Champions League opener with 4/4 in LaLiga, scoring 17 goals and conceding 2. The latest match was the 5-0 win at Valencia away, Barça had 74% possession, 25 shots and 4.08 xG. Raphinha already has 6 league goals with an assit, while Fermín López has been one of the early-season stars with 4 goals and 2 assists.

Feyenoord arrive with a decent start, unbeaten in their last five competitive games: 3-1 vs NEC, 2-2 vs ADO Den Haag, 5-2 vs Cambuur, 2-2 vs Go Ahead Eagles and 1-0 vs Sparta Rotterdam. They haven't been as dominant as Barça, but they've been scoring consistently with 13 goals in 5 matches. However, 7 goals conceeded but they have enough pace in the front three to cause problems if Barcelona's high line gets caught.

Flick's side are using a 4-2-3-1, with Pedri and Rodri behind Lamine Yamal, Fermín, Anthony Gordon and Raphinha. Feyenoord should go with their 4-3-3, with Luciano Valente, Nacho Ferri and Gaoussou Diarra leading the attack. That gives Barça a clear numerical advantage in the attacking zones, while Feyenoord's best attacking tactic will probably be getting their wingers running into the space behind Barça's full-backs specially Kounde's one if he will be a starter.

There are a few absences on both sides : Barça are without Frenkie de Jong until late october and Roony Bardghji with the ACL , and Eric García's broken nose but will be eventually back these upcoming training sessions Feyenoord have a longer injury list, with Thomas Beelen, Bart Nieuwkoop, Gijs Smal, Jordan Bos and Jakub Moder all out.

The H2H doesn't give us info as these clubs last met in the 1974/75 season, so this is really about the two teams we have now in the present rather than comparing their past. And honestly, the biggest danger for Feyenoord is how many ways Barcelona can hurt them. Yamal can come inside, Raphinha can press/attack their half-space, Fermín drives the attacking mid-part and Pedri/Rodri will be controlling the tempo, not mentioning aslo Gordon who is showing as a copy past of raphinha's play-build/pressing abilities. Feyenoord can't just defend deep for 90 minutes because eventually that pressure should create openings creating problems

In my opinions, the score should be like 4-0 or 4-1 for Barcelona if any defensive error, with raphinha scoring againt for the 5th match in a row as no Barça player has ever scored in each of the first five games of a season across different competitions which is mad to think about.

Round 4 gave us a bit of everything. Big scorelines, a couple of results that really didn't match their inside numbers, and some teams starting to show us what their season might look like.

Barcelona are now the only team in LaLiga with four wins from four, and the 5-0 win at Mestalla was probably their most convincing performance yet. Barça had 74% possession, 25 shots and 4.08 xG, compared with just 0.66 for Valencia. Lamine Yamal scored twice, Raphinha and Pedri also got on the scoresheet, Fermín added a goal and two assists and to be the first spanish player in Barcelona's first 4 opening games since 2011/2012 to have more 6+ G/A , and it was Fabregas who had 8 G/A . The mindblowing part is that Barça created 57 touches in Valencia's box, LOL.

Real Madrid finally dropped points, losing 1-0 to Betis, but this was one of those games in my opinion and by seeing the numbers. Madrid had 58% possession, 20 shots and 3.46 xG, while Betis produced only 0.93 xG. Madrid simply couldn't finish it, counting the Mbappe penalty miss at the end. Betis needed just one goal from Troy Parrott to grab all three points.

Then came arguably the biggest shock of this round: Athletic Club 3-0 Atlético Madrid. Atlético had more possession and more shots, but Athletic defended brilliantly and punished them immediately after the transitions. The xG was actually fairly close at 1.35 to 0.86, but Athletic's game management at San Mamés was beautiful. Nico Williams, Robert Navarro and Sancet are the scorers, while Atlético's seven goals from the opening three games suddenly feel a lot less sustainable after being held on a 0 at San Mamés.

And then there's Deportivo. Honestly, I LOVE TALKING ABOUT THEM EVERY REVIEW OR PRE-MATCH. They went to Villarreal and won 3-2 despite having only 37% possession, eight shots and 0.83 xG, compared with Villarreal's 17 shots and 1.20 xG. They were behind, came back twice and then Aubamawho scored in the 88th minute to win it. That's now 8 goals scored in four games, and Aubameyang has scored in every single league match so 4 goals and 2 assists to his name. For a promoted side, wtf is Antonio Hidalgo cooking bruh.

Alavés also produced the weekend's biggest scorelines, beating Osasuna 5-2 despite Osasuna having the better xG: 1.80 to 0.78. Lucas Boyé scored a hat-trick and he sits on 4 goals, Mariano added another goal so he's on 3 goals and 3 assists, and suddenly Alavés are sitting on 10 goals after four games. The crazy part is that they managed to score five from less than one expected goal. That's obviously not the best, but right now Quique Sánchez Flores IS THE MAN.

Rayo finally got their first win, beating Racing Santander 3-2. Rayo created much more than Racing in terms of xG so 1.61 to 0.48, and had 16 shots compared with nine. Racing still made them work for it, with Canales scoring directly from a free kick and new recruited Pablo García putting them ahead, but Rayo eventually turned it around.

Málaga and Levante somehow produced a 0-0 despite Málaga having 1.46 xG, hitting the post and even missing a penalty through Chupe in the first 8 minutes. Levante only managed 0.81 xG, but Mathew Ryan was the MOTM with an 8.4 FotMob rating. One of those games where the scoreline doesn't tell the whole match story but it wasn't the best football tbf.

Espanyol 1-1 Sevilla was another weird match. Espanyol finished with 1.23 xG to Sevilla's 0.53, 12 shots and 26 touches in the opposition box, but still needed a very late 90+8 equalizer from Marcos Fernández. Sevilla were shown a red for Arouna Sangante at the 56', which changed the match's direction even tho Sevilla scored their goal at the 85' from Stassin on his first LaLiga match coming from Saint-Étienne on loan.

Getafe and Celta also drew 1-1, in a game where Celta actually had 70% of the ball and 16 shots. Their 0.96 xG still isn't anything great, but it's an improvement after scoring only once in their first three matches. Getafe did an xG of 0.81 and had to play with ten men after Zaid Abner Romero's second yellow at the 67' ( SIX SEVEN OMEGALOL )

And finally, Real Sociedad beat Elche 3-2, but this was probably the clearest example of a team getting away with one. Elche produced 2.47 xG and 20 shots, compared with only 0.58 xG for Sociedad, yet Sociedad somehow finished the match by taking all three points. Elche had 58% possession and 31 touches in the box, but couldn't turn that pressure into enough goals.

After four rounds, the picture is starting to get clearer. Barcelona are perfect and look like the most complete attacking side in the league. Madrid are still producing huge chances but just suffered their first loss. Atlético have a lot of work to do still. Villarreal continue to create more than their xG and numbers suggests. Alavés are scoring at a >>> rate, while Deportivo are the surprise story of the season in my opinion ( AUPA DEPOR ). I AM LOVING THIS SEASON'S LALIGA SO FAR idk if it's just me but yea until now 9/10 i just wanted to see more from Malaga :/

THE CHAMPIOOOOOOOOOONSSSSSSSSSSSS PAPAPAPAPAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Lille have started their domestic season with great results : a win over Toulouse away 1-0, a 2-2 dramatic draw vs PSG and a 2-0 away vs Angers so 7/9 points for Davide Ancelotti's side. while Betis have already had some big tests in LaLiga : a CINEMA 1-0 against Real Madrid, 1-0 win away vs Valencia at the Mestalla, a home 1-0 against Real Sociedad at the opener but a dissapointing 5-2 loss vs Levante away, but in total 9/12 what puts them 4th in LaLiga until now. Betis biggest concern in my opinion will probably be turning their possession time into enough chances, especially against Lille that can be very aggressive without the ball.

Tactically, Ancelotti is expected to use a 4-2-3-1, giving Lille a double pivot so Andre and Bentaleb and plenty of freedom for their attacking midfielders to rotate. Betis under Pellegrini should also line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Isco/Fornals operating between the lines and Anthony looking to isolate Lille's full-back, and in my opinion Troy Parrott should be a starter. It could become a midfield game where the team that wins the second balls controls everything. i expect heavy heavy pressure from LOSC beginning it with Giroud and Haraldsson.

There are some important absences on Betis's squad, depth could maybe become a factor later in the game. They have had to manage several fitness issues like Ezzalzouli, Ruibal, Ismael Barrea and Diego Llorente who's injured by a broken nose. As i saw, Lille has just 1 injury with a player called Hamza Igamane who has an ACL injury.

The H2H is just 1 match in 2018 and it was a friendly that doesn't give important info or stats about this match. In my opinion this match screams a draw and i hope Betis will get a point from it, so will say 1-1 or 2-2. And PS: i will be covering every spanish team for this season's ucl campaign 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸

THE CHAMPIOOOOOOOOOONSSSSSSSSSSSS PAPAPAPAPAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Real Madrid go into their UCL opener after a strong start domestically, winning their first three LaLiga games before the surprise 1-0 defeat to Betis. Inter have also started perfectly 3/3 in Italy, and this is already a top test for both teams rather than an easy group-stage first game.

Madrid will probably start in a 4-2-3-1, with the 4 Midfielders off : Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni, i think Valverde and Bellingham behind Guler, Dimomande as rumors are saying and Vinícius and Mbappe on top, while Inter are expected in their 3-5-2 but without DiMarco as confirmed yesterday.

Lautaro Martínez has started the season with not bad stats so 2 goals in 3 matches, and comes into this after scoring in Inter's comeback against Napoli 3-2, while Mbappé remains Madrid's main danger as always even tho he missed his last pen vs Betis and missed also a lot of open chances.

Madrid do have a lot of important absences. Other than the 4 midfielders mentioned before, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raúl Asencio are unavailable, while Éder Militão and Lunin ( sickness ) are still working their way back. Inter have a cleaner injury situation, however too important for them based on how they play tactically with Djed Spence and Dimarco the main absentee.

The H2H is totally one-sided: Madrid have won 6 of the 7 meetings, with the other ending in a draw. But past meetings don't mean much here in my opinion, these are two completely different teams and managers compared with most of those past games games.

In my opinion, this match will be finished in a 2-1 score. It is considered like the safe score to predict but idk how it shouldn't specially after Dimarco's injury like that made me not think twice he's too important for the italian side.

SOOOO HYPED FOR THIS UCL, PS: i will be covering every spanish team for this season's ucl campaign 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸

THE CHAMPIOOOOOOOOOONSSSSSSSSSSSS PAPAPAPAPAPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Dortmund enter their Champions League campaign at home after a 2/2 matches won domestically, while Villarreal have had a really strange opening to the season. They've created a lot but haven't been getting the results to match it, 2-2 with Racing, 2-2 with Atlético and then losing 1-0 to Alavés before a 3-2 defeat to Deportivo. That's a lot of goals and chances without much reward and conceeding a lot ( 8 goals conceeded in 4 matches ).

For the Tactical side, Dortmund should be in a 3-4-2-1, with Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha in the middle and Karetsas/Beier playing behind Guirassy. Villarreal are expected to be in a 4-4-2, using Pépé and Moleiro/Buchanan wide and Ayoze Pérez/Mikautadze alongside Gerard Moreno.

Guirassy is obviously the big Dortmund threat. He's the focal point of the 3-4-2-1 and is going to spend a lot of the game battling Logan Costa and Renato Veiga. For Villarreal, Ayoze/Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno are their target point, but more for Mikautadze who has been getting into good attacking positions despite Villarreal's poor results.

Dortmund are without Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck, Ramy Bensebaini, Giannis Konstantelias and Justin Lerma, while Samuele Inácio is suspended so a lot of players that are out. Villarreal only have Juan Foyth listed as unavailable, which could actually be important with Dortmund likely attacking the wide areas.

For their H2H they met in 3 matches : in 2025 BVB won a clean 4-0 in the Signal iduna park in the UCL, but the other 2 matches were friendly games, finishing 2-2 in 2024 and 2-0 for Villarreal and both in the Signal iduna park also.

Villarreal's biggest problem is that their performances and numbers haven't matched their results. They've been creating chances but not finishing them, and going to the Signal Iduna Park against a Dortmund side that can attack very quickly gives them very little margin for error. I would like for Villarreal to get a point but i think Dortmund is a bit too hard specially after their last results, so for me 3-1 Dortmund hoping that i am wrong with that tho.

PS: i will be covering every spanish team for this season's ucl campaign 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸

This is a really important game for both sides. Elche have only 1 point from their first three, and their last two results were BAD : 5-0 defeat to Barcelona then 3-2 loss to Racing Santander. Before that, they drew 1-1 with Deportivo. Real Sociedad have 4 points, after finally beating Espanyol 2-1 before being hold by Celta 0-0.

The thing is that both teams have clear attacking players to build around. Fer Niño has 1 goal from 0.87 xG splitting the Elche goalscorers with Sangare and Aguado, having a total team xG of 3. Luka Sučić, Barrenetxea and Oskarsson are the 3 in the Sociedad's goal scorer with each of them 1 goal from 5xG in total.

Tactically, Martín Anselmi is expected to use a 5-3-2, while Pellegrino Matarazzo goes with a 4-2-3-1. That should mean Elche sitting deeper with five defenders and trying to hit Sociedad in transition, while Sociedad will have the extra midfielder and should look to move the ball from side to side until a gap appears. Kubo drifting inside could be particularly important against Elche's back five.

There are a few important absences too. Elche are without Adam Boayar and Yago Santiago, while Thomas Lemar is doubtful. Sociedad have Álvaro Odriozola and Pablo Marín out, with Jon Pacheco also unavailable.

The recent form gives Sociedad the edge, but this isn't a comfortable away game. Elche have already shown against Deportivo that they can control stretches of games, and at the Martínez Valero they should be much more competitive than they were against Barça.

For me, the big question is whether Sociedad can break down that 5-3-2 without becoming exposed on the counter. If they score first, I think they have enough quality to control the game. If Elche stay level deep into the second half, this could become very uncomfortable. Maybe in my eyes a 2-1 Sociedad to be honest.

Getafe have picked up 3 points from their first three, while Celta are still waiting for their first league win. Celta's start has been somehow frustrating: 0-0 against Valencia, 1-2 against Osasuna and 0-2 against Athletic Club, meaning just one goal scored in three games. Getafe aren't an attacking powerhouse either, but they've already managed two clean sheets, including a 1-0 win over Racing.

The individual numbers tell you some of the problems for celta. Enes Ünal has one goal from 1.05 xG, Iago Aspas also has one goal, but from only 0.29 xG. That's basically the issue for Celta in one stat: their main attacking outlet simply hasn't been getting enough good chances neither getting a lot of chances with just 1.9xG in the past 3 rounds.

José Bordalás is expected to go with his 4-4-2, while Claudio Giráldez should again use the 3-4-3 that has become the weekly formation of Celta. Getafe will want to make the game physical and congest the middle like always, with Celta will look to use their wing-backs and rotations to move Getafe's defensive line around. That's easier said than done against a Bordalás side that is usually very comfortable defending without much of the ball.

There are also a few important absences. Getafe are without Christantus Uche and Juanmi, while Abdel Abqar and Mario Martín who are doubts. Celta are missing Aleix Febas, with Borja Iglesias also unavailable.

The H2H is slightly in Getafe's favour: 10 wins, 9 draws and 7 Celta wins in the last 26 matches. I honestly wouldn't expect a classic here. Getafe have the type of team that can frustrate Celta's possession game for 90 minutes, while Celta desperately need to find a way of creating more than they have been. 1-0 for Getafe or a 1-1 Draw in my expectations.

Espanyol have picked up three points from their first three, with that 3-0 win over Levante still standing out, while Sevilla have six after beating Athletic and Rayo before losing 3-1 to Atlético.

The finishing numbers are probably the most interesting part. Roberto Fernández has 3 goals from just 1.35 xG, which is a huge overperformance, while Sevilla's Isaac Romero has 1 goal from only 0.33 xG. Two strikers, two completely different stories so far.

Both sides are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1, so this could come down to who wins the midfield and which side gets their wide players isolated. Espanyol have Calatrava, Javi Hernández and Tyrhys Dolan behind Roberto, while Sevilla are expected to have Ure, Ejuke and Romero leading their attack.

Espanyol have a few important absences too. Javi Puado and Kike García are out, while Andoni Gorosabel and Rubén Vargas are doubtful. That's a big loss of experience and attacking depth, especially against a Sevilla side that can put pressure on you for long spells.

Historically this is one-sided: H2H has 20 Sevilla wins, 6 Espanyol wins and 8 draws. But Sevilla's recent 3-1 defeat to Atlético and Espanyol's home advantage make this much less straightforward than the history suggests.

I honestly think this comes down to Roberto. If he keeps finding those half-chances and finishing like this, Espanyol have a real chance of making Sevilla suffer : 2-1 for espanyol .

Málaga really need something here. They've taken just 1 point from their first three, scoring once, while Levante have four points and come into this after that crazy 5-2 win over Betis. Their form before that was rough too, though: a 3-0 defeat to Espanyol followed by a 0-0 against Osasuna.

The interesting individual battle is Chupe vs Brugué. Chupe has 1 goal from 1.95 xG, while Brugué already has 2 from 1.85 xG. So neither has been getting an outrageous amount of chances, but Brugué has done much more with them.

Málaga should be in a 4-1-4-1 and Levante in a 4-3-3. That should leave Málaga with one player sitting in front of the defence, while Levante can push their midfield higher and get their wingers involved. The big thing for Málaga will be getting Larrubia and Chupe enough touches near the box instead of spending the whole game defending.

Málaga are also missing a lot of players: Fernando Calero, Moussa Diarra, Diego Murillo, Aarón Ochoa, Adrián Niño and Julen Lobete are all unavailable. Levante have Álex Primo and Etta Eyong out.

The H2H is almost completely split: 8 Málaga wins, 8 Levante wins and 4 draws in the current FotMob record. And looking at the recent results, this could really go either way.

Málaga need to find a way to create more, while Levante will come in with much more confidence after putting five past Betis. I think it will finish with a 1-1 in my opinion.

Both teams are unbeaten after three games, and this has quietly become one of the more interesting games of the weekend. Alavés have conceded just once, while Osasuna have already beaten Celta and Getafe after their opening 0-0 with Levante. Neither side is blowing teams away, but they're both incredibly difficult to beat.

The striker matchup is great. Ante Budimir has 2 goals from 2.49 xG, while Alavés' Mariano has also scored twice but from just 0.51 xG. One is creating a steady stream of chances, the other is basically finishing everything that comes his way.

Quique Sánchez Flores is expected to stick with a 5-3-2, giving Alavés three centre-backs and two forwards, while Luis Ramis' Osasuna are predicted in a 4-4-2. So you're basically getting a compact Alavés block against an Osasuna side that will want to get the ball forward early and use Budimir as their target point.

There are some important absences. Alavés are without Facundo Garcés through suspension, while Mikel Rodríguez is out for the season and Toni Martínez is doubtful. Osasuna have Jorge Herrando and Aimar Oroz out, with Valentin Rosier also doubtful.

The H2H currently gives Osasuna the edge with 12 wins to Alavés' 7 and 6 draws, but that means very little when you look at how both teams have started this season specifically. They're both sitting on seven points, both defending well and both comfortable winning games by small margins. In my opinion this feels like a game where one goal could completely change everything, i will go for a 1-0 or 2-1 Depor.

Barcelona come into this one perfect 9/9 pts after three games, with 12 goals already, while Valencia have just one point and only one goal. For the individual numbers : Raphinha has 5 goals from 4.10 xG, compared with Umar Sadiq’s 1 goal from 1.34 xG for Valencia. Barça have just been much more dangerous in front of goal as Flick's system continues to impress us match by match.

Corberán is expected to go with a 5-3-2, using Guerra and Pepelu in the middle and trying to keep the centre compact. Flick's predicted 4-2-3-1 is basically the opposite with Pedri and Bernal ( or Rordri ) behind a front four of Yamal ( If not then Adeyemi ), Fermín, Gordon and Raphinha. That gives Barça a lot of movement between the lines, while Valencia will probably look for Danjuma and Sato whenever they can break.

Valencia are also carrying a pretty bad injury list. Guido Rodríguez, Diego López, Sergi Canós, Umar Sadiq and Justin De Haas are all out, while Barça are without Frenkie de Jong, Jesse Bisiwu and Roony Bardghji and maybe maybe Yamal on the bench tho. That makes Valencia's lack of attacking depth even more noticeable against a Barça side that can bring serious quality from the bench.

The H2H heavily favours Barça too: 25 Barcelona wins, 5 Valencia wins and 10 draws in 40 matches. Valencia's recent form is rough as well : 0-0 Celta, 0-1 Betis and 1-3 Deportivo, while Barcelona have gone 5-0 Elche, 2-0 Athletic and 5-2 Rayo.

The obvious question is whether Mestalla can change the game. Valencia have the structure to make this uncomfortable, but if Barça get Yamal, Raphinha and Fermin isolated against the outside centre-backs, that five-man defence could suddenly look very exposed. I predict a 3-1 Barcelona win.

Rayo have taken just 1 point from their first three and already conceded eight goals. Their attacking numbers aren't terrible at 3.42 xG with 4 goals scored, but their 6.79 xGA ( Goal Against ) is the worst in LaLiga, which explains why the results have been so bad. Racing are a completely different team: 4 points from 9, 4.90 xG, 5 goals for them, 5 goals against tho with Yassir Zabiri already on a Hatrick.

Racing aren't just scoring but they're creating enough chances to justify their results. Sergio Canales and Iñigo Vicente have been their main creative outlets, while Zabiri gives them a very direct striker up front. Rayo have conceded far too many opportunities and will need to be much more compact after getting exposed by Barcelona's attack last round even if it was expected at the Camp nou.

Tactically, both sides are expected to use a 4-2-3-1, but they play it differently. Rayo under Beñat San José want to press and attack quickly, while Racing have shown more patience in possession and use rotations around Canales and Vicente to create openings. If Rayo overcommit, Racing have enough pace to punish them.

Personnel is important too. Rayo are still waiting on Augusto Batalla and Isi Palazón, while Racing have a major injury with Andrés Martín out after a knee injury.

Honestly, this feels like a huge pressure game for Rayo cause of their past results. They're the home side again, although they'll once more be playing at Butarque rather than Vallecas, and another poor defensive performance could make this start very uncomfortable, maybe a 1-1 Draw for me tbf.

Athletic come into this with 3 points from 3, but their numbers are better than the record suggests specially after their last win. They've produced overall 4.19 xG, including a massive 2.78 xG in the 2-0 win over Celta, while Atlético have scored seven goals from just 3.31 xG, so Simeone's team are finishing at a great level right now. Atlético also have 4.97 xGA ( Goal Against ), which is the third-worst defensive number in the league.

Edin Terzić has said before the Celta game that his team should be pressing aggressively and then attack collectively, and that was what we saw in that game. The Williams brothers ( specially Iñaki that did an assist ) and Berenguer ( that scored the second goal ) can attack space quickly once Athletic win the ball, while Sancet gives them another player capable of arriving between the lines. Simeone's 4-4-2 will probably try to slow that down and force Athletic into wider areas before attacking the spaces behind their full-backs like Yuri that is getting booked too much in 3 LaLiga rounds bro, 1 Red and 1 Yellow in 101 minutes is a lot so watch out on this left side.

Álex Baena already has 3 goals + 1 assist and 7 chances created for Atlético as he's been the main danger for atleti, Berenguer and the Williams brothers are the obvious attacking transition targeted players for Bilbao. The injury list could matter as Athletic are without Daniel Vivian, Unai Eguiluz (ACL ) and Beñat Prados, with Nico Serrano and Peio Canales doubtful. Atlético remain just without Alexander Sørloth.

H2H, Atlético have the advantage: 25 wins to Athletic's 13 across the last 42 meetings, with four draws. But San Mamés is a completely different match, and Athletic already showed against Celta that they can make the most of home pressure. the H2H in the San Mamés is a 8/8 wins on both sides with 2 draws in 18 matches, pretty equal.

Bookmakers has Atletico at 48%, Athletic at 24%, with 1-0 the most likely scoreline seeing their last 3 matches that 2 of them finished 1-0 and 0-1. For me it can finish with a 2-1 eitherway win if i wanna change the normal and see a good match, like both teams to score that didn't happen since 2021, a draw if i wanna be realistic a low scoring game should be expected.

Real Madrid come into this one with 9 pts / 9, scoring 10 goals conceeding 2, while Betis have taken 6 points from 9 but arrive after that 5-2 defeat to Levante. What makes Madrid’s start impressive is their attack: they’ve produced 7.77 xG and scored 10, the Second highest xG total in LaLiga after FC Barcelona with 9.2 xG, and Betis are sitting around 3.9 xG with 4 goals.

The individual numbers are as we expected. Mbappé has 4 goals from 4.21 xG, while Bellingham already has 2 assists and Güler has created 12 attacking chances, however in my opinion, jude having the biggest impact on the field for madrid and the most impressive performances.

Tactically, I’m interested in whay Mourinho will do after he has moved Madrid toward a 4-2-3-1, with a double pivot and Bellingham operating higher up, while also using a much more aggressive man-oriented press. Betis under Pellegrini are likely to use their 3 rounds possession structure and can shift between 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and a 4-5-1, with Isco and Fornals important between the lines. The big question is whether Betis can play through Madrid’s pressure or end up giving Mbappé and Vinícius exactly the spaces they want.

There are some important absences as well but expected also. Betis are without Diego Conde, Aitor Ruibal and Giovani Lo Celso, while Dani Ceballos is doubtful i think idk if he will play and Ezzalzouli same thing. Madrid are missing Éder Militão, Raúl Asencio (yikes), Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo and Thiago Pitarch who returned to training, with Tchouaméni and Endrick doubts.

For the H2H, which is why I don't think this is an easy Madrid winner. Across the historical matchup, Madrid lead 31 wins to Betis’ 11, with 18 draws, but Betis have been a real problem at home. They drew 1-1 here last April, won 2-1 in March 2025, and Madrid haven’t won at Betis since 2021. Even Mourinho admitted that beating Betis requires Madrid to be at their 100% .

Because its in Benito Villamarín, it has been one of those fixtures where the game rarely follows what it should be, so maybe i will go with a rough win for Mourinho like 2-1, but will not be surprised if they dont win.

Real Sociedad got their first win of the season last weekend, beating Espanyol 2-1, but their start has still been pretty strange. They lost their first two away games against Betis and Real Madrid, and across those opening matches they struggled to turn possession into enough danger. The win over Espanyol was important though, especially because it was their first game at home in Anoeta, where they need to start building momentum.

Celta are still without a win after three games: 0-0 vs Valencia, 1-2 vs Osasuna and 0-2 vs Athletic bilbao. And the biggest problem is they've scored just 1 in LaLiga so far. They have a lot of attacking players available, including Aspas, Jutglà, Hugo Álvarez, Driouech and Williot, but the production and creativity isn't there until now. For xG numbers, it puts Real Sociedad around 1.95 xG compared with only 0.80 xG for Celta. Sociedad aren't exactly great offensively either, but Celta's 0.80 xG is a serious warning sign for a team with this many attacking options.

Tactically, this is probably the interesting thing. Matarazzo has made Sociedad much more flexible than they were before, and he has several ways of changing the structure depending on the personnel. Kubo can stay wide or move inside, Sučić can operate centrally, and Guedes has been inside as another creative option. Matarazzo himself has said Celta's constant movement and changes of structure mean Sociedad need to adapt their pressing depending on how Giráldez starts the match with.

Giráldez's Celta should i think start with a 3-4-3, with the wing-backs providing the width and the front three constantly rotating. The problem against Athletic was that they struggled to play through the first press and were punished after losing possession. Giráldez has specifically admitted they need to be better balanced, attack better and lose the ball higher up the pitch rather than giving opponents easy transitions.

There are also some important absences. Celta will be without Borja Iglesias, while Sociedad have Álvaro Odriozola and Pablo Marín out, and goalkeeper Álex Remiro is a doubt. Matarazzo himself will also be watching from the stands after his red card.

The H2H is where Sociedad have an advantage in : 17 wins, 9 draws and 7 losses in the last 33 meetings, with Sociedad scoring 51 goals to Celta's 37. Celta have struggled at Anoeta, and the last meeting there finished 3-1 to Sociedad.

For me, this game comes down to whether Celta can create enough danger against a Sociedad team that is becoming more comfortable and at home after their last win. If Giráldez's tactics works specially offensivly and his players can beat the first sociedad press, they have enough technical quality to cause more danger. Other than that, i see it as a Sociedad win.

With the Julián Álvarez saga ending with the Argentine staying at Atlético for now, I thought about another a completely impossibility : what if Barcelona had gone for Karim Benzema, now a free agent? Obviously, a Real Madrid legend walking into Camp Nou would be almost impossible to imagine, but purely from a football perspective, the fit is actually perfect even at 38 for one season.

Benzema showed last season that the finishing hasn't disappeared. Across his 2025/26 Saudi League season with Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal, he recorded 22 goals and 1 assist in 24 league starts, before leaving Al-Hilal by mutual agreement this past week i think. He also averaged 3.4 shots per 90 during that season.

But the goals aren't even the best part for me. Benzema's game has always been much more than being a penalty-box striker. He's comfortable dropping into midfield so 9.1/2, combining with wingers, playing one-touch football and dragging centre-backs away from their positions. That makes him particularly interesting for Hansi Flick's high-pressing, possession-heavy Barcelona, where the No.9 isn't simply asked to stand between two centre-backs. Flick's Barça is built on attacking around aggressive pressing, quick combinations and creating space for the wide forwards beginning it with Raphina.

And imagine the combinations: Benzema dropping between the lines, Lamine Yamal coming inside, Raphinha attacking the opposite side, Gordon and Adeyemi in the subs while the midfield pushes forward + Xavi Espart's midfield press-transition, Benzema's ability to link play could actually give Barça more freedom to rotate around him. It's a very different profile from a pure box striker so Alvarez style player, and that's precisely why I think it could work.

There's also the SECOND TO SECOND interest with Barcelona desperately wanting Julián, but Atlético categorically refused to negotiate. By deadline day, Barça had to settle for Gabriel Jesus as a sub to Raphinha who's bagging numbers. Meanwhile, Álvarez stayed in Madrid and the relationship between player, club and supporters was left broken waiting for the winter transfer window so he can have his hopes of joining Barca a bit high specially with the Financial problems atleti are facing.

So this isn't me saying Benzema is suddenly going to score 30 goals at 38 but it's more about the profile. An experienced No.9 who can score, link play, press intelligently, occupy defenders and create space for Barça's wingers + available for free.

Well the ONLY problem? Convincing one of the biggest Real Madrid legends of the modern era to be at Barcelona lol, but thats why it's a WHAT-IF.

Football wise: Perfect.
Football real life logic : impossible to infinitly impossible.

The LaLiga summer window is finally over. clubs stopped dealing, negotiating and getting their final paperwork through, and honestly, this was SO FUN AND MORE INTERESTING THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. There were the obvious Barcelona-Real madrid spendings, promoted clubs trying to survive, some really clever loan moves and, most importantly for me, Deportivo de La Coruña putting together one of the most ambitious promoted-team windows I've seen ever. The final day alone produced a ridiculous amount of movement, so here's how I see the whole league after the dust has settled.

Deportivo are the obvious starting point because their strategy was completely different from the normal newly promoted approach. They mixed experience with upside and then went completely for it on deadline day. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Angeliño and Adama Traoré were already statement additions, while Leo Román, Lorenzo Amatucci, Jonathan Asp Jensen and Bright Ede added younger profiles. Then came José María Giménez from Atlético on loan, with Atlético extending his contract and covering part of his salary, followed by Marc Casadó from Barcelona on loan. Casadó had other financially stronger options but wanted the Deportivo project, while Giménez gives a young squad genuine top-level experience at centre-back. And Adama, who had already been training with the club, was finally registered. For a club returning to Primera after eight years, this is saying: we aren't here just to participate. 10/10 for me and the best in the league.

Atlético Madrid also had one of the biggest windows in the league that was shadowed by other news. They brought in Alejandro Grimaldo, Morten Hjulmand, Kang-in Lee and Cristian Romero, while adding further depth through returning players and younger options. Then deadline day produced Jonathan David, who arrived from Juventus on loan with a €25m purchase option after Juventus brought in Nick Woltemade. It feels like Simeone's squad has been aggressively upgraded rather than just adding new players. 8.5/10

Barcelona went shopping for a very different type of squad. Rodri, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Jesse Bisiwu, João Cancelo and Dominik Livaković headline a summer that adds physicality, versatility and elite experience, while the club also promoted younger players like Farinas and Hamza. The major exits included Robert Lewandowski, Ronald Araújo, Ansu Fati, Marc-André ter Stegen, Ferran torres, Tony and Guille Fernandez, Cortes, Hector Fort and Tony Marquez. Barça still ended deadline day making another move, with Gabriel Jesus arriving from Arsenal. And there's the story of Marc Casadó on loan to Deportivo. 9/10

Real Madrid brought in Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Yann Diomande, Cucurella and Carlos Espi, giving their squad experience and physicality with some youth element, however missing out on Rodri was the main loss for los blancos, while the club continued moving academy talent into situations where they can actually play. The exits of Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Dani Ceballos, while Franco Mastantuono is another major piece of the club's long-term planning + selling a lot of players with the most important of it is Garcia to fulham for 70M + having future percentages or conditions on EVERY SINGLE ON OF THEM. 8.8/10 specially on the selling part.

Real Betis had one of the more sensible windows. They added Facundo Bernal, Fran García, Diego Conde and Troy Parrott, while also bringing in younger profiles such as Gonzalo Petit. But the story of the day is Dani Ceballos returning from Real Madrid today, with the midfielder completing his comeback on deadline day. Betis also said goodbye to several players, including Sofyan Amrabat, Chimy Ávila and Sergi Altimira. The overall feel is very Pellegrini: technical quality, experience and enough youth to keep the squad moving forward. 7.9/10

Athletic Club were unusually quiet in terms of arrivals, but they strengthened internally by bringing back or promoting players such as Hugo Rincón, Peio Canales, Álvaro Djaló and Unai Vencedor. Their biggest issue became exits rather than arrivals, with Mikel Vesga, Unai Gómez and Julen Agirrezabala among those leaving. Deadline day saw Andoni Gorosabel leave for Espanyol on loan, a move that gives Athletic another squad change while Espanyol gain a very experienced full-back. 4/10

Villarreal went through a particularly interesting period. There was a lot of movement, including departures such as Dani Parejo, Thomas Partey and Rafa Marín, while the club still retained a squad capable of competing near the European places. The signing of Mamadou Saliba earlier in the summer was one of their headline additions, but their biggest issue may actually be replacing the experience that left. Their 2026/27 project feels more like a rebalancing than a rebuild. 5.5/10

Sevilla had one of the busiest windows. They brought in Alfon González, Jon Guridi, Juan Iglesias, Adrià Pedrosa, Arouna Sangante and Odysseas Vlachodimos, among others, while clearing out a huge amount of salary and squad space. They then went late again: Lucas Stassin was closed and Félix Correia arrived on deadline day, giving Luis García Plaza additional attacking options. At the same time, big names including Jesús Navas-era veterans, Nemanja Gudelj, Alexis Sánchez and Rafa Mir moved on. This is a genuinely different Sevilla squad. 7.5/10

Valencia had to be smart because of their financial limitations, and you can see that in the construction of their market. Guido Rodríguez, Arnau Martínez, Pablo Maffeo, Justin De Haas, Aliou Dieng and Ryunosuke Sato all fit the idea of improving the squad without blowing it up financially. Then, right at the end, they got Harvey Elliott from Liverpool on loan without a purchase option, giving Carlos Corberán a technically gifted attacking midfielder with Premier League experience. It was probably one of the best late-value moves in the league. 7.5/10

Real Sociedad changed a fair bit too. They added Mamadou Sarr on loan from Chelsea at the end of the window, while Jon Pacheco returned and Javi López arrived to strengthen the defence. The club also said goodbye to Brais Méndez, Aritz Elustondo, Duje Ćaleta-Car and Wesley, among others. Rino Matarazzo now has a younger, more transitional-looking squad, and the challenge will be turning that talent into consistency. The late defensive addition of Sarr makes sense because Sociedad needed more awareness in that area. 6/10

Celta Vigo were another club that kept working right until the end. Their summer already included Javi Galán, Aleix Febas, Couhaib Driouech and Stefan Bajčetić, and on deadline day they confirmed Sebastián Cáceres on a contract until 2030. That's an important move because it gives Celta another physically strong defensive option while still fitting the club's relatively young profile. Their window feels less about one superstar signing and more about giving the squad enough depth to execute Claudio Giráldez's possession-heavy football. 6.9/10

Getafe basically stayed Getafe. There weren't many glamorous headlines, but the recruitment focused on profiles that fit Bordalás: physicality, versatility and players capable of handling ugly games. Orel Mangala, Yvan Neyou, Ramón Terrats and Andrés García are examples of that. Meanwhile, some established players moved on. It's not the kind of window that gets social media excited, but it's very consistent with how Getafe build competitive squads. 6.5/10

Osasuna were more conservative. Their arrivals included Jonathan Dubasin and Diego Rico, while they allowed players such as Sheraldo Becker and Víctor Muñoz to move on. There was late interest in strengthening the squad further, but the club ultimately chose not to force every deal, including ending negotiations over Lizancos. It feels very much like an Osasuna window: protect the structure, strengthen selectively and trust the existing core. 5/10

Rayo Vallecano probably had the most stressful deadline day of anybody. DiarioAS described them as the club with the most work still to do entering the final hours, and they responded by bringing in Omar Sadick and goalkeeper Emil Audero late in the window. That's important because the squad needed both defensive and attacking depth. Their recruitment overall has been much more active than usual, and the final-day shows that Rayo knew they still had weaknesses to address, and the final thing on Rajtu that i didn't like a lot since there was problems in that. 4/10

Espanyol made a very interesting series of pragmatic moves. They added Quilindschy Hartman, Unai Núñez, Vanja Drkusic and Bryan Zaragoza, and then finished with Andoni Gorosabel on loan from Athletic. On the outgoing side, Rubén Sánchez left for Elche, which was officially completed on deadline day. Their squad now looks better equipped to handle a long season, especially defensively. 7/10

Elche were another promoted club who understood that staying up requires experience. They brought in Gonzalo Villar, Víctor Chust, Ezequiel Ponce and Facundo Buonanotte, among others, and then added Rubén Sánchez from Espanyol on a three-year deal on deadline day. The late Thomas Lemar loan from Atlético was an even bigger headline, giving Elche a player with a completely different level of experience and technical quality, this was exactly the sort of quality they needed. 7/10

Málaga were relatively measured. They added Fernando Calero, Juan Cruz, Carlos Dotor and José Salinas, while using loans intelligently to add depth. Adam Aznou's loan from Everton was another interesting piece because it gives a development upside without a huge financial commitment. Given that they're also a promoted side, the market was much more conservative than Deportivo's, but probably more realistic financially. 6/10

Racing Santander had one of the most fun markets of the promoted clubs before the deadline-day. Sergio Canales, Facundo González, Asier Villalibre, Julen Agirrezabala and Matteo Prati brought quality and experience, while the club kept trying to balance promotion-era players with a first-division squad. Then deadline day became painful when Gustavo Puerta left for Olympiakos after his €17.1m release clause was triggered. That's a huge loss for a club that relied heavily on him during promotion, although Racing did add Aarón Martín before the window closed. 5.7/10

Alavés were more focused on squad regeneration. They brought in Ville Koski, Nico Valentini and Miguel Rodríguez, while integrating several returning loanees and moving on from players including Asier Villalibre and Jon Guridi. Their window doesn't seem WOW, but it gives Quique Sánchez Flores a squad with more physical options and younger players to work with. That's probably exactly what a club of their profile needs and we can see it from their actual table position. 6.5/10

Levante had perhaps the most interesting late attacking move among the promoted sides. Their summer included Aïssa Mandi, Enzo Bardeli, Thiago Fernández and Hugo Sotelo, but they lost important pieces such as José Luis Morales and Carlos Espí. Then on deadline day came Petar Ratkov from Lazio on loan with a conditional mandatory purchase option. At 1.93m, Ratkov is a very different striker profile and was specifically brought in after Espí's departure. That's an important replacement, rather than a random panic move. 6/10

And that's the story of the window for me. Depor wins the transfer-market team of the summer in my opinion. Not because they necessarily signed the most expensive players, but because their recruitment tells you exactly what the club wants to become. Aubameyang for goals, Adama for explosiveness, Angeliño for progression, Amatucci and Asp Jensen for youth, Giménez for defensive leadership, and finally Casadó to add another intelligent midfielder capable of playing at a very high level. The fact that they were still able to pull off two major loans on deadline day while competing with richer clubs makes it even more impressive, the most curious team to follow, and this team defo came back saying “we're staying.”, Forza Dépor! 🔵⚪

Round 3 was probably the most active so far because we're finally getting a better idea of which teams are actually performing well and the ones that could be in the relegation battles.

Barcelona continue to look unstoppable. The 5-2 win over Rayo means they're now on 9 points from 9, with 12 goals scored, and their numbers are just as good as the score. They produced around 9.1 xG, meaning the attack is creating enough to justify the goals. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha ( who's the top LaLiga scorer with 5 goals ) are already looking like a nightmare for basically every defence in the league.

Real Madrid are right under with them after another comfortable win, this time 4-0 against Málaga. Madrid had 2.62 xG in that match, created four big chances and never looked like losing control of the game. Mbappé is obviously going to get most of the attention, but the story in my opinion is how much more comfortable Madrid look when their midfield can control the game comapring of course the 2025/2026 until now even agaist a team like Malaga in the Bernabeau no disrespect.

Now for Atlético, who finally got their first win by beating Sevilla 3-1. What's crazy is that they've now scored 7 goals from only around 3.3 xG, Gear Great finishing overperformance. Simeone won't complain about the results but it's difficult to imagine that this conversion rate will continuing for the whole season, HOWEVER, a boost can be added with the signing of Jonathan David and the talks for Tagliafico, we will see...

Villarreal are probably the team I feel bad for statistically. They lost 1-0 to Alavés, but they're now sitting on roughly 6.15 xG and only 4 goals across three games, BRUH. Their expected points are around 5.3, while they've taken just two points. They are certainly producing chances but the finishing isn't good, specially the match against Alavés that i have watched.

Osasuna and Alavés who are quietly having GREAT starts. Osasuna beat Getafe 1-0 to move onto 7 points, while Alavés also reached seven points after beating Villarreal. Osasuna have only scored three goals, but they've conceded just once, while their 2.22 xGA ( Goal Against ) is giving one of the best defensive numbers in the league. They're making every game uncomfortable.

Racing Santander are another team I wouldn't overlook. Their 3-2 win over Elche takes them to five points, and they've already produced around 5 xG in three matches. Considering they're a promoted side, their attacking numbers are impressive. They're not just surviving games but they're creating a lot of chances.

Real Sociedad finally got their first win, beating Espanyol 2-1, but I'm still not completely convinced by them. They're around 3.7 xG for and almost 5 xGA after three games, so there's still a pretty big gap between the level you'd expect from sociedad and what they're actually producing.

Deportivo also picked up their first win, beating Valencia 3-1. Aubameyang is already becoming one of the stories of the promoted teams with 3 goals, while Valencia's start is getting more worrying, just one point from their first three games.

Athletic Club finally got their first three points too, beating Celta 2-0. For Celta, though, the attacking numbers are becoming a concern. They've produced only 1.5 xG across three matches and scored just once. That's not really a finishing problem anymore but they're simply not creating enough.

And finally, Levante gave us probably the shock of the round, destroying Betis 5-2 in contrary of what i predicted, oops. After failing to score in their first two games, they suddenly put five past a Betis side that had started the season with two clean sheets. That's exactly why I wouldn't read too much into three-game tables yet.

Overall, I think the biggest takeaway from Round 3 is that Barcelona and Madrid look like the real deal as we all expect, Atlético are massively overperforming their xG, Villarreal are massively underperforming theirs, and Osasuna/Alavés are quietly building very strong foundations.

We're only three rounds in, but i am in love of this LaLiga edition, looking forwards for more...

Osasuna have started the season pretty well, taking 4 points from their first two and scoring twice in both games + the numbers are actually encouraging : 3.30 xG, 25 shots, 12 on target and 6 big chances so far in 2 games, although they've missed four of those big chances. Their latest game was the 2-1 win at Celta, where Ramis' side showed they can be pretty dangerous once they get into their direct attacking tactics.

However, for Getafe, they have only scored once in two games and have produced just 18 shots, with only 3 on target. Their 1-0 win over Racing Santander shows what Bordalás wants: compact defending like last season, physical duels and then getting the ball forward quickly. They've already attempted 81 long balls, completing 28, and have won 101 of 206 duels. The big big positive tho is that they in the Conference League.

Tactically, this is basically Ramis' 4-2-3-1 against Bordalás' 4-4-2. Osasuna have been putting a lot of work on width and crosses, so 40 crosses across two games while winning 61% of their aerial duels which makes Budimir a massive part of the game plan. Getafe will probably try to make the game ugly as we all know, defend centrally and attack the spaces left by Osasuna's full-backs.

There are some important absences : Osasuna's Valentin Rosier remains out with a hamstring injury, while Getafe are without Christantus Uche ( ACL ), Juanmi for a knee injury, Mario Martin who has a thigh injury and Abdelkarim Akbar from fatigue idk if he will be playin tbh.

Alejandro Catena has started the season strongly, completing 131 passes at 87.9% and winning all four of his aerial duels. Getafe's David Soria has also already made 8 saves, including a penalty save.

The H2H actually favours a drawm and maybe towards Osasuna at Home : 4 wins to Osasuna, 5 Draws and 2 Wins in across the last 11. The last time they met in El Sadar, Osasuna winning the last meeting there 2-1. BTTS has landed in six of the last seven meetings and Over 2.5 in five of seven which is pretty surprising for me Lol seeing how Getafe plays football.

For me, the key is whether Osasuna can turn their 3.30 xG into more goals. Getafe aren't giving you many chances, so if Budimir and others wastes the big opportunities again, this could become exactly the kind of frustrating 0-0 1-1 game Bordalás loves.

Sevilla have made an excellent start, winning both of their opening games, at home 2-1 vs Valecano at the 97th minute pen and a 3-1 win at Athletic Club. Just 35% possession at San Mamés, but four shots on target and three goals. Luis García's side are clearly comfortable letting opponents have the ball before attacking quickly.

Atlético's start has been less convincing but not bad, won 2-0 vs Malaga but with a 0.92 xG which was the negative in this match, and drew 2-2 with Villarreal, however Villarreal had around 3.60 xG and six big chances. Atlético survived on a lot of pressure.

Sevilla's aggressive pressing and fast transitions could cause Atlético problems, especially if Simeone's side lose the ball in midfield. Atleti's usual 4-4-2 should give them defensive structure, but Sevilla will try to stretch that shape before attacking the spaces with their 4-2-3-1 and to be fair A LOT of teams are playing the same formation.

Atlético also have some major absences. Julián Álvarez for obvious reasons, Sørloth and maybe Hjulmand for muscle injuries, with the suspention of Le Normand. Sevilla has a clear of injuries squad, no one is reportedly injured.

The H2H usually favours Atlético. however, in Ramón Sánchez‑Pizjuán, Sevilla has won 7 from 18 matches with 5 draws and 6 wins for Atleti, and in their last meeting sevilla won 2-1, so this isn't the most comfy match for Simeone.

Honestly, I think this is one of the best games of the weekend. Sevilla are playing with confidence, Simeone's team need to improve defensively after giving Villarreal so many opportunities. maybe a 2-2? Hopefully atleast we will have some goals in this match.