La Liga returns to action this weekend after a one-week Christmas break, featuring a full schedule of matches ahead of the Spanish Supercup between Athletic Club Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid set to take place in Saudi Arabia the following week.
Match Previews
The action kicks off on Friday night with a Madrid derby as Rayo Vallecano host Getafe. Both teams are in search of a positive outcome, with Rayo’s last league victory dating back to the end of October. Getafe, missing their main striker Borja Mayoral, has slipped to 11th place after enduring three consecutive losses.
On Saturday, the highlight is the Barcelona derby, where Espanyol will face league leaders FC Barcelona. Espanyol currently sits fifth in the table after a strong run of five consecutive wins, culminating in a narrow 2-1 triumph in Bilbao at the end of 2025. Expectations are high for them to secure three points against their city rivals.
Barcelona, expected to receive a hostile welcome in Cornella, welcomes back Pedri, but key players Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Dani Olmo remain sidelined.
Celta Vigo will take on Valencia in Saturday’s opening match, with Valencia aware that anything less than a win could drop them into the bottom three. Meanwhile, Celta has shown excellent form, rising to seventh in La Liga and looking to capitalize on the Christmas break.
Osasuna aims for three consecutive home wins when they host Athletic Club Bilbao, who are hindered by a long injury list featuring players like Yuri Berchiche, Aymeric Laporte, Benat Prados, and Maroan Sannadi.
Elche ended 2025 strongly with a significant 4-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano and now faces Villarreal, where coach Eder Sarabia began his journey in the youth system. While Elche will be without Hector Fort due to a shoulder injury, Villarreal has its own challenges, including the suspension of Renato Veiga and Pape Gueye being away at the African Cup of Nations.
Coaching Debuts
Sunday sees two coaches making their debuts. Luis Castro takes over at Levante as they face Sevilla, while Pellegrino Matarazzo steps in at Anoeta Stadium for Real Sociedad’s clash with Atletico Madrid. Real Sociedad is hovering just above the drop zone with three defeats and a draw in their recent matches, while Atletico boasts talents like Antoine Griezmann, Alexander Sorloth, and Julian Alvarez, despite missing Alexander Baena and Nico Gonzalez.
Real Madrid will host Betis in what promises to be a challenging match at the Santiago Bernabeu. Xabi Alonso finds himself under pressure to defend his position amid injuries to Kylian Mbappe, who hurt his knee, as well as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao. Meanwhile, Brahim Diaz is making an impact at the African Cup of Nations.
Finally, Mallorca meets Girona in a critical match for both relegation-threatened sides, and Alaves plays at home against Oviedo, who recently parted ways with forward Salomon Rondon as new coach Guillermo Almada seeks to revitalize a team that has only managed seven goals this season.