• Villarreal will be looking to bounce back from their opening day.
• Real Madrid could see Kepa Arrizabalaga make his debut.
• Getafe will be without Jaime Mata and Barcelona will be without Raphinha.

The second round of matches in the new La Liga season is set to start with two games on Friday. Mallorca will be playing at home against Villarreal, while newly-promoted Las Palmas will be visiting Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium.

Villarreal’s poor performance in the pre-season has continued into their first match, resulting in a 2-1 loss to Real Betis. Quique Setien’s team is visibly missing key players like Samuel Chukwueze and Nicolas Jackson, whose departure has impacted their attack in terms of speed and goals.

Valencia currently boasts the youngest squad in La Liga due to another summer without significant signings. Coach Ruben Baraja is making use of younger players. Despite this, Valencia started their season with a win against Sevilla. The fans at Mestalla might express their frustration towards the club owner, Peter Lim, yet another victory would provide Baraja’s team with a solid start, considering the challenges that might lie ahead.

Real Madrid might see Kepa Arrizabalaga making his debut as a goalkeeper in their match against Almeria. Due to an injury to Eder Militao, coach Carlo Ancelotti is likely to include Antonio Rudiger in the defense. Real Madrid is playing an away game for the second time in a row due to ongoing work at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Real Sociedad will be facing Celta, who had a disappointing home debut under Rafael Benitez, suffering a 2-0 loss against Osasuna. This defeat led the coach to emphasize the need for new signings.

Osasuna will be going up against Athletic Bilbao after their 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the opening game of the season, exposing their absence of key players like Yeray Alvarez and Yuri in defense.

Getafe’s tactics in their lengthy match against FC Barcelona last weekend attracted attention, leaving Barca coach Xavi Hernandez unhappy. Getafe’s Jaime Mata received a red card in that match and will be absent, while Barcelona will miss Raphinha due to a red card as well.

The focus will also be on Xavi, who was sent off and has to watch from the stands. He needs to decide on a replacement for Raphinha, especially amid reports of Ansu Fati wanting to leave the club during the current transfer window.

The last match on Sunday will take place in Seville, where Real Betis will host Atletico Madrid. Both teams are contenders for a top-four finish this season. Betis is still without Nabil Fekir and William Carvalho, while Atletico is dealing with injuries to key players like Koke, Angel Correa, Jose Gimenez, and Nahuel Molina.

On Monday, there are two matches scheduled. Alaves will be seeking their first point and goal of the season at home against Sevilla, who narrowly lost to Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup. Sevilla’s coach Jose Luis Mendilibar mentioned the possibility of goalkeeper Bono leaving the club.

The second Monday match will feature Granada celebrating their return to the top division as they host Rayo Vallecano, who began the new season with a 2-0 victory over Almeria.

To stay informed about current events, please like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BOLUrduNews/.

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/bolnewsurdu01 and stay updated with the latest news.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3Tv8a3P to watch news from Pakistan and around the world.

[embedpost slug= “/city-defender-ake-insists-team-is-still-hungry-for-trophies/”]