Matchday 4 of La Liga shows no signs of letting up, and this weekend promises to be explosive, with some teams already dictating the pace and others starting to feel the heat.
A Saturday of titans and a resurgent Depor
The schedule kicks off at 4:15 p.m. CEST with a high-caliber clash: Athletic Club vs. Atlético Madrid. The Basque Lions have just woken up from their early-season nightmare by defeating Celta, but they’ll face the undefeated machine led by “Cholo” Simeone, who are coming off a 3-1 victory at Sevilla’s home stadium.
At 6:30 p.m. CEST, Rayo Vallecano will take the field desperate to secure their first win of the season against a red-hot Real Racing Club, which is riding high after a 3-2 victory over Elche. Saturday’s finale spells real trouble for Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine is still winless (two draws, one loss) and hosts a surprising RC Deportivo. The newly promoted team remains undefeated, is coming off a 3-1 victory over Valencia, and features an unstoppable Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who has found the back of the net in every game this season.
Sunday’s goal fest at Mestalla and a clash of the undefeated
At 4:15 p.m. CEST, Valencia will be playing for pride against a terrifying FC Barcelona. While the home team remains winless, the Blaugrana are off to a perfect start, sit atop the table, and have already scored 12 goals. History calls for a spectacle: their last 10 matchups have averaged four goals per game.
At 6:30 p.m. CEST, there will be a double dose of soccer. Deportivo Alavés and CA Osasuna will headline the matchday’s surprise showdown; fourth versus fifth in the standings, both undefeated and ready to defend their unbeaten streaks. Meanwhile, at La Rosaleda, Málaga will try to break a historic drought by seeking its first victory in the top flight since April 2018, though Levante will arrive emboldened after defeating Betis.
Sunday’s action will wrap up at 9:00 p.m. CEST at the RCDE Stadium. Espanyol and Sevilla will face off in a clash of struggling teams, with the Catalans coming off two straight losses and the Andalusians looking to shake off their tough defeat against Atlético.
A Tense Monday of Survival Battles
The matchday will culminate with teams on the brink fighting for a breath of fresh air. At 7:00 p.m. CEST, José Bordalás’s Getafe—still riding high from qualifying for European competition but coming off a loss to Osasuna—will try to deal another blow to Celta de Vigo, which has lost two straight and is still winless.
Finally, at 9:30 p.m. CEST, Elche will try to emerge from its early-season slump (two losses and a draw) when it hosts Real Sociedad, which has just caught a much-needed breath of fresh air by defeating Espanyol.
