One of the most decorated leagues in the world, La Liga is set to start this weekend, with the first game of the new season between Leganes and Alaves scheduled for Friday. The second match of the day will be slightly bigger as Valencia take on Las Palmas.
However, all the major eyeballs will fall on the top three clubs of the La Liga, primarily. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are three strongest teams in the league, with Los Blancos being the most successful team in Spain, with 33 domestic trophies. Barcelona have won the competition 24 times while Atletico been victorious 10 times.
It would not come as a surprise if any of these teams lift the title in May next year. All the 10 participating teams have made some changes in their squad, hoping to make their team stronger. However, one of the stars of La Liga, Neymar, will no longer play in Spain after having signed for PSG for a world-record fee, making Barcelona slightly weaker in attack.
Barcelona are seeking his replacement, but have not been able to sign their targets, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele. They should forget about such things and concerntrate on their first match, against Real Betis at Camp Nou on Sunday. This match will be followed with defending champions Real Madrid taking on Deportivo La Coruna.
Bur before the two giants of La Liga take to the field, Atletico Madrid will face Girona while Sevilla is set to host Espanyol in what could be a tricky encounter on Saturday. The gameweek only gets over on Monday as Malaga and Eibar will be involved in the last match of the weekend.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are expected to start the weekend with a win under their belt, but they cannot afford to take teams lightly in the opening GW.
With players like Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Cristiano Roanldo taking to the field on the first weekend, one can expect some quality football, with goals written all over them.
Opening weekend fixtures
Friday, 18 August
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Venue | Time | |
| Leganés | v | Deportivo Alavés | Estadio Municipal de Butarque | 20:15 local time |
| Valencia | v | Las Palmas | Estadio de Mestalla | 22:15 local time |
Saturday, 19 August
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Venue | Time | |
| Celta de Vigo | v | Real Sociedad | Estadio de Balaídos | 18:15 local time |
| Girona | v | Atlético Madrid | Estadi Municipal de Montilivi | 20:15 local time |
| Sevilla | v | Espanyol | Estadio Ramon Sánchez Pizjuan | 22:15 local time |
Sunday, 20 August
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Venue | Time | |
| Athletic Club | v | Getafe | San Mames Barria | 18:15 local time |
| Barcelona | v | Real Betis | Camp Nou | 20:15 local time |
| Deportivo La Coruña | v | Real Madrid | Estadio Municipal de Riazor | 22:15 local time |
Monday, 21 August
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Venue | Time | |
| Levante | v | Villarreal | Estadio Ciudad de Valencia | 20:15 local time |
| Malaga | v | Eibar | Estadio La Rosaleda | 22:00 local time |
