Weekend top-flight football returns in Spain as the 2022-23 LaLiga season heads into matchday three.

Reigning champions Real Madrid will travel to the RCDE Stadium to face Espanyol.

Last week, Los Blancos showed they can gel without Casemiro – who left for Manchester United – as they put in a classy performance in their 4-1 win at Celta Vigo to record successive wins and a perfect start.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men will look to repeat their show of dominance and continue their perfect start when they face an Espanyol team yet to win a game this season.

The kings of Spain have beaten Espanyol in five of their last six meetings, with their only loss recorded in a 2-1 defeat last season at the RCDE Stadium in October 2021.

However, a superb response in a 4-0 win at the Bernabeu in April means a win for Ancelotti’s charges on Sunday will ensure consecutive triumphs against Espanyol.
Last time out: LaLiga
30/04/2022 Real Madrid 4:0 Espanyol

FC Barcelona registered their first win of the season in a 4-1 victory at Real Sociedad.

The Catalan giants will next welcome Real Valladolid to the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday.

Alongside Robert Lewandowki, Ansu Fati will be in serious contention to start after coming from the bench to provide two assists and find the back of the net last weekend while the performances of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Memphis Depay, Ousmane Dembélé and Raphinha in the 3-3 friendly draw with Manchester City on Wednesday provides selection headache for Xavi.

Barça will be favourites to make it back-to-back victories in LaLiga as they are unbeaten in six games against Valladolid, scoring first in each of those games, while keeping a clean sheet in their last three games.
Last time out: LaLiga
05/04/2021 – Barcelona 1:0 Real Valladolid

LaLiga’s top team faces the bottom side as Getafe faces Villarreal at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez on Sunday.

Villarreal will put their perfect record on the line even as they look to build on their impressive victory against Atleticó Madrid last week.

Unai Emery will demand his side to inflict more misery on a Getafe team who have recorded successive losses to start the season.

Getafe will also have a tough task to avoid a third loss in three games as they are yet to beat Villarreal in their last seven games while also losing their last six and being unable to keep a clean sheet in their last nine games.
Last time out: LaLiga
16/04/2022 – Getafe 1:2 Villarreal

The final two teams with an unblemished record will clash at the Benito Villamarin.

Real Betis Balompié will welcome Osasuna on Friday night in a game which something must give.

Statistically, Betis will be the favourites as they are on a winning run of five games and an unbeaten run of nine games against Osasuna, keeping a clean sheet in their past five meetings.
Last time out: LaLiga
03/04/2022 – Real Betis Balompié 4:1 Osasuna

Valencia and Atleticó Madrid have had respective fair starts to the season as they each won their first game of the season while losing the next.

Gennaro Gattuso and Diego Simeone will each demand a winning response from their players when they lock horns at Mestalla on Monday night but it is the latter who have had the upper hand in recent times.

Simeone’s side are yet to lose to Valencia in their last 15 outings, even as both sides always find to cancel each other out.

Valencia are without a clean sheet in their last nine games against Atleti, who have also been unable to avoid conceding against Monday’s opponents in the last three games.
Last time out: LaLiga
22/01/2022 – Atleticó Madrid 3:2 Valencia

Sevilla are yet to amass maximum points in any of their two games this term and they will make the trip to Estadio del Mediterráneo to face a UD Almería team who are in the same form.

Sevilla will be fancied to record their first win of the season as they are yet to drop a point in their last four games against Almería and are also unbeaten in their last seven while also keeping a clean sheet in their last 13 games.
Last time out: Copa del Rey
02/02/2021 – UD Almería 0:1 Sevilla
LaLiga
17/05/2015 – Sevilla 2:1 UD Almería

Real Sociedad will aim to bounce back from their disappointing loss to Barcelona as they travel to face Elche CF on Saturday.

Sociedad will look to extend their winning run of four games against Elche, who are yet to win a game in LaLiga this season.
Last time out: LaLiga
10/04/2022 – Elche CF 1:2 Real Sociedad

Girona FC will look to make it successive wins when they welcome a winless Celta Vigo team to Estadi Montilivi to get this round of action underway on Friday.

Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Club will also look to make it successive wins and continue their unbeaten starts when they lock horns against RCD Mallorca and Cádiz CF – both of whom are yet to win a game this season – on Saturday and Monday respectively.

Matchday three fixtures in full

Friday, August 26, 2022
Girona FC vs Celta Vigo – 7:00pm
Real Betis Balompié vs Osasuna – 9:00pm

Saturday, August 27, 2022
Elche CF vs Real Sociedad – 4:30pm
Rayo Vallecano vs RCD Mallorca – 6:30pm
UD Almería vs Sevilla – 9:00pm

Sunday, August 28, 2022
Getafe vs Villarreal – 4:30pm
Barcelona vs Real Valladolid – 6:30pm
Espanyol vs Real Madrid – 9:00pm

Monday, August 29, 2022
Cádiz CF vs Athletic Club – 7:00pm
Valencia vs Atleticó Madrid – 9:00pm
(All times in WAT)