Matchday 2 in La Liga is upon us, and the three top candidates to the title will try to satisfy their needs following last week's games.
Barcelona will get to this game desperate to win. Their loss against Athletic and their poor form raised some eyebrows among their loyal fans, and the injuries picked up by Dembelé and Suárez might force coach Valverde to change his tactics. Messi's return will surely be good news for this team as they prepare to face Betis.
Atlético made a massive investment during the offseason, but that bet did not pay off completely, as they only managed to earn a one-nil win against Getafe. Simeone's men will travel to face Leganés, where fans and experts expect to see more of the offensive unit led by the tournament's sensation: Joao Félix.
Lastly, Real Madrid enjoyed themselves on Matchday One, and Zidane will try to keep the good times rolling against Valladolid. The Frenchman's skills to keep his players motivated will once again be tested in this second game, with the added bonus of playing it in front of their supporters.
Without further ado, here's what La Liga's Matchday 2 has to offer for your viewing pleasure.
Team news - Who's in, who's out?
Real Madrid will host Valladolid with five absences, being Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio the most relevant ones. Brahím Díaz and Brazilian youngster Rodrygo are also out due to injury, and on top of those, Luka Modric will serve a one-match ban after being sent off against Celta.
Barcelona had good and bad news for their fans, since Lionel Messi is available to play against Betis. Bad news come when Los Culés realize that neither Luis Suárez nor Ousmané Dembelé will be fit for this game, followin the injuries they picked up against Athletic.
Atlético Madrid will get to this weekend without the injured Sime Vrsaljko and Diego Costa, while Ángel Correa and Renán Lodi will sit this one out due to their respective bans. Stefan Savic will be assessed before the game to determine his availability.
Coach's quotes ahead of Matchday 2
Real Madrid's coach Zinedine Zidane seems to have hit the nail on its head, as both Gareth Bale and Vinicius were able to shine in their first win against Celta. Zizou praised both footballers not only for their defensive input, but also because both of them overcame a complicated pre-season, where they seemed to be en route to leave the club.
"Zidane: The defensive work shown by Gareth Bale and Vinicius was key, then Isco and Lucas Vázquez carried on with that task when they came in. Defending is crucial for us, since we know that once we have the ball, we will be really dangerous."
#Zidane: ''El trabajo defensivo de @GarethBale11 y @viniciusjr ha sido importante y luego @isco_alarcon y @Lucasvazquez91 que salieron por ellos, hicieron lo mismo. La clave ha sido defender bien porque sabemos que luego con el balón hacemos daño.''#RMLiga | #HalaMadridpic.twitter.com/CIlmEBl52b
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 17, 2019
Key historical stats ahead of La Liga's Matchday 2
-
Lionel Messi (21 goals) is the best striker in 2019, considering the top 5 European leagues. Karim Benzema is the second best striker this year, having scored 16 goals.
-
At 38 years and 136 days of age, Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Club) became the sixth oldest player in La Liga history to score a goal.
-
Real Madrid will defend a six-game winning streak at home when facing Valladolid.
-
Barcelona has won their last seven home games.
-
Valencia will try to keep their current five-game streak without a loss in all comps against Celta intact.
-
Barcelona has kept a clean sheet when playing as hosts in five of their last seven games at Camp Nou.
What is social media talking about ahead of Matchday 2?
In an unexpected turn, Zinedine Zidane took his team to train at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, just like in the team's glory days. A video posted on the team's Twitter feed shows the players arriving to the venue, including wantaway goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who has reportedly asked the team to ship him away before the end of the summer transfer window.
"The team trained at the Bernabéu!"
¡El equipo entrenó en el Bernabéu! @realmadrid | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/cyDzaay7Uk
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 22, 2019
Elsewhere, Barcelona provided good news for their fans, as Lionel Messi is back with the team preparing their clash against Betis. The footage shared by the club shows that "La Pulga" is ready to play, although there is no indication on whether he will play as a starter or if he will come in from the bench.
"Nice to see you back with the group, Leo!"
Qué bueno verte con el grupo, Leo pic.twitter.com/VNj5E7kUAK
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) August 21, 2019
La Liga - Matchday 2 games
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States




Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States





Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States




