La Liga is finally back!
While football lovers were entertained in the absence of club football thanks to Euro 2024 and the Copa America, Spanish top-flight fans can rejoice, with the new campaign kicking off on Thursday.
The action will carry on into the weekend before wrapping up on Monday, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Sociedad, and Athletic CP all taking to the pitch.
And with several exciting names having arrived in La Liga during the summer transfer window, namely Kylian Mbappe, fans will be excited to see how things unfold. Here is everything you need to know about Matchday 1 of the 2024-25 campaign.
Where can I watch 2024-25 La Liga games live on TV in the U.S.?
La Liga fans living in the United States can watch the games on ESPN Deportes. With Matchday 1 spread over five days in either the 1 p.m. ET (17:00 GMT) or 3 p.m. ET (19:00 GMT) time slot, there will be no simultaneous kick-offs in this round. As a result, all 10 fixtures will be aired live on ESPN's Spanish-language channel.
Where can I live stream 2024-25 La Liga games?
Fans based in the United States can live stream La Liga games via ESPN+ and also on the ESPN App. All 10 fixtures from Matchday 1 will be available to stream on these platforms.
2023-24 La Liga standings
Here is how what the Spanish Primera Division table looked like on the final day of last season:
Top games to watch
Athletic Club vs. Getafe
One might ask why Athletic Club vs. Getafe. It is down to many reasons, the first and most important being that this is the opening game of the 2024-25 La Liga campaign. Additionally, the Basque outfit enter the opening round following a successful 2023-24 campaign, winning the Copa del Rey and finishing fifth to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Nico Williams is also set to lead the line despite Barcelona's desperate pursuit and it will be interesting to see how the Spaniard performs following his Euro 2024 heroics.
Valencia vs. Barcelona
After a tumultuous 2023-24 campaign that saw Xavi Hernandez resign as manager and reverse that decision only to then get sacked shortly afterward, Barcelona look to kick off the new season in fashion. Newly-appointed boss Hansi Flick will want to start with a win but his team enter this fixture on the back of their 3-0 loss to Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy. Los Ches, on the other hand, will want to improve on last season's ninth-placed finish but will face one of the trickiest tests of the season on Matchday 1.
Real Mallorca vs. Real Madrid
Real Madrid enter this season as the Spanish and European champions. Los Blancos won La Liga last season by a whopping 10 points and enter the opening round on the back of their 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta, with Kylian Mbappe scoring on his debut. All eyes will be on their marquee summer signing in what promises to be an exciting maiden campaign. Do not miss their La Liga opener.
Villarreal vs. Atletico Madrid
Wrapping up our list is the final game of the round, with Atletico visiting Villarreal on Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Diego Simeone's men have undergone a transformation this summer, with Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, and Robin le Normand all arriving while Chelsea's Conor Gallagher is expected to join soon. Additionally, Los Rojiblancos have bid farewell to key figures. Monday's game will be an appetizer for what is to come as Atletico aim to win the league for the third time under El Cholo.
