Rival watch: Athletic Bilbao defeated ahead of FC Barcelona visit

Rival watch: Athletic Bilbao defeated ahead of FC Barcelona visit

Atlético Madrid being held at home by Liga newcomers Alavés is the biggest surprise of the opening weekend of Liga football, with defending champions Barça top of the table thanks to a +4 goal difference

Barça have leapt straight to the top of the Liga table thanks to their 6-2 defeat of Betis on Saturday.

And there’s a familiar look to the standings after the first round of matches, for it’s Real Madrid (3-0 winners at Real Sociedad on Sunday with two goals from Gareth Bale and another from Arsensio) who lie second.

Europa League champions Sevilla are also among the early leaders after the most goal-laden game of the weekend ended in a 6-4 win for the Andalusians at home to Espanyol.

But things didn’t get off to such a positive start for the side that finished third in La Liga last season. After 90 minutes without goals at home to Alavés, Atlético Madrid looked to have clinched three points when Gameiro converted an injury time penalty. But the sighs of relief in the Vicente Calderón quickly turned to gasps of despair when Manu García equalised for the Basques in the 95th minute.

Another of the traditional Liga favourites, Valencia, also got off to a disappointing start when they lost 4-2 at home to Las Palmas in a Monday evening fixture.

Newly promoted Alavés will be the next visitors to the Camp Nou on Saturday 10 September at 8.30pm CET), but before that the Catalans travel to Bilbao (Sunday 28 August at 8.15pm CET), where Athletic Club will be looking for their first points of the season. Early in the second half of their visit to Sporting Gijón, two goals in two minutes from the home side proved their undoing on Saturday. Borja Viguera gave them some hope with an 85th minute strike, but in the end it wasn’t enough.

View the complete Liga standings after week one here.

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