Racing Santander hosts Villarreal

The opening round of the Spanish La Liga sees Racing Santander’s return to the top flight after a 14-year absence, as they host Villaray tomorrow, who finished third last season behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Villarreal had a standout season in the previous campaign, securing third place under manager Marcelino García Toral, who departed at the end of the season and was replaced by Iñigo Pérez.

With exciting attacking talents in the squad such as Ayoze Pérez, Ivorian striker Nicolas Pépé, and Alberto Molero, Pérez and Villarreal appear to form a promising combination on paper, making Villarreal one of the most exciting teams to follow this season.

In another match tomorrow, Levante will visit Espanyol.

The Spanish league, comprising 20 teams, officially kicked off today on Saturday, with the 38th and final round scheduled for May 30 next year. Each team will play 38 matches, totaling 380 games over the course of the season.

The Spanish Football League (La Liga) announced that this season will be the first in the world to widely implement “connected ball” technology.

The ball carries a radio frequency sensor that “sends accurate and continuous information” in real time about the ball’s location and the precise moment it touches any player or object.