Barcelona begins their La Liga campaign with a match against Elche

Barcelona begin their campaign to defend the La Liga title as they travel to face Elche tomorrow in the opening round of the season.

The Catalan giants enter their first league match of the season after winning the title in the previous two campaigns. Under the guidance of German coach Hansi Flick, the team aims to maintain its domestic dominance and send an early message to its rivals, even though the opener comes against Elche, which has already played its first match and drew 1-1 with Deportivo La Coruña.

Barcelona will be without Frenkie de Jong and Ronny Barceló due to injury, while there are doubts about Rodri’s availability. The presence of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in the forward line remains one of Flick’s key strengths, while Elche will rely on Fer Nino up front, with potential support from the movements of Ali Houerari and Facundo Buonanotte in attack.

Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid look to continue their strong start to the La Liga season when they host Villarreal.

The Madrid side enter the match in high spirits after opening their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Málaga, with goals from South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in and Alex Baena securing the win.

Coach Diego Simeone hopes to build on this victory, especially as his team enjoys the support of their fans at home, while aiming to compete strongly for the league title.

The team faces its first major test under new manager Iñigo Pérez, who took over from Marcelino, who led Villarreal to third place last season and secured back-to-back Champions League qualifications.