La Liga Week 1 Results: Full Recap, Highlights, and Betting Insights

The La Liga Week 1 results are in, and the 2025–26 season is off to a strong start. Ten matches, lots of turns, and big surprises started the new season in Spain’s main league. Barcelona scored a lot, Real Madrid barely won, and Espanyol shocked Atlético.

We saw red cards, VAR drama, and first-time goals, too. The first set of games had much for fans and bettors to think about. If you’re watching the league as a fan or checking odds for a bet, Week 1 had many tales to think on.

La Liga Week 1 Results: All Match Scores

Here are the official La Liga Week 1 results from August 15–19, 2025:

• Girona 1–3 Rayo Vallecano
• Villarreal 2–0 Real Oviedo
• Mallorca 0–3 Barcelona
• Deportivo Alavés 2–1 Levante
• Valencia 1–1 Real Sociedad
• Celta Vigo 0–2 Getafe
• Athletic Club 3–2 Sevilla
• Espanyol 2–1 Atlético Madrid
• Elche 1–1 Real Betis
• Real Madrid 1–0 Osasuna

We saw top teams show off, new ones try hard, and small teams stand tall.

Barcelona Begin Title Defense in Style

Barcelona began their run to keep the title with a big 3–0 win at Mallorca. But the game was tough. Raphinha hit one early, at the 7th minute, and then Ferran Torres made it two. Mallorca protested about the goal. They said play should have stopped since one of their own was down.

Things unraveled for the hosts. Manu Morlanes saw red for a second booking, and Vedat Muriqi followed minutes later after VAR upgraded his foul to a straight dismissal. Down to nine men before halftime, Mallorca’s hopes evaporated.

The night ended with a flourish for Barça as 18-year-old Lamine Yamal curled in a superb strike in stoppage time. It was a coming-of-age moment, signaling he’ll be one to watch all season. New signing Marcus Rashford also debuted, becoming the first Englishman at the club in over three decades.

From a betting angle, Barcelona comfortably cleared the handicap line and pushed the total over 2.5 goals. Bettors backing red cards or disciplinary markets cashed in as well.

Real Madrid Grind Out a Narrow Win

If Barcelona sparkled, Real Madrid took the opposite approach. With new coach Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos had a hard time getting past a tough Osasuna team. They had a lot of the ball, but didn’t get many good shots until Kylian Mbappé got and scored a penalty in the 51st minute.

Near the end, Osasuna almost got a point when Ante Budimir missed a close shot, and their bad day hit a high with a red card for Abel Bretones in extra time. The 1-0 end showed Madrid wasn’t at their best, but three points are still three points.

Espanyol Shock Atlético Madrid

The standout result of Week 1 came at the RCDE Stadium. Espanyol, back in La Liga and not tipped for much, beat Atlético Madrid 2–1 in a result that rocked the odds markets.

Atlético took the lead with a brilliant Julián Álvarez free kick. As usual, Diego Simeone’s men looked in control. But Espanyol fought back, and substitutes made the difference. Miguel Rubio equalized in the 73rd minute, before Pere Milla scored a stunning diving header to win it late.

This was Atlético’s first opening-day defeat under Simeone since 2009. For bettors, it was gold: Espanyol were long underdogs, and anyone backing them or even a draw at double chance reaped massive returns. This result will stick in the minds of oddsmakers when pricing Espanyol at home.

Five-Goal Thriller in Bilbao

Athletic Club and Sevilla served up the weekend’s most entertaining clash. Athletic led 2–0 through Nico Williams (penalty) and Maroan Sannadi, but Sevilla fought back with goals from Dodi Lukébakio and Lucien Agoumé.

At 2–2, momentum was with Sevilla, only for Nico Williams to create the winner with a perfect cross for Robert Navarro’s volley. San Mamés was loud, and Athletic won 3–2.

For bettors, more than 2.5 goals was a good bet, and both teams scoring made some people happy. Nico Williams shone early as he scored and assisted the next goal.

How the Promoted Teams Fared

Three promoted clubs entered Week 1 with mixed fortunes:

• Real Oviedo made it back to La Liga after 25 years but got beat 2–0 by Villarreal. A missed penalty and an early red card marked their loss.
• Elche did well, ending in a 1–1 tie with Real Betis from a late score that evened it up.
• Levante fought well but fell 2–1 at Alavés, by a goal in added time.

Promoted sides often offer betting value at home, and Elche’s result suggests they may punch above expectations.

Other Notable Results

• Rayo Vallecano did well with a 3–1 win away at Girona, making the most of keeper mistakes and a quick penalty.
• Getafe got a good 2–0 win at Celta, proving their defense is still strong.
• Valencia and Real Sociedad ended in a 1–1 tie, each team looking good but not great.

Every game had key tips: Rayo as the road less picked, Getafe as a strong back-end bet, and Valencia-Sociedad as a safe tie bet.

Early Standings and Top Scorers

After one round, Barcelona top the league on goal difference, tied with seven other clubs on three points. On the flip side, Mallorca and Girona team up with others at the bottom, all with none.

No one hit more than one goal, so 27 players sit tied for the lead with one goal each. But names like Mbappé, Raphinha, Nico Williams, and Lamine Yamal will draw early betting interest in the Golden Boot race.

Betting Insights from La Liga Week 1 Results

The first round always reveals patterns:

• Upsets matter: Espanyol’s shock win will affect odds going forward, with bookmakers likely to shorten their home lines.
• Totals split evenly: Half the games had more than 2.5 goals, half had less, showing no strong start trend.
• Red cards impact games: With five sent off so far, bettors should watch how refs make calls very near.
• Favorites delivered (mostly): Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Villarreal all won their games, but only Barça really paid off for those betting on the spread.

Smart bettors will use these insights heading into Week 2 markets.

What Week 1 Means for the Title Race

While it’s early, patterns are already forming:

• Barcelona look sharp and ruthless, with youth players stepping up.
• Real Madrid need to find rhythm but have Mbappé as a difference-maker.
• Atlético’s loss may show they are weak, since they are changing their team.

The race for the title is still between two for now, but Atlético and Sociedad losing points may let new top teams in.

Final Thoughts and What’s Next

The La Liga Week 1 gave everyone what they hoped for: twists, scores, highs and lows, and plenty to chat about. Barcelona and Real Madrid won in different ways, Espanyol made a huge upset, and stars like Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams caught everyone’s attention.

As the season goes on, everyone will watch for trends from these first games to plan their next moves. For now, Week 1 has shown that La Liga is still full of surprises.