Will Girona or Atletico Madrid gain a key advantage in their bid to spoil Real Madrid’s title defense? Can Real Madrid themselves get back on track against Real Valladolid after a poor showing against another underdog LaLiga side last week in Mallorca? And will Barcelona register another big win, taking down the man who snubbed them this summer, Nico Williams and his Athletic Club teammates?
Here are predictions for this weekend’s LaLiga fixtures.
Atletico Madrid vs. Girona
Neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona will have the biggest game of the weekend, as that contest will be fought on Sunday night to close the weekend between possible title contenders Atletico Madrid and Girona.
Atletico Madrid impressed in the 2022/23 season and were champions two years prior to that, while Girona were right there with Real Madrid for much of the 2023/24 season before ultimately succumbing thanks to two blowout defeats to the Merengue juggernaut.
Girona may have lost top stars Aleix Garcia, Yan Couto, and star striker Artem Dovbyk this summer, but Michel’s men have a way of retooling and have a system that is stronger than any individual.
Atletico Madrid have a lot of new faces, too, after signing Julian Alvarez, Conor Gallagher, and Villarreal’s 20-goal marksman Alexander Sorloth in the hopes of mounting a challenge to crosstown rivals Real Madrid.
Los Rojiblancos fought back valiantly to draw Villarreal 2-2 on Matchday 1, while Girona found themselves in a dogfight of their own against another traditional LaLiga power, drawing 1-1 with Real Betis.
Look for Atletico Madrid to get the edge over Girona at the Wanda in a firecracker of a game that proves to be another departure from the scorelines typically associated with the “boring” Diego Simeone.
And in case you forgot how good Antoine Griezmann in all the hype about Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s group of superstars, allow the Frenchman to remind you with a vintage display this weekend.
Score Prediction: Atletico Madrid 4-3 Girona
Real Madrid vs. Real Valladolid
Even Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi said it. Real Madrid are going to be even more dangerous, if anything, after drawing their opener 1-1 on the road to a team they have quietly struggled against historically when traveling to the island.
Returning LaLiga side Real Valladolid will be a classic get-right matchup for Real Madrid and especially for Kylian Mbappe, who has doubts to prove after an underwhelming debut against Mallorca.
Meanwhile, Rodrygo Goes was the gem of the Real Madrid attack on Matchday 1 despite being slighted by the Spanish media as something of a forgotten man next to Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Mbappe.
Valladolid could face the full wrath of a hungry Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu this Sunday, as the Merengue club would love nothing more than to hearken back to the “BBC” days by putting up five on a lower-table LaLiga foe.
It probably won’t be five, but don’t be surprised if Real Madrid atone for an early defensive error against the traveling underdogs by clicking in the second half to put up three, with Vinicius Junior proving Madrid is still his team by bagging two of those on his own.
Score Prediction: Real Madrid 3-1 Real Valladolid
Barcelona vs. Athletic Club
We’re all still trying to figure out exactly how Barcelona are going to line up this season under Hansi Flick, but one thing is clear, and that is the fact that the Blaugrana will have more ideas under the German coach.
It was a tough opener against Valencia, as they usually are, but Barcelona’s football looked exquisite at times, and it truly does appear like another bounce-back season is in order for Barca after they fell so far behind Real Madrid in the 2023/24 campaign.
Robert Lewandowski’s brace was lovely to see, but the real storyline this season will be Pedri’s ability to stay healthy and flourish alongside Lamine Yamal in the Flick-led Barca attack. Make no mistake, after Yamal, Pedri is Barca’s second-biggest talent.
On Saturday, Barcelona will have a chance to show Athletic Club star Nico Williams what he’s missing, and the new-look Barcelona midfield has a chance to impress in an even tougher test.
At home and with the momentum on their side, Barcelona should do just enough to get a win against Athletic Club, with Yamal coming up big in the clutch once more for the 2022/23 LaLiga champions.
Score Prediction: Barcelona 2-1 Athletic Club
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.