La Liga’s surprise pacesetters meet on shifting ground
La Liga’s surprise pacesetters meet on shifting ground: On Friday, the first game of the third round of La Liga, which will be the final one played before the transfer window closes, will be a matchup between two undefeated teams: fourth-place Osasuna will go to third-place Betis.
Both of these teams are part of a group of four that have won both of their first matches. In terms of goal differential, or the number of goals scored, they are behind both Villarreal and Real Madrid, who are in first and second place, respectively.
However, when they meet in Seville, the coaches will not be dreaming of finishing in the top four; rather, they will just be praying that they will be able to field their strongest sides the next week, once the summer game of musical chairs involving transfers comes to an end.
The head coach of Pamplona-based Osasuna, Jagoba Arrasate, is keeping a watch on nearby Real Sociedad and the possibility of a “cascade” involving Alexander Isak.
They will have a hole to fill, money to spend, and just a few days to spend it if the San Sebastian club accepts Newcastle’s rumored proposal of 70 million euros ($69.8 million) for the Swedish striker.
After his team gained notice by winning their first two games, Arrasate commented to the Spanish media, “There will most certainly be movement, and there are going to be frantic days.”
Statements
“I don’t anticipate any significant players quitting the team. This is the first premise, but keep in mind that the market is constantly open and anything can take place at any time.”
If Betis had maintained Alex Moreno, one of their stars, it’s possible that it would have set off a new chain of events. The club and Nottingham Forest reached an agreement on a fee, and the left back ultimately decided that he would rather remain with the club.
Betis enters their match on Friday struggling to reorganise their finances in order to comply with Spanish regulations. They have six players that are not enrolled with the team. Hector Bellerin, who played for Betis on loan from Arsenal the previous season, has been mentioned in connection with the club as well.
The head coach of Betis, Manuel Pellegrini, stated that it is more challenging to incorporate players who have higher salaries.
“It is imperative that we maintain realism. Between now and tomorrow, we will check to see if there is anything new to report “according to the Chilean manager who led Betis to a fifth-place finish in the previous season.
Villarreal will play Getafe on the road on Sunday, but they will be the only one of the top four teams to have to recuperate from a midweek game after the second leg of their Europa Conference League play-off. Getafe is now in last place in the league.
Real Madrid visit winless Espanyol. Before Casemiro, who is eight years older than Aurelien Tchouameni, went for Manchester United in the fall, the summer signing Aurelien Tchouameni had already adapted well to playing in the same position as the Brazilian.
Ansu Fati is a player worth keeping an eye on.
The previous week at San Sebastian, Barcelona defeated Real Sociedad with a frightening 4-1 victory, despite Isak scoring a goal for Real Sociedad. The brilliance of Barcelona was once again on display as one of their key summer additions, Robert Lewandowski, scored twice and then set up the fourth goal for Fati with a deft back heel. A club that has staked its future on an immediate rise back to the top of the league may find long-term hope in the burgeoning form of a teenager who was born and raised within the organisation.
Betis were shown eight yellow cards during their victory in Mallorca a week ago, bringing the total number of cards to 15. Betis has received 11 yellow cards through their first two matches. Only Mallorca, with 13 total, has more than any other island.
Geronimo Rulli, the goalkeeper for Villarreal, has faced 11 shots on target so far this season without allowing a goal to be scored against him. The man who has made the most saves is from Almeria and his name is Fernando Martinez. He has made 15 saves, but he has also been defeated three times.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Girona v Celta Vigo (1800), Real Betis v Osasuna (2000)
Saturday
Elche v Real Sociedad (1530), Vallecano v Mallorca (both 1730), Almeria v Sevilla (2000)
Sunday
Getafe v Villarreal (1530) Barcelona v Valladolid (1730), Espanyol v Real Madrid (2000)
Monday
Cadiz v Athletic Bilbao (1800), Valencia v Atletico Madrid (2000)
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