When does LaLiga begin? Dates, format, TV & streaming for the brand new soccer season in Spain
It is the beginning of a new era for one of the best football leagues in Europe. La Liga in Spain begins its first season without Lionel Messi since 2003. But the superstar’s departure and the budgetary challenges facing giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have created arguably one of the most compelling La Liga seasons in recent history .
In the 17 seasons that Messi (Barcelona) and later Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) played in La Liga, their teams won 15 of the titles. The other two went to Atletico Madrid, including last year’s championship when Atletico used the stumbling blocks of the all-time favorites to land at the top of the league.
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid will again be favorites in the 2021-2022 season, but the next club class will dream of capitalizing on La Liga change and hope to do enough to meet a challenge for the title . The race for relegation (the bottom three teams move up to the second division) and for qualifying for European tournaments should be just as exciting as the battle for the top.
WATCH: Every La Liga game in English and Spanish on ESPN +
When does the La Liga season start?
The 2021-2022 La Liga season kicks off with the first round of games starting on Friday 13th August. During this weekend, all 20 teams will be on duty between Friday and Monday.
It is the first of 38 game days that will be played over the next nine months. The 38th and final day of the game is striking Sunday May 22, 2022.
The six-time La Liga winners will play in the opening game on Friday, August 13th Valencia CF host courageously Getafe. Valencia’s new manager Jose Bordalas will take on the side he has led for the past five seasons, lead Getafe to promotion to the second division and then finish in the La Liga top 10 for three of the past four seasons.
Atletico Madrid will not have an easy start to defending the title and will compete against the eighth-placed team from last year, Celtic Vigo. Barcelona should also have his hands full with the fifth place finishers Real company. In the meantime, real Madrid Set off to face a team that has caused problems in the past: Deportivo Alaves Only last year came a shocking 2-1 away win against Real Madrid.
Friday 13th August
| game | Time (ET) | electricity | TV channel |
| Valencia CF versus Getafe | 3 pm | ESPN + |
Saturday August 14th
| game | Time (ET) | electricity | TV channel |
| CA Health vs. RCD Espanyol | 11 clock | ESPN + | |
| Cadiz vs. Levante UD | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN + | |
| RCD Mallorca vs. Real Betis | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN + | |
| Deportivo Alaves vs. Real Madrid | 4 p.m. | ESPN + |
Sunday 15th August
| game | Time (ET) | electricity | TV channel |
| Celta Vigo vs. Atletico Madrid | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN + | |
| Barcelona vs. Real Company | 14 o’clock | ESPN + | ABC, ESPN Sports |
| Seville vs. Vallecano Ray | 4:15 p.m. | ESPN + |
Monday, August 16
| game | Time (ET) | electricity | TV channel |
| Villarreal vs. Grenade | 14 o’clock | ESPN + | |
| Moose vs. Sporty Bilbao | 4 p.m. | ESPN + |
How to watch La Liga in the US
All 380 games of the La Liga 2021-2022 season will be streamed on ESPN + in English and Spanish, beginning the first of eight years of exclusive coverage in the US. Select games will also be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
- Events: 08/13/2021 – 05/22/2022
- Matches: A total of 380 La Liga games in 2021-2022
- Stream: ESPN + (all games in English and Spanish)
- TV channel: ABC, ESPN (select matches)
- Spanish speaking television: ESPN Deportes (selected games)
La Liga competition format
Each team plays at home and away against the other 19 clubs in La Liga, which play 38 games. The teams demand three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss.
The La Liga rating is based on the total number of points accumulated over the course of the 38-game season. Depending on where a club finishes in the table, that team can either win the title, get a place in one of three European elite club tournaments or, in the case of the bottom three teams, possibly suffer relegation.
| End of table | |
| 1st place | La Liga title + UEFA Champions League place |
| 2nd-4th city square | Berth in the UEFA Champions League |
| 5th-6th city square | Europa League place * |
| 7th place | Europa Conference League place * |
| 8-17 city square | Participation in La Liga 2022-2023 |
| 18.-20. city square | Relegation to the 2nd division |
* = pending final number of berths allocated by the European umbrella organization UEFA
When teams are tied in the table, there are two sets of tiebreakers that are used depending on how many clubs are bogged down:
La Liga table tiebreaker with two clubs:
1. Superior goal difference in league games between both teams
2. Superior goal difference in all league games
3. Most goals scored in all league games
4. Total fair play points according to the disciplinary ranking
5th game on neutral field (if necessary)
La Liga table tiebreaker with three or more clubs:
1. Superior total score in all games between the clubs that are drawn
2. Superior goal difference in all games between the clubs that are drawn
3. Superior goal difference in all league games
4. Most goals scored in all league games
5. Total fair play points according to the disciplinary ranking
Which teams have won La Liga?
90 La Liga seasons have been played since the first in 1929. The eternal powers Real Madrid (34) and Barcelona (26) have together won an incredible 60 of these titles.
Only seven other clubs have ever got their hands on the League Cup. Atletico Madrid, the defending champions of La Liga, have eleven championships behind them. Athletic Bilbao (8), Valencia (6) and Real Sociedad (2) are the only other teams with multiple titles.
| team | La Liga title |
| real Madrid | 34 |
| Barcelona | 26th |
| Atletico Madrid | 11 |
| Sporty Bilbao | 8th |
| Valencia | 6th |
| Real company | 2 |
| Deportivo La Coruna | 1 |
| Real Betis | 1 |
| Seville | 1 |
Which team will win La Liga in 2021-2022?
US sports betting and history say it will either be real Madrid, Atletico Madrid or Barcelona. No wonder, but the order of favorites raises eyebrows: The defending champion Atletico Madrid will not be in any doubt despite the reinforcement of the squad in the off-season. Seville, Real company and Villarreal are the closest in line with distant hopes of a potential challenge.
For the other 14 clubs, the odds are everywhere, but does that really matter? None of them are considered a factor in the title race because of these futures.
| team | Draft kings | FanDuel | BetMGM |
| real Madrid | +110 | +125 | +100 |
| Barcelona | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Atletico Madrid | +275 | +280 | +275 |
| Seville | +1600 | +2300 | +1400 |
| Real company | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Villarreal | +6500 | +10000 | +5000 |
| Real Betis | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Sporty Bilbao | +15000 | +10000 | +20000 |
| Celtic Vigo | +25000 | +10000 | +25000 |
| Getafe | +40000 | +10000 | +50000 |
| Valencia | +50000 | +10000 | +50000 |
| Granada | +50000 | +10000 | +50000 |
| Spanish | +50000 | +10000 | +50000 |
| Osasuna | +10000 | +25000 | +100,000 |
| Levant | +50000 | +10000 | +20000 |
| Deportivo Alaves | +80000 | +10000 | +100,000 |
| Mallorca | +80000 | +10000 | +100,000 |
| Cadiz | +100,000 | +10000 | +20000 |
| Moose | +100,000 | +10000 | +20000 |
| Vallecano Ray | +100,000 | +10000 | N / A |
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