When does La Liga begin? Dates, format, TV & streaming for brand new soccer season in Spain

It’s the beginning of a brand new period for one in every of Europe’s high soccer leagues. La Liga in Spain kicks off its first season with out Lionel Messi since 2003. However the famous person’s departure and the wage price range challenges dealing with giants Barcelona and Actual Madrid arguably arrange one of the crucial compelling La Liga seasons in current historical past.

Within the 17 seasons that Messi (Barcelona) and later Cristiano Ronaldo (Actual Madrid) starred in La Liga, their groups claimed 15 of the titles. The opposite two went to Atletico Madrid, together with final 12 months’s championship when Atletico took benefit of stumbles by the perennial favorites to complete atop the league standings.

Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Actual Madrid will as soon as once more be the favorites within the 2021-2022 season, however the subsequent tier of golf equipment will probably be dreaming of benefiting from the air of change sweeping over La Liga and hope to do sufficient to make a problem for the title. The race to keep away from relegation (backside three groups go all the way down to second division) and to qualify for European tournaments ought to show simply as intriguing because the battle on the high.

WATCH: Each La Liga match in English and Spanish on ESPN+

When does the La Liga season begin?

The 2021-2022 La Liga season kicked off with the primary spherical of matches starting on Friday, Aug. 13. The weekend sees all 20 groups in motion between Friday and Monday.

It’s the primary of 38 matchdays that will probably be performed over the subsequent 9 months, with the thirty eighth and closing spherical of matches falling on Sunday, Could 22, 2022.

Atletico Madrid didn’t have a straightforward opening to its title protection, touring to face final 12 months’s eighth-place group, Celta Vigo and rising with the slim 2-1 win. In a promising begin, Barcelona dominated fifth-place finishers Actual Sociedad in a 4-2 dwelling win. Each groups matched the beginning of Actual Madrid, which gained 4-1 the day earlier than on the street towards a Deportivo Alaves group that has precipitated it issues up to now.

The opening match on Friday, Aug. 13 featured six-time La Liga winners Valencia CF defeating plucky Getafe 1-0 regardless of taking place a person two minutes into the season. New Valencia supervisor Jose Bordalas obtained his first win towards the group he led for the previous 5 seasons, guiding Getafe to promotion from the second division after which ending in La Liga’s high 10 in three of the previous 4 seasons.

Friday, Aug. 13

Saturday, Aug. 14

Sunday, Aug. 15

Monday, Aug. 16

Methods to watch La Liga in USA

All 380 matches of the 2021-2022 La Liga season will probably be streamed in English and Spanish on ESPN+, kicking off the primary of eight years of unique protection within the USA. Choose matches may also be aired on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

• Dates: Aug. 13, 2021 – Could 22, 2022
• Matches: Complete of 380 La Liga matches in 2021-2022
• Streaming: ESPN+ (all matches in English & Spanish)
• TV Channels: ABC, ESPN (choose matches)
• Spanish-language TV: ESPN Deportes (choose matches)

La Liga competitors format

Every group performs the opposite 19 golf equipment in La Liga dwelling and away, amounting to 38 matches. Groups declare three factors for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss.

The La Liga standings are primarily based on the factors whole gathered over the course of the 38-game season. Relying on the place a membership finishes within the standings, that group can both win the title, earn a berth to one in every of three elite European membership tournaments, or maybe undergo relegation within the case of the underside three groups.

* = pending closing variety of berths assigned by European governing physique, UEFA

If groups are tied on factors within the standings, there are two units of tiebreakers which might be used relying on what number of golf equipment are deadlocked:

La Liga standings tiebreakers involving two golf equipment:

1. Superior purpose distinction in league matches performed between each groups
2. Superior purpose distinction throughout all league matches
3. Most targets scored throughout all league matches
4. Honest play level whole in keeping with disciplinary standings
5. Match to be performed on impartial subject (if needed)

La Liga standings tiebreakers involving three or extra golf equipment:

1. Superior level whole in all matches between the golf equipment which might be tied
2. Superior purpose distinction in all matches between the golf equipment which might be tied
3. Superior purpose distinction throughout all league matches
4. Most targets scored throughout all league matches
5. Honest play level whole in keeping with disciplinary standings

Which groups have gained La Liga?

There have been 90 La Liga seasons performed for the reason that first in 1929. Perennial powers Actual Madrid (34) and Barcelona (26) have claimed a staggering 60 of these titles between them.

Solely seven different golf equipment have ever laid their palms on the league trophy. Atletico Madrid, the defending La Liga champions, have 11 league championships to their identify. Athletic Bilbao (8), Valencia (6) and Actual Sociedad (2) are the one different groups with a number of titles.

Which group will win La Liga 2021-2022?

U.S. sportsbooks and historical past say it is going to be both Actual Madrid, Atletico Madrid or Barcelona. No shock there, however the order of the favorites raises an eyebrow: The defending champs, Atletico Madrid, should not being given the advantage of the doubt regardless of strengthening the roster over the offseason. Sevilla, Actual Sociedad and Villarreal are subsequent according to distant hopes of doubtless difficult.

The chances are everywhere in relation to the opposite 14 golf equipment, however does it actually matter? None of them is deemed an element within the title race primarily based on these futures.