The first weekend of La Liga action concludes with two afternoon matches on Sunday.
The pregame narrative: It starts with Athletic Bilbao, looking to build off a strong season, against Sevilla, which narrowly escaped relegation in 2024-25. After that, European powerhouse Atletico Madrid looks to get off on the right foot against Espanyol.
Check out my La Liga predictions and best bets for the season-opening soccer action, featuring Alexander Sorloth
La Liga predictions
Best bet: Alexander Sorloth to score (-108)
The 6-foot-5 striker is a clinical goalscorer in every way.
- Last season, he only started 15 matches (35 appearances) but still managed to score 20 goals.
- His 1.15 goals per 90 minutes ranked first and far outpaced Kylan Mbappe’s 0.96 goals per 90 (31 total goals).
- Sorloth recorded the second-most shots on goal per 90 last season (2.4).
I expect him to start on Sunday, but he will probably be subbed off in the second half, especially if Madrid holds the lead.
And it’s very possible Atletico is up multiple goals by that point. The side is -167 to win and -122 to score two or more goals.
That’s because Espanyol was one of the worst defensive sides in La Liga last season.
Key stat: Amongst teams that didn’t get relegated, Espanyol was tied for the most xG conceded last season (54.6).
La Liga picks: Week 1
Sevilla under 0.5 goals (+100): Bilbao was Spain’s best defensive team last season, being the only club to concede fewer than 30 goals.
The side held a clean sheet in eight of the final 11 matches last season, including a 1-0 win over Sevilla.
Bilbao will also have the advantage of playing at home.
Sevilla was a huge disappointment last season, finishing one point clear of relegation with 41 points and a -13 goal differential.
The side was a below-average offensive team, scoring 1.1 goals per game and should struggle to score in a tough matchup.
Sevilla didn’t bring in any notable players this transfer window and could be back in the battle to avoid relegation again this season.
La Liga predictions made at 1:21 p.m. on 08/16/25.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.