La Liga 2026-27 Matchday 3: Stats & Analysis with Picks

La Liga 2026-27: Introduction

La Liga matchday 3 will entertain us with thrilling games. The teams are now facing difficult challenges in this matchday. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the favorites in their home matches. Sevilla will play against Atlético Madrid, who are one of the dominant teams. Villarreal hopes to win the game away from home against Alavés.

La Liga: Matchday 3 Schedules

Racing Santander vs Elche

Date: 28 August 2026 (Friday)

Time: 01:00 PM ET | 10:00 AM PT | 10:30 PM IST

Venue: Estadio El Sardinero, Santander

Alavés vs Villarreal

Date: 28 August 2026 (Friday)

Time: 03:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM PT | 01:00 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Mendizorrotza Stadium, Victoria-Gasteiz

Levante vs Betis

Date: 29 August 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 11:00 AM ET | 08:00 AM PT | 08:30 PM IST

Venue: Estadio Ciudad de Valencia, Levante UD

Real Sociedad vs Espanyol

Date: 29 August 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 01:00 PM ET | 10:00 AM PT | 10:30 PM IST

Venue: Anoeta Stadium, San Sebastián

Sevilla vs Atlético Madrid

Date: 29 August 2026 (Friday)

Time: 03:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM PT | 01:00 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, Sevilla

Real Madrid vs Málaga

Date: 30 August 2026 (Sunday)

Time: 11:00 AM ET | 08:00 AM PT | 08:30 PM IST

Venue: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid

Deportivo vs Valencia

Date: 30 August 2026 (Sunday)

Time: 01:30 PM ET | 10:30 AM PT | 11:00 PM IST

Venue: Riazor Stadium

Celta vs Athletic

Date: 30 August 2026 (Sunday)

Time: 03:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM PT | 01:00 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Estadio de Balaídos, Vigo

Osasuna vs Getafe

Date: 31 August 2026 (Monday)

Time: 01:30 PM ET | 10:30 AM PT | 11:00 PM IST

Venue: El Sadar Stadium, Navarre

Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano

Date: 31 August 2026 (Monday)

Time: 03:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM PT | 01:00 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona

Match Previews

Alavés vs Villarreal

Date: 28 August 2026 (Friday)

Time: 03:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM PT | 01:00 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Mendizorrotza Stadium, Victoria-Gasteiz

La Liga Current Squad

Alavés

Position	Player Names
Goalkeepers	Sivera, A. Rodriguez, Owono, Swiderski
Defenses	Valentini, Youssef, F. Garcés, Ángel P., Novoa, N. Tenaglia, Koski, J. Otto, Mikel R., Xanet Olaiz
Midfields	Denis Suárez, Guevara, Blanco, C. Aleñá, Ibáñez, A. Rebbach, C. Protesoni, Varona, Izei
Forwards	Mariano, T. Martínez, Lucas Boyé, Mañas, Miguel

Coach: Sánchez Flores

Villarreal

Position	Player Names
Goalkeepers	Júnior R., Ruben Gomez, Gulácsi
Defenders	Costa, Freeman, Kambwala, Pau Navarro, Foyth, Renato Veiga, Mouriño, C. Romero, S. Cardona
Midfielders	A. Diatta, A. Moleiro, Santi C.V., Buchanan, Gueye, Pepe, Macia, Nizar, Cheikh
Forwards	Gerard, Mikautadze, I. Akhomach, Oluwaseyi, Ayoze

Coach: Iñigo Pérez

Injury List

Unavailable players for Deportivo Alavés: Facundo Garcés (suspension).

Team Stats and Analysis

Metric	Deportivo Alavés	Villarreal CF
La Liga Standing	3rd Place (4 pts)	9th Place (2 pts)
Recent Result	1-1 vs Rayo Vallecano	2-2 vs Atlético Madrid
Win Probability	31.1%	41.6%
H2H Record (34 games) – (4 Draws)	16 Wins	14 Wins
Home/Away Form	Unbeaten at Mendizorrotza	Winless away at Alavés since 2020

Analysis

Team	Game week 1	Game week 2	Total Goals For	Total Goals Against
Deportivo Alavés	3–0 vs Getafe (W)	1–1 vs Rayo Vallecano (D)	4	1
Villarreal CF	2–2 vs Racing Santander (D)	2–2 vs Atlético Madrid (D)	4	4

La Liga matchday 3 brought us an entertaining match. Villarreal is set to face Alavés in their upcoming match. Villarreal is the direct favorite to win this match with a 41.6%-win probability. Even though Alavés is sitting at the top of the La Liga table. Villarreal’s squad depth, incredible talent, and long-term ratings give them an advantage. Villarreal already showed their strength against Atlético Madrid in the previous match with a draw. The forwards are scoring goals in every match and creating confidence ahead of the next clash. Villarreal’s defensive weakness will give Alavés scoring opportunities at home. Alavés has strong support at home and a defensive lag. Villarreal’s greater individual quality and attacking threat make them the more likely winner.

The Pick: Villarreal

Sevilla vs Atlético Madrid

Date: 29 August 2026 (Friday)

Time: 03:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM PT | 01:00 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, Sevilla

La Liga Current Squad

Sevilla

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Odysseas Vlachodimos, Fran González, Rafael Romero
Defenders	Juan Iglesias, Julio Díaz, Kike Salas, Andrés Castrín, Arouna Sangante, Gabriel Suazo, Oso, José Ángel Carmona, Marcão, Manuel Ángel, Iker Muñoz, Cardoso
Midfielders	Giorgi Kochorashvili, Lucien Agoumé, Jon Guridi, Nico Guillén, Manu Bueno, Edu Altozano
Forwards	Alfon González, Robbie Ure, Peque Fernández, Isaac Romero, Chidera Ejuke, Ibra, Miguel Sierra, Rubén Vargas

Coach: Luis Garcia

Atlético Madrid

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Juan Musso, Jan Oblak
Defenders	José María Giménez, Dávid Hancko, Marc Pubill, Cristian Romero, Alejandro Grimaldo, Robin Le Normand, Domínguez, D. Martínez
Midfielders	Obed Vargas, Rodrigo Mendoza, Johnny Cardoso, Koke, Lee Kang-in, Pablo Barrios, Álex Baena, Marcos Llorente, Thomas Lemar, Arnau Ortiz, Castillo, Morten Hjulmand, Carlos Martín
Forwards	Alexander Sørloth, Ademola Lookman, Giuliano Simeone, Julián Álvarez, Cubo

Coach: Simeone

Injury List

Unavailable players for Sevilla: Alfon González (injury). 

Unavailable players for Atlético Madrid: Julián Álvarez (injury), Robin Le Normand (suspension), Alexander Sørloth (injury).

Team Stats and Analysis

Metric	Sevilla FC	Atlético Madrid
La Liga Standing	2nd Place (6 pts)	3rd Place (4 pts)
Recent Result	3–1 Win vs. Athletic Club	2–0 Win vs. Málaga CF
Win Probability	27.0%	44.8%
H2H Record (55 games) – (17 Draws)	15 Wins	23 Wins
Home/Away Form	Perfect at Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán	Vulnerable away (2–2 at Villarreal)

Analysis

Team	Game week 1	Game week 2	Total Goals For	Total Goals Against
Sevilla FC (2nd Place)	2–1 vs Rayo Vallecano (W)	3–1 vs Athletic Club (W)	5	2
Atlético Madrid (5th Place)	2–0 vs Málaga CF (W)	2–2 vs Villarreal CF (D)	4	2

Atlético Madrid came into this match as a strong favorite because of their strong squad. Diego Simeone’s side arrives with solid momentum but showed noticeable defensive vulnerabilities in a 2-2 draw against Villarreal. Their attacking depth has been hurt by injuries ahead of the match, including key attacking players. Sevilla has scored 5 goals in two matches, and now they are in excellent form. Similarly, Atlético has greater individual performance and experience in tough matches. Their recent 2-2 draw against Villarreal also showed their attacking capability. Sevilla’s home advantage will make this match competitive, but Atlético remains the favorite.

The Pick: Atlético Madrid

Real Madrid vs Málaga

Date: 30 August 2026 (Sunday)

Time: 11:00 AM ET | 08:00 AM PT | 08:30 PM IST

Venue: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid

La Liga Current Squad

Real Madrid

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Mestre
Defenders	Raúl Asencio, Éder Militão, Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella, Álvaro Carreras, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Denzel Dumfries, Mario Rivas
Midfielders	Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva, Brahim, Cestero
Forwards	Vinícius Júnior, Endrick, Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo, Carlos Espí, Alexis Ciria, Yan Diomande

Coach: José Mourinho

Málaga

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Alfonso Herrero, Carlos López
Defenders	Carlos Puga, Einar Galilea, Álex Pastor, José Salinas, Ángel Recio, Diego Murillo, Fernando Calero, Rafita, Dani Sánchez
Midfielders	Ramón Enríquez, Carlos Dotor, David Larrubia, Rafa Rodríguez, Juan Cruz, Dani Lorenzo, Izan Merino, Juanpe Jiménez, Otu Jr, D. Larrubia
Forwards	Haitam Abaida, Chupe, Joaquín Muñoz, Eneko Jauregi, Adrián Niño, Julen Lobete, Juani

Coach: Funes

Injury List

Unavailable players for Real Madrid: Éder Militao (injury), Ferland Mendy (injury), Raúl Asencio (injury), Aurélien Tchouaméni (injury), Thiago Pitarch (injury), Endrick (injury), Rodrygo (injury). 

Unavailable players for Málaga: Diego Murillo (injury), Fernando Calero (injury), Aarón Ochoa (injury), Adrián Nino (injury).

Team Stats and Analysis

Metric	Real Madrid	Málaga CF
La Liga Standing	1st Place (6 pts)	16th Place (1 pt)
Game week 1 Result	2–1 Win away vs. Espanyol	2–0 Loss away vs. Atlético Madrid
Game week 2 Result	4–1 Win home vs. Real Sociedad	1–1 Draw home vs. Deportivo La Coruña
Goals Scored / Conceded	6 Scored / 2 Conceded	1 Scored / 3 Conceded
Mathematical Win %	85.4%	4.9%
Historical H2H Record (29) – (5 Draws)	23 Wins	1 Win (4 Draws)

Analysis

Real Madrid will be huge favorites in this match, with an 85.4% chance of victory. Real Madrid’s perfect beginning of the season, strong quality of the team, and its offensive line are significant assets. The star of this offensive line is Kylian Mbappé, who has teammates Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior behind him. Real Madrid has a strong historical record in head-to-head matches with Málaga. Also, Málaga will find it difficult to adjust to first-league football and play away from home. The defensive issues of Málaga can become another problem for them. Málaga may try to stop Madrid, but their quality and home advantage should make this tougher.

The Pick: Real Madrid

Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano

Date: 31 August 2026 (Monday)

Time: 03:30 PM ET | 12:30 PM PT | 01:00 AM IST (Next day)

Venue: Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona

La Liga Current Squad

Barcelona

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Joan García, Wojciech Szczęsny, Eder Aller
Defenders	Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsí, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Jules Koundé, Eric García, João Cancelo, Héctor Fort, Jordi Pesquer, Cortes
Midfielders	Gavi, Pedri, Fermín López, Marc Casadó, Dani Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, Rodrigo, Roony Bardghji, Brian
Forwards	Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Hamza Abdelkarim

Coach: Hansi Flick

Rayo Vallecano

Position	Players
Goalkeepers	Dani Cárdenas, Augusto Batalla
Defenders	Andrei Rațiu, De Las Sias, Luiz Felipe, Iván Balliu, Pelayo Fernández, Florian Lejeune, Lozano, Jozhua V.
Midfielders	Pedro Díaz, Pathé Ciss, Isi Palazón, Unai López, Álvaro García, Óscar Valentín, Kumbulla, M. Román, Fran Pérez, Randy Nteka, Jorge de Frutos
Forwards	Alemão, Sergio Camello, G.Tsitaishvili, Alonso

Coach: Beñat San José

Injury List

Unavailable players for Barcelona: Gavi (injury), Frenkie de Jong (injury), Roony Bardghji (injury). 

Unavailable players for Rayo Vallecano: Augusto Batalla (injury), Isi Palazón (injury), Marash Kumbulla (injury), Luiz Felipe (injury).

Team Stats and Analysis

Metric	FC Barcelona	Rayo Vallecano
La Liga Standing	Defending Champions (6th place)	Mid-Table (13th  place)
Game week 1 Result	—	2–1 Loss vs. Sevilla
Game week 2 Result	5-0 win against Elche	1–1 Draw home vs. Alavés
Goals Scored / Conceded	5 Scored / 0 Conceded	2 Scored / 3 Conceded
Win Probability	80.7%	7.1%
Draw Probability	12.2%	12.2%
Historical H2H (23 games) – (3 Draws)	17 Wins	3 Wins

Analysis

FC Barcelona comes into the game as the favorite to win, with an 80.7% chance of winning the match. This is thanks to their team depth, attacking capabilities, and strength in home matches. With players like Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Adeyemi in Barcelona’s attack, the team will put constant pressure on their opponents. The presence of Rodri in the middle of the pitch adds more control and power to their midfield. Rayo Vallecano have faced difficult times playing against Barcelona, especially in away matches. Barcelona had a dominant record in H2H matches, winning 17 of 23. Barcelona’s quality in attacking and defending will define this match and be a moment for fans.

The Pick: Barcelona

Conclusion

La Liga matchday 33 will promise to entertain us with many surprise results. Real Madrid and Barcelona will change their stats and position at the top after this match. Atlético Madrid will tend to break Sevilla’s perfect home record. Villarreal seeks a first away victory since 2020. Every point matters early in the La Liga season. Expect fierce competition and entertainment throughout.