Real Valladolid vs Espanyol

Gameweek one of the 2024–25 La Liga season will feature a match between two promoted teams. On Monday night, Real Valladolid will host Espanyol at Estadio Jose Zorrilla.

Last season, the home team automatically qualified for the top flight after finishing second in the Segunda Division, while Espanyol was promoted through the playoffs.

Due to their 18th-place finish in the table, Real Valladolid was demoted from La Liga at the end of the 2022–2023 season. However, they were able to regain their position in the top flight for the 2024–2025 season by placing second in the second division the previous year.

Paulo Pezzolano's club didn't even conclude their season until the beginning of June. They returned to preseason play on July 24, defeating Gimnastica Segoviana 5-2 and defeating Toulouse and Burgos in friendly matches.

With nine new players joining, including Juanmi Latasa from Real Madrid, the White and Violets have had a busy summer in terms of acquisitions. Eray Comert is another noteworthy addition to the team.

Real Valladolid has a good group going into the new season, and they will be motivated to establish themselves again at this level despite the five departures, which include Alvaro Negredo and midfielder Monchu.

Pucela beat Espanyol 2-1 in their most recent match in the top division of Spain, but they managed just one point from their two encounters in the second division during the previous campaign.

While Espanyol only missed one season from La Liga, they had to make it through the Segunda Division playoffs in order to rejoin the top division in Spain.

In fact, the Catalan team defeated Sporting Gijon in the playoff semifinals before defeating Real Oviedo 2-1 in the championship game. As a result, the White and Blues, together with Leganes and Real Valladolid, received promotions.

This summer, Espanyol has added five players, including Alejo Veliz on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. However, there have also been some significant losses, as Martin Braithwaite and Nico Melamed both left to pursue new opportunities.

As previously noted, Manolo Gonzalez's team earned four points from their two Segunda Division games against Real Valladolid last season, but they have dropped their last three encounters with the team playing on Monday in the top flight of Spain.

The outcome of Espanyol's matches against the clubs predicted to be in their vicinity will likely determine their season, and Monday's matchup between the two teams is anticipated to be an exciting contest between those predicted to be in the relegation hunt at the end of the season.