Sevilla Stun Athletic Club in Bilbao as Valencia Draw a Blank at Mestalla

La Liga returned on August 22 with two contrasting stories: a Sevilla side full of intent and a pair of sides at Mestalla unable to separate themselves after ninety minutes.

In Bilbao, Sevilla produced arguably the most convincing result of the opening weekend, travelling to the fortress of San Mamés and leaving with a 3-1 win over Athletic Club. It was the kind of statement performance that will have the rest of the division taking notice, with the Andalusians looking sharp, organised, and clinical in attack.

Athletic Club, backed by their famously partisan home crowd, did manage to find the net once, but it proved little more than a consolation. The hosts will need to regroup quickly with a difficult schedule ahead, while Sevilla head into the coming weeks with confidence and early momentum in the table.

At Mestalla in Manises, Valencia and Celta Vigo played out a forgettable 0-0 draw. Neither side could find the quality required to break the deadlock, and both sets of supporters will head home frustrated. A point apiece is a modest return, though for a Valencia side with ambitions of pushing up the table, the dropped points at home will sting more.

With matchday one now complete in La Liga, Sevilla sit among the early frontrunners thanks to their haul of three points and a handsome goal difference, while the other three clubs involved on this occasion face the work of sharpening their edge before next weekend's fixtures.