Alaves hosts Getafe to kick off the 2024-25 La Liga season

La Liga kicks off with a match that rarely grabs headlines, yet this year it opens the season: Alaves hosts Getafe this Saturday, August 15, in the first fixture of the 2024-25 campaign. Kickoff is set for 2:30 PM (Argentina and Uruguay), 1:30 PM (Chile) and 12:30 PM (Ecuador, Colombia and Peru).

What stands out is that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid will be in action. Spanish soccer's two giants wait until the second round to debut, so the early spotlight falls on two clubs that know all too well what it means to fight for every point in a very different way: with no room to relax on a single weekend.

Two teams chasing the same underlying goal

Neither Alaves nor Getafe enter the conversation about European spots as naturally as other clubs do, but they're not ready to settle for looking over their shoulders either. Both are coming off seasons where relegation loomed at some point on the calendar, and that memory lingers. Starting with a win, or at least avoiding a loss, always feels different when the real target isn't decided until May, not August.

If Alaves showed anything in preseason, it's steadiness without any scares: the club didn't lose any of its four friendlies. The most recent ended in a 1-1 draw against Racing de Santander, with a win in the ensuing penalty shootout, a solid way to wrap up preparation even if the result carries no weight in the standings.

Getafe, for its part, arrives with a result of its own that invites cautious optimism: a draw against Tottenham in one of its final summer tests. That guarantees nothing once official competition begins, but it does offer a gauge of the squad's level against opposition from another league.

Recent history favors the visitors

The most recent meeting between the two sides isn't encouraging for the home fans. The last time they met, on February 8, Getafe won 2-0 on the road in the Basque Country. That result stands as the most immediate reference point ahead of this new chapter, though preseason soccer and the real thing rarely look alike.

What is clear is that this Saturday carries a bit of symbolic weight: being first to claim three points, first to score this season, first to set a tone even if only briefly. And for two clubs that need every point to sleep easy between October and April, opening with a home win would be a pretty concrete way to start building some breathing room.