Barca travel to Vallecano as Atletico face must-win game in La Liga

FC Barcelona has a tricky away game, while Real Madrid's relatively benign start to the season continues and Atletico Madrid faces an early season must-win game in the third round of matches in La Liga this weekend.

Barca travels to Rayo Vallecano's Vallecas Stadium on Sunday night after last weekend's narrow win away to Levante which came thanks to an injury time own goal after Barca had trailed 2-0.

Rayo has shown it is capable of rapid attacking football this season, but has to play a Conference League qualifying match on Thursday, which leaves Inigo Perez's side little time to recover.

There are also some doubts about the pitch in Vallecas, which looks to be dry and uneven and won't help Barca's passing game.

Real Madrid is at home to Mallorca on Saturday after last weekend's 3-0 win in Oviedo.

Xabi Alonso has already shown he is willing to rotate his starting 11, with Rodrygo coming into the side for Vinicius Jr last weekend and Dani Carvajal stepping in at right back. It will be interesting to see if Vinicius and Trent Alexander-Arnold kick off at home to a rival that recovers Vedat Muriqi and Manu Morlanes after suspension, but who has struggled at the start of the campaign with only one point from five.

Julian Alvarez (R) of Atletico de Madrid vies with Victor Chust of Elche CF during the Laliga football match between Atletico de Madrid and Elche CF in Madrid, Spain, Aug. 23, 2025. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

If one point from five is bad news for Mallorca, the same points tally has set alarm bells ringing at Atletico Madrid after an opening day defeat to Espanyol and a home draw to recently promoted Elche.

Those results mean Atletico is already five points behind Barca, Real Madrid, Villarreal and Athletic Club, and failure to win a tricky away match away to Deportivo Alaves could see Diego Simeone's side slip seven or eight points off the pace - a difference that won't be easy to recover.

Simeone needs his expensive signings to start performing, otherwise the coach will find himself coming under ever-increasing scrutiny.

There are two matches on Friday night with Elche at home to Levante in a game between two promoted sides, while Getafe looks to continue its impressive start to the season away to a Valencia team that lost to Osasuna last weekend and lost captain Jose Gaya to an early red card.

Villarreal travels to Vigo on Sunday with a 100 percent record after putting five goals past Girona last weekend, while Celta Vigo improved in an entertaining 1-1 draw at home to Betis on Wednesday night in a game brought forward due to European commitments of both clubs.

Betis is at home to Athletic Club Bilbao, with the Basque side travelling south after consecutive wins that flatter some irregular football.

Sunday's other match sees Espanyol at home to Osasuna in what promises to be a close game between two evenly matched sides and with Ante Budimir Osasuna's main threat.