LALIGA clubs land in England for pre-season friendlies against Premier League and Championship clubs

Monday 28^th July: With the return of club football just three weeks away and teams across Europe ramping up their preparations for the new season, a host of English clubs are looking to Spain’s LALIGA to provide their sides with top level opposition as they look hit the ground running come the start of the new campaign.  

14 English clubs (7 Premier League and 7 Championship) and 13 Spanish clubs (9 LALIGA EA SPORTS and 4 LALIGA HYPERMOTION) will be facing off against each other in the UK in an eye-catching slate of pre-season friendlies between 29^th July and 10^th August.  

These fixtures will showcase the depth of talent playing in both leagues and show English fans what Spanish football has to offer before the LALIGA season kicks-off on Friday 15^th August.

High profile LALIGA players will be competing on English soil, with fans potentially able to watch the likes of Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, Atlético de Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, Real Betis’ Isco, and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal, as well as enjoy the return of a host of former Premier League stars including Atlético de Madrid’s Conor Gallagher, Julián Alvarez, Clement Lenglet, and Real Betis’ Héctor Bellerín.

Some of these pre-season fixtures mark the first-ever meetings between the clubs, showcasing the increased collaboration between English and Spanish clubs. Other encounters mark the potential first meeting between them this season, as clubs await the draw for this season’s European competitions. Key pre-season fixtures include:

·       Premier League holders Liverpool vs Basque side Athletic Club at Anfield, a double-header at Anfield on the 4^th August.

·       Premier League runners up Arsenal will also play Athletic Club in the Emirates Cup at Emirates Stadium on 9^th August, as well fellow UEFA Champions League qualifiers Villarreal CF at the Emirates Stadium on the 6^th August.

·       Two more of this season’s UEFA Champions League contestants, Newcastle and Atlético de Madrid, will face each other in the SELA Cup at St James’ Park on the 9^th August.

The full fixture list for pre-season between 29^th July and 10^th August is as follows:

29^th July:

·       Oxford United vs CD Leganés

30^th July:

·       Coventry vs Real Betis

·       Watford vs RC Deportivo

2^nd August:

·       Oxford United vs Málaga CF

·       Leeds vs Villarreal CF

·       Sunderland vs Real Betis

·       Bristol City vs. Real Valladolid

·       West Brom vs Rayo Vallecano

·       Hull City vs Getafe CF

·       Middlesbrough vs RC Deportivo

4^th August:

·       Liverpool vs Athletic Club

6^th August:

·       Arsenal vs Villarreal CF

8^th August:

·       Newcastle vs RCD Espanyol

9^th August:

·       Newcastle vs Atlético de Madrid

·       Wolves vs Celta

·       Bournemouth vs Real Sociedad

·       Bournemouth vs Real Sociedad B

·       Arsenal vs Athletic Club

 

10^th August:

·       Sunderland vs Rayo Vallecano

Tickets for the games can be found on club websites.

 

Keegan Pierce, Director of International Relations, LALIGA said: “Football is deeply ingrained in the cultures of both England and Spain, and it is always a great occasion when clubs from the two countries face each other. As we look ahead to the new season, these pre-season fixtures are a brilliant opportunity for English fans to see the remarkable breadth and depth of talent in LALIGA, and to bring both existing and new fans closer to our league.”