La Liga 2025 Begins with Valencia Facing Real Madrid
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Madrid (Spain), Jan 2 (NationPress) The La Liga season of 2025 kicks off on Friday with a highly anticipated clash between Valencia and Real Madrid, a game that could propel Real to the top of the league, overtaking their city rivals Atletico and increasing their lead over archrivals FC Barcelona by five points. This encounter was initially scheduled for November but was postponed due to the catastrophic floods that ravaged the Valencia region, resulting in over 200 casualties and extensive damage that the region is still working to recover from.
Valencia CF has undergone significant changes, with Carlos Corberan stepping in as coach, taking over from Ruben Baraja just before Christmas. Corberan, previously with West Brom, will lead Valencia from 19th place, having garnered only 12 points from their initial 17 fixtures, as reported by Xinhua. The atmosphere at Mestalla Stadium may be subdued, as a section of Valencia fans has threatened to boycott the match in protest against club owner Peter Lim.
This match marks the beginning of a hectic January for Real Madrid, who will follow their visit to Mestalla with a Copa del Rey clash against fourth-tier Deportivo Minera in Cartagena just three days later. They will then travel to Saudi Arabia for a Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Mallorca on January 9, with the possibility of a final in that tournament three days after.
Should Real Madrid triumph over Deportivo Minera, they will have another midweek Copa del Rey match before returning to La Liga on January 19.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti is in good spirits as he has a full squad available, excluding long-term injuries to Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao. David Alaba has returned to full training after a year-long recovery from a knee injury and is close to making his comeback.
Real Madrid concluded 2024 in commendable form, with Kylian Mbappe beginning to find his rhythm in the attack and Jude Bellingham occupying a more advanced role in midfield, suggesting they will likely be too strong for Valencia.
Additionally, Friday will see the initiation of the third round of the Copa del Rey, featuring three matches where second-tier Racing Ferrol and Granada host top-flight teams Rayo Vallecano and Getafe, while fourth-tier Pontevedra faces Mallorca at home after their victory over Villarreal in the previous round.
