The third round of LaLiga concludes with two Monday evening fixtures, and whilst on paper these are matches of quite different character, both have plenty of storylines. At 6.30 pm, Osasuna host Getafe at El Sadar, followed by Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano at 8.30 pm at the Spotify Camp Nou.
As things stand on Monday afternoon, Barcelona are naturally in the strongest position of the four teams involved: Hansi Flick’s side are fourth with 6 points and a goal difference of 7–0, Osasuna are eighth with 4 points, Getafe are 12th with 3 points, whilst Rayo Vallecano, who are yet to win a match, are 15th with 1 point as they head into the evening. Barça and the other three clubs involved have each played only two league matches so far, whilst, for example, league leaders Real Madrid already have 9 points after three matches.
Osasuna vs Getafe: Where Every Ball is Likely to be Fiercely Contested
El Sadar is rarely the sort of place where a team turns up for a pleasant Monday-evening outing, and José Bordalás’s Getafe are certainly not known for playing it nice. All the ingredients are therefore in place for a physical match, full of duels, free-kicks and maybe a red card?!
What’s more, Luis Miguel Ramis’s new Osasuna side are proving difficult to read at the moment. They drew 0–0 at home against Levante in their opening match, then won 2–1 away at Celta a few days later. At Balaídos, Celta were leading thanks to a goal from Iago Aspas, but after Marcos Alonso was sent off, Kike Barja equalised, and Ante Budimir turned the match around from the penalty spot.
Getafe’s journey took a different turn. Bordalás’s side lost 3–0 to Alavés in the first round, falling apart following Kiko Femenía’s sending-off, before going on to beat Racing Santander 1–0 thanks to a goal from Enes Ünal in the 81st minute. Meanwhile, they also had to contend with European commitments: they won their Conference League qualifier against Partizan 4–3 on aggregate, having played in Belgrade as recently as Thursday evening. Fatigue could therefore be a real factor for the visitors.
📍 ALINEACIÓN#OsasunaGetafe pic.twitter.com/2HgvJtgg11
— C. A. OSASUNA (@Osasuna) August 31, 2026
The recent history of this fixture also suggests that nothing can be taken for granted here. Of the previous five league meetings, Osasuna have won two, Getafe two, and there was one draw. Last October, Osasuna won 2–1 in Pamplona, but this May, Getafe struck back with a 1–0 victory at the Coliseum.
There are also two special personal stories. Rubén García is set to make his 300th appearance for Osasuna, whilst David Soria, should he start in goal for Getafe once again, could break the record for 193 consecutive LaLiga starts. For a goalkeeper, this is an astonishing display of consistency, particularly at a club where defence is almost a religion under Bordalás’s system.
As for absentees, Osasuna are in a better position: Valentin Rosier is definitely out as he recovers from a hamstring injury, but apart from him, Ramis had all his players available for training at the weekend. At Getafe, Christantus Uche will miss the entire season due to a serious knee injury, whilst Juanmi may also be sidelined due to a knee problem. Kiko Femenía, however, has served his suspension and is available for selection again.
Predicted line-ups
The expected Osasuna starting line-up in Ramis’s 4–4–2 formation: Sergio Herrera – Arguibide, Herrando, Catena, Bretones – Rubén García, Iker Muñoz, Moncayola, Raúl Moro – Aimar Oroz, Budimir. Ramis has promised changes to the team that faced Celta, and Budimir, Aimar Oroz and Iker Muñoz could all return to the line-up.
Getafe are expected to line up in a 3–5–2 formation, roughly as follows: David Soria – Abqar, Zaid Romero, Djené – Andrés García, Mangala, Terrats, Mario Martín, Mojica – Martín Satriano, Enes Ünal. The key will hardly be the formation itself: Bordalás’s side likes to defend deep and compactly, then attack with long balls and on the counter.
The key to the match may well be how much patience Osasuna can muster. The home side have generated an xG of 3.30 and six clear-cut chances over the last two matches, whilst Getafe have only managed to hit the target with three of their 18 shots. However, if the Pamplona side fail to take an early lead, this could easily turn into the kind of disjointed, frantic match that Getafe thrive on.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano: An Old, Troublesome Opponent for an Unbeaten Barça
A few hours later, it’s a completely different world of football. Barcelona have started the league campaign as if they hadn’t rested for a single minute since May: a 5–0 win away at Elche, followed by a 2–0 victory over Athletic Club. Two matches, seven goals scored, none conceded.
Raphinha has started the season with three goals, Fermín López is also on three, and Flick’s side have recorded around 62 per cent possession, 17 shots on target and an xG of 8.61 over two matchdays. Even more telling, their opponents have managed just two shots on target against Joan García.
And yet: if there is one smaller side against whom Barça cannot necessarily afford to be complacent even before kick-off, it is Rayo. The two sides have met ten times since the 2021/22 season, with Barcelona winning just four of those matches, alongside three draws and three Rayo victories. Admittedly, the last six matches have seen a turnaround: Barça have won four and drawn two. Barcelona won the most recent encounter 1–0 in March thanks to a header from Ronald Araújo, who is now playing for Liverpool.
Objective: three more points 💪
🔗 The Barça vs. Rayo preview: https://t.co/0qZI2uNoV4 pic.twitter.com/5rSifjFTkO— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 31, 2026
Rayo’s start to the season has been far less convincing. Beñat San José’s side lost 2–1 in Seville, then drew 1–1 with Alavés. Even that latter match was not played in Vallecas: due to safety issues at the stadium, the team were temporarily based at Butarque. This off-pitch uncertainty is hardly the ideal backdrop for a trip to Camp Nou.
For Barcelona, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji are not in tonight’s squad, whilst Dominik Livaković is not yet registered, but he is expected to be loaned out for this season. Although Rodri has been struggling with minor fitness issues this week, he is included in Flick’s 22-man squad and has already made his debut against Athletic.
Rayo’s absentees are more significant. First-choice goalkeeper Augusto Batalla is out with a broken leg, Luiz Felipe is struggling with a hamstring injury, and, according to Beñat San José, Isi Palazón is also unavailable. Marash Kumbulla’s availability is in doubt, whilst uncertainty remains surrounding Pathé Ciss even in the final days of the transfer window.
Predicted line-ups
Barcelona’s expected starting line-up, based on the latest reports from Spain: Joan García – Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Xavi Espart – Marc Bernal, Pedri, Fermín López – Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon. The biggest question mark is Gordon’s place: Karim Adeyemi could also make the starting line-up. In the absence of a traditional centre-forward, Raphinha may once again play as a false nine.
Rayo’s expected 4–1–4–1 line-up: Dani Cárdenas – Andrei Rațiu, Florian Lejeune, Pelayo Fernández, Jozhua Vertrouwd – Pathé Ciss – Jorge de Frutos, Randy Nteka, Unai López, Fran Pérez – Sergio Camello. For San José’s side, possession is unlikely to be the top priority: the speed of De Frutos and Camello behind Barça’s high defensive line could provide the visitors’ best chance.
Barcelona have extra motivation, having won 20 consecutive home league matches; another victory would make it 21. Moreover, Flick’s side have kept a clean sheet in four consecutive Camp Nou matches against Rayo. The visitors are therefore aiming both to end a brutal home run and to secure their first league win of the new season.
If there’s one player worth keeping a close eye on, it’s, of course, Lamine Yamal. The 19-year-old winger has scored 49 goals for Barcelona, meaning he could net his fiftieth against Rayo, while Ratiu and his teammates face one of the toughest individual challenges currently on offer in European football.
The first match of the evening therefore looks set to be more of a tactical battle, whilst the second promises to be a test of Barça’s strength. In the Osasuna v Getafe match, a single set-piece or mistake could decide the fate of the three points; in Barcelona, the question is rather whether Rayo can keep the match alive long enough for that troublesome opponent to emerge – the one who regularly made life miserable for the Catalans a few years ago.
