La Liga Daily Report - 2026-09-06

Barcelona remained perfect at the top of La Liga after a commanding 5-0 victory over Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday. Lamine Yamal scored twice, while Fermín López, Raphinha and Pedri also found the net as Hansi Flick’s side moved to 12 points from four matches. Barcelona opened the scoring inside six minutes when Yamal finished from a tight angle after a pass from Fermín. Fermín then added the second before assisting Raphinha after half-time, with Yamal and Pedri completing the emphatic result in the closing stages.

The victory gave Barcelona a three-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid and underlined the champions’ attacking momentum. The Catalan side had now scored 17 goals and conceded two across their opening four league matches, according to the match reports. Flick praised his players for controlling the contest and showing dominance, while Barcelona’s performance also highlighted Fermín’s influence in both creation and finishing. Valencia, meanwhile, remained on one point and rooted near the bottom after another difficult afternoon at home.

Real Madrid suffered their first defeat since José Mourinho returned as coach when Troy Parrott gave Real Betis a 1-0 victory on Friday. The decisive goal came in the 81st minute, after Nelson Deossa’s header had forced a save from Thibaut Courtois and Parrott reacted first to the rebound. Madrid thought they had equalised through substitute Carlos Espí, but the effort was disallowed for offside following a VAR review. Deep into stoppage time, Kylian Mbappé then missed a penalty after Vinícius Júnior had been brought down.

The result ended Madrid’s promising winning start and left the club three points behind Barcelona after four matches. Betis held on despite late pressure, with goalkeeper Álvaro Valles saving Mbappé’s spot-kick. Madrid’s defeat also placed scrutiny on their attacking efficiency, particularly after Espí’s disallowed goal and the missed penalty. Sports Mole reported that Espí’s lively substitute appearance had added to discussion about his role under Mourinho, while the result represented a significant early boost for Betis and a setback for Madrid’s title defence.

Valencia supporters protested against the club’s officials and players after Sunday’s 5-0 home defeat by Barcelona. A few thousand fans gathered outside Mestalla, where they called the players “mercenaries” and demanded that president Kiat Lim and owner Peter Lim “go home”, according to the Associated Press report. Some ultra groups left sections of the stadium empty at kick-off, while players and head coach Carlos Corberán were booed during the match and at the final whistle. There were no reports of violence during the demonstrations.

The defeat left Valencia with one point from four matches and marked their third consecutive loss after they opened the campaign with a draw. The club had scored only once in those four fixtures, increasing the pressure on Corberán and the ownership. Kiat Lim, who became president in 2025, attended a match at Mestalla for the first time on Sunday, according to Spanish media cited in the report. The reaction showed how quickly the club’s poor start had deepened the disconnect between the team and its supporters.

Athletic Bilbao handed Atletico Madrid their first defeat of the La Liga season by winning 3-0 at San Mamés on Saturday. The match was goalless at half-time, but Athletic broke through one minute after the restart when Nico Williams headed home. Robert Navarro doubled the lead two minutes later after a quick counter-attack, receiving the ball from Iñaki Williams before finding the bottom corner. Oihan Sancet added Athletic’s third goal as the hosts completed a decisive second-half performance against Diego Simeone’s side.

The result represented Athletic’s second consecutive victory under new head coach Edin Terzić and moved them up to eighth place with six points. Atletico remained on seven points from four matches and slipped further behind the early leaders. The rapid double after half-time changed a previously even contest, leaving Simeone’s team unable to recover. Athletic’s display offered an encouraging sign of progress under their new coach, while Atletico now faced an early need to stabilise their results before the gap at the top widened.

Espanyol drew 1-1 with Sevilla on Sunday after Marcos Fernández Sánchez scored deep into stoppage time at the RCDE Stadium. Sevilla had appeared set for victory despite playing much of the second half with 10 men, after Arouna Sangante was sent off for bringing down Roberto Fernández as the last defender. Espanyol failed to convert their numerical advantage and also saw a goal from Omar El Hilali ruled out for offside. Instead, Lucas Stassin put Sevilla ahead in the 85th minute by finishing a loose ball inside the penalty area on his debut.

Fernández’s late equaliser ended Espanyol’s run of consecutive league defeats and denied Sevilla an important away win. Sevilla had begun the season with two victories before losing to Atletico Madrid, and the visitors had looked capable of recovering momentum after Stassin’s late strike. Their inability to protect the lead, however, meant the red card ultimately proved costly. For Espanyol, the point offered relief after a frustrating match in which they struggled to make their extra player count until the final attack.