La Liga Daily Report - 2026-09-07

Barcelona remained perfect at the top of La Liga after a 5-0 victory over Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday. Lamine Yamal scored twice, opening the scoring in the sixth minute before adding a second late in the match. Fermín López and Pedri also found the net, while reports additionally credited Raphinha with a goal. The result gave Barcelona four wins from four matches and took their league tally to 17 goals, with only two conceded. Midfielder Rodri made his first start since joining from Manchester City, while Gabriel Jesus made his Barcelona debut from the bench.

The scale of the victory reinforced Barcelona’s early control of the campaign, while Valencia’s difficult start continued. Hansi Flick said his side had played a “fantastic game”, describing them as dominant and in control. López was named man of the match after contributing to several goals, underlining the depth of Barcelona’s attacking threat alongside Yamal and Raphinha. Raphinha’s goal also reportedly took him to six in four league games, matching a scoring feat previously achieved only by Lionel Messi at this stage of a La Liga season. Valencia, meanwhile, remained bottom with one point from four matches.

Real Madrid’s perfect La Liga start ended with a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday. Troy Parrott scored the decisive goal in the 81st minute after Madrid had created opportunities without converting them. Kylian Mbappé then saw a stoppage-time penalty saved by Betis goalkeeper Álvaro Valles, leaving José Mourinho’s side without a point. The setback allowed Barcelona to move clear at the top after their 5-0 win at Valencia. It was Madrid’s first league defeat of the season under Mourinho, who returned to the club during the summer.

Mourinho accepted that Madrid had failed to turn their chances into goals, but he also questioned the handling of the late penalty. According to ZimEye, the coach argued that the spot-kick should have been retaken and demanded an explanation from the officials. He later described his players as “naive” in their response to the physical aspects of the contest, while clarifying that the word was intended as an assessment rather than a personal criticism. The defeat leaves Madrid needing a response in their next league fixture, with their title defence already placing greater emphasis on consistency behind Barcelona.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continued his outstanding return to La Liga by scoring Deportivo A Coruña’s winner in a 3-2 victory at Villarreal on Saturday. The 37-year-old Gabonese striker also supplied two assists, influencing all three of Deportivo’s goals in a match decided by his 89th-minute finish. The result completed a remarkable opening sequence for Aubameyang, who had scored in each of his first four league appearances since returning to Spain. Deportivo’s comeback victory also continued the newly promoted side’s impressive start to life back in the top flight.

Aubameyang’s four-match scoring run broke Deportivo’s club record for the quickest start, surpassing Bebeto’s three consecutive games from 1992. His contribution has given the club an immediate focal point in attack and helped create the sense of a revived “Super Dépor” after promotion. The win at Villarreal was particularly significant because Deportivo had to recover from behind, with Aubameyang providing both the quality and experience to settle the contest late. His form has quickly made the veteran one of the defining stories of the opening weeks of the La Liga season.

Real Sociedad beat Elche 3-2 on Monday in a closely contested La Liga match. The result was listed among the day’s two fixtures alongside Getafe’s 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo. Sociedad’s victory came after a match in which both sides scored twice before the decisive late contribution, keeping the contest open until the closing stages. Getafe took the lead through Satriano in the 21st minute, but Celta equalised through Starfelt in the 57th. The two matches provided a busy conclusion to the fourth round, with Sociedad securing the day’s only victory.

The results added further movement to a table already shaped by contrasting starts. Sociedad’s win gave them an important three points from a demanding fixture, while Elche were left to reflect on a narrow home defeat. Getafe and Celta shared the points after neither side could find a winner following the second-half equaliser. With Barcelona the only club to maintain a perfect record after four rounds, the Monday results underlined how quickly the standings can change outside the early leaders. Both matches also ensured the round ended with competitive, high-scoring drama rather than a quiet final day.