This upcoming La Liga campaign will be the first following Ronaldo’s move to Juventus, and Goal brings you all the key dates
This upcoming La Liga season marks the first after Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational move from Real Madrid to Juventus, and will be the beginning of a new era for the Spanish league.
Lionel Messi’s legendary Liga rivalry with the Portuguese international has now ended; but the Argentine is also set to captain Barcelona following Andres Iniesta’s exit from the club.
Encounters between Barcelona and Real Madrid usually make for a thrilling spectacle, but when will the first post-Ronaldo Clasico take place? Goal has all the information.
When does the La Liga 2018-19 season begin?
La Liga 2018-19 begins on the weekend of August 18, a week after the start of the Premier League – and it is set to be a ground-breaking season as it will be the first time that VAR will be used.
Ernesto Valverde’s men begin the defense of their title at home to Deportivo Alaves on August 19, while Real Madrid host Getafe, with Valencia playing Atletico Madrid in the pick of the opening round fixtures.
It will be the dawning of a new era in Spain after Ronaldo’s spectacular move to Juventus, with Barcelona already sure to be massive favourites to defend their La Liga title after adding the likes of Malcom to their squad.
Ronaldo’s departure will not be the only difference in the Spanish top-flight this season. The upcoming campaign also marks the first term without Barcelona veteran Andres Iniesta, who left the club for Japanese side Vissel Kobe. It will be the first season in which star forward Messi officially captains the Catalan side, inheriting the duties from Iniesta.
When will El Clasico take place?
The first La Liga Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be played on October 28.
Barcelona are due to host Madrid at the Camp Nou on matchday 10, while the return game is to be played at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 3.
The last Clasico ended in a 2-2 draw after Luis Suarez and Messi hit for the home side, with Ronaldo and Gareth Bale eventually equalising. The previous Liga fixture marked a 3-0 away win for Barcelona at the Bernabeu, where Dani Caravajal was sent off in the 63rd minute.
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How can UK viewers watch El Clasico?
Eleven Sports are the official holders to the TV rights to La Liga matches in the UK and Ireland, securing an exclusive three-year deal after beating out BT Sport.
Once Eleven Sports have launched their streaming platform in August, fans will be able to watch La Liga and Serie A matches online via their streaming platform, through iOS mobile and tablet apps (available from the Apple Store) and Android mobile (available from the Google Play store).
The group has also confirmed that they are in discussions with other broadcasters such as Sky and BT to show matches through their platforms.
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