Christantus Uche's second-half goal earned Getafe a point in a 1-1 draw with Athletic Club to kick off the new LaLiga season.
Oihan Sancet had given the hosts the lead, but despite some late chances from substitute Nico Williams, they could not get off to a winning start.
Uche could have easily given Getafe the lead in the first half after racing in behind Athletic's high line, but he failed to catch the shot cleanly on the bounce as Alex Padilla pushed it away.
Sancet scored the first goal of the 2024-25 campaign just before the half-hour mark, quickly getting it out of his feet to beat David Soria with a pacy shot into the right corner.
Uche did find a way past Padilla in the second half, meeting Luis Milla's cross to head Getafe back on level terms.
Williams could have scored a late winner for Athletic off the bench, but Soria was equal to both of his efforts after he cut inside from the left.
Data Debrief: Close encounters
Both teams may be up and running with a point, but they may look at this as an opportunity missed.
Athletic have now failed to win their first game of the season in any of the last five campaigns (drawing three, losing two), while Getafe are winless in four such matches in the competition (one draw, two losses).
Sancet has picked up where he left off though, and has now scored three goals in his last five games for Athletic, as many as in his previous 29.
Real Betis 1-1 Girona: Misehouy's debut goal rescues point for Blanquivermells
Girona substitute Gabriel Misehouy struck in the 72nd minute to rescue a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in their opening game of LaLiga on Thursday.
Betis started well and opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a bullet header by defender Marc Bartra from a corner.
Abel Ruiz almost pulled Los Blanquivermells level on the hour-mark, darting in behind Betis' defence, only to poke his first-time shot against the near post.
However, Girona managed to find the equaliser with a close-range finish by Misehouy, who swept a neat finish into the far-bottom corner in his first game for the club.
Both teams had chances to win it late on, though Betis in particular will rue theirs as Chimy Avila's volley rattled Paulo Gazzaniga's goal frame before Nabil Fekir flashed an effort just wide in stoppage time.
Data Debrief: Spoils shared
Betis have not lost their first game of the season in any of the last five campaigns in LaLiga (winning three, drawing two), since a 1-2 loss against Real Valladolid in August 2019.
Bartra's first-half goal was not enough to get them a win in the end, but he scored his 12th goal in LaLiga (seven with Betis, five for Barcelona), half of them being headers, with five of those six coming from corners.
Meanwhile, after losing his first four games against Betis in LaLiga between 2018 and 2023, Míchel is now unbeaten in three against them in the top-flight (one win, two draws).
Concacaf, PIF ink deal to further elevate football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean
PIF and Concacaf inked a multi-year partnership that supports their shared ambition to grow football at every level of the game in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
It was announced on Friday after an official signing in New York.
The partnership is expected to spur the growth of the sport at all levels, inspiring more people to take up football, as well as boost Concacaf tournaments for men, women, and youth of both national teams and clubs. Additionally, the two organizations will collaborate to strengthen and advance Concacaf football development initiatives, with a focus on providing children and youth with access to the sport in all 41 Concacaf federations.
The timing of the partnership comes as the region gears up to host major football tournaments in the coming years, including the men’s and women’s Concacaf Champions Cups, the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, and the next FIFA World Cup in 2026, which will be jointly hosted by three Concacaf member federations – Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
In line with PIF’s focus on inclusivity and youth as key pillars of its sponsorship platform, the partnership will also support Concacaf in its efforts to increase the number of official youth championships it delivers in the coming years. This will provide further opportunities for emerging talents in the region, including through the Concacaf under-15, under-17, and under-20 championships for both men and women and the under-17 and under-20 competitions serving as qualification tournaments for FIFA U17 and U20 World Cups, respectively.
The Concacaf partnership adds to PIF’s growing portfolio of partnerships across tennis, golf, football, and electric motorsports, which focuses on investing in people, projects, and initiatives that embrace PIF’s four sponsorship pillars of inclusivity, sustainability, youth, and technology.
Concacaf president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani expressed delight at the partnership.
“We are very pleased to announce this new strategic partnership, which will support the confederation in developing all levels of football across our region,” Montagliani said.
“This is a pivotal time for PIF to connect with football in Concacaf. Interest in the sport is growing rapidly in our confederation and will reach new heights as major Concacaf competitions take place over the next two years and we get closer to the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup taking place in our region in 2026,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mohammed AlSayyad, Head of Corporate Brand at PIF, also beamed about the prospects.
“We are delighted to partner with Concacaf as the confederation enters an exciting period. Together, we will advance a series of initiatives to create a positive and lasting impact across all Concacaf competitions. As PIF expands its portfolio of inspiring sponsorships, our commitment to investing in sport remains constant,” AlSayyad shared.
The PIF and Concacaf partnership will also strengthen the growth and development of existing Concacaf initiatives. These include Concacaf’s “Bigger Game,” which leverages the popularity of football as a vehicle to deliver sport and education programs and initiatives in local communities across its 41-member federations and aims to build community partnerships, improve awareness, and amplify the voices of program beneficiaries.
Martin 'won't change principles' as Southampton prepare for Premier League return
Russell Martin admitted Southampton may need to adapt in the Premier League, but they will not change their philosophy ahead of their opener against Newcastle United.
The Saints got back to the top-flight at the first time of asking, beating Leeds United in the Championship play-off final to earn promotion to the Premier League.
They have prepared well ahead of the new campaign, only losing one of their pre-season friendlies, and Martin is confident Southampton have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the other teams.
"There's a concern with any style for any team in the Premier League," he said in his press conference. "We are going to be defined by being good enough. Me, the players, we'll be called naive.
"We've done something here we really believe in. We'll have to adapt and change a little bit in terms of having less possession. We won't change our principles.
"We will concentrate on being the team we want to be."
Meanwhile, Newcastle did not quite hit the heights of their top-four finish in 2022-23 last season, but a positive finish to the campaign gave reason for optimism.
They lost just two of their last 10 matches in 2023-24, and only suffered one defeat during pre-season.
Eddie Howe is confident they have learnt from those struggles and have left them behind as they prepare for their opening match.
"Last season was really difficult. Overall, though, I thought it was a season of real progress," Howe told Stadium Astro.
"And I don't say that lightly, I do think we improved a lot. I am talking overall. I am looking at the club, I'm looking at the team. I think we have improved and moved on."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Newcastle United – Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak has scored 13 Premier League goals so far in 2024, including 11 in his last 12 appearances. It is more than twice as many as any other Newcastle player has scored so far this calendar year (Bruno Guimaraes is next highest with six).
Southampton – Adam Lallana
If Adam Lallana plays, it would be his first Premier League game for Southampton in 10 years and 98 days, the fifth-longest gap between appearances for the same side in the competition's history. Meanwhile, his last goal for the Saints came against this opponent, in a 4-0 win in March 2014.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE UNITED WIN
Newcastle have won seven of their last nine Premier League matches against Southampton, including the last three in a row. The Magpies have never won four league games in a row against the Saints before.
They have also lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against promoted sides (won 11, drawn eight), with that defeat coming away against Luton Town last season (0-1).
And Howe has been particularly influential in the dugout, as Newcastle have won their Premier League opener in both campaigns under him. The last Magpies manager to win three in a row was Joe Harvey between 1972-73 and 1974-75.
St. James' Park has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Southampton, who have managed just one win in their last 18 Premier League visits (drawn four, lost 13), winning 2-1 under Ronald Koeman in January 2015.
Southampton are without a win in their last 13 Premier League games (drawn four, lost nine), since beating Leicester City 1-0 in March 2023. It is their longest run without a win in the top-flight since a run of 17 between November 1988 and March 1989.
Meanwhile, among teams to have played in 10 or more Premier League seasons, Southampton have the lowest win ratio in their opening matches of the season, winning just two of 24 games (8%). Their 12 defeats to open a season are also the joint-second most alongside Newcastle and behind only West Ham United (15 defeats).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Newcastle United – 70%
Draw – 16.9%
Southampton – 13.1%
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