Valencia vs Real Sociedad: LaLiga Season Opener 2025/26 – Everything You Need to Know

Valencia kicks off the 2025/2026 LaLiga season with an intriguing clash against Real Sociedad at the iconic Estadio Mestalla on August 16 at 11:30pm East African Time.

Referee Jose Sanchez will oversee this first-round fixture, with both sides eager to begin their campaigns positively and build early momentum in a highly competitive Spanish top-flight season.

Both Valencia and Real Sociedad begin the new LaLiga campaign with clean slates, positioned at 18th and 16th respectively with zero points as the season gets underway.

These initial positions are merely placeholders before the first ball is kicked, with both teams harboring ambitions to improve on their previous season performances.

The opening fixture presents an immediate opportunity for either side to climb the table and set a positive tone for their campaign. With the entire season ahead, securing three points in this curtain-raiser would provide valuable early momentum in what promises to be another fiercely competitive LaLiga season.

Valencia enter their LaLiga opener with mixed pre-season results, securing a confidence-boosting win against Torino (3:0 on 09.08.2025) in their final warm-up match.

However, their earlier preparation showed inconsistency with a defeat to Borussia Moenchengladbach (0:2 on 02.08.2025), draws against Marseille (1:1 on 29.07.2025) and Leganes (0:0 on 23.07.2025), and a surprising loss to lower-tier Castellon (1:2 on 19.07.2025).

Real Sociedad, meanwhile, remain unbeaten in pre-season, though they've drawn their last three matches – twice against AFC Bournemouth (0:0 and 1:1 on 09.08.2025) and once against Rennes (1:1 on 02.08.2025).

La Real showed more attacking prowess earlier in their preparations, defeating Osasuna (4:1 on 30.07.2025) and securing an away win against Yokohama FC (2:1 on 25.07.2025). Both teams will be eager to translate their pre-season experiences into a strong start in LaLiga.

The historical matchups between Valencia and Real Sociedad have been closely contested affairs, with Valencia holding a slight edge in recent meetings.

Their most recent encounter saw Valencia secure a 1:0 victory at Mestalla on January 19, 2025, with Hugo Duro scoring the decisive goal in the 26th minute.

Prior to that, Real Sociedad dominated at the Reale Arena with a comprehensive 3:0 win on September 28, 2024, featuring a goal from Takefusa Kubo and a late brace from Orri Steinn Oskarsson.

The Basque side also claimed a narrow 1:0 home victory in May 2024 through Andre Silva's early strike, while their previous visit to Mestalla in September 2023 ended in a 1:0 win for La Real courtesy of Carlos Fernandez. The pattern of home advantage has been notable in these encounters, with four of the last five meetings won by the home team.