What looked to be a victory parade for Real Madrid did not materialize, as Kylian Mbappe's much-anticipated debut in La Liga ended with a 1-1 draw against Mallorca, a very uninspiring start to the season for the defending champions. Having labored for all three points, arch-rivals FC Barcelona kicked off their season with a win over Valencia to cap a weekend of mixed results across La Liga.
Here are four key takeaways from Spain's Matchday 1:
1. Real Madrid Underwhelming Start
Much of the attention was on Kylian Mbappe in his La Liga debut, but Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw at Mallorca. It was surprise that it was Rodrygo, who could have been pushed to the sidelines by Mbappe's arrival, who scored for Real Madrid. That was short of expectations despite being firm favorites and having attack forces like Mbappé, Rodrygo, Vinícius, and Jude Bellingham, with Fede Valverde reaching from deep. Mallorca got the reward for such sterling defense as Vedat Muriqi headed the equalizing goal home. Carlo Ancelotti was at his wit's end over the team's defensive lapses, especially without Toni Kroos, whose ability to distribute the ball so effectively from the back was missed.
2. Lewandowski's Impact for Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski proved his worth to Barcelona with both goals in their 2-1 comeback win over Valencia. Though Hugo Duro had given Valencia the lead, and Pau Cubarsi made a potentially game-saving goal-line clearance, Lewandowski was able to ease in a low cross by Lamine Yamal to level the match. He remained cool from a penalty in the second half, once Valencia tired. With Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan out, much of the faith that Barcelona coach Hansi Flick showed in younger players like Marc Casado and Marc Bernal was richly repaid. With ongoing financial issues, Barcelona may decide to sell Gundogan before the window closes this month.
3. Athletic Bilbao's Fitness Concerns
Bilbao drew 1-1 with Getafe at San Mames in front of an audience of 48,000. The spectacle saw the great goal of Oihan Sancet and, more importantly, a great reception for Nico Williams after he had opted to stay despite interest from Barcelona. Athletic Bilbao did not have much flair, and Getafe deserved their draw. Athletic's aggressive pressing game is predicated on peak fitness, which, due to an injury-ridden preseason, the team has not yet achieved. The best Coach Ernesto Valverde can do is take nine days to work with his boys before their encounter with Barcelona.
4. Largely Drawn
Five of the eight games played so far have ended in draws, with Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo, and Barcelona the only teams that have emerged victorious. This could be a result of the fact that most teams are still getting used to life without top players who featured in many recent European Championships and Olympic Games. No Spain internationals started for Athletic Bilbao in their match at Getafe, with neither Martin Zubimendi nor Mikel Merino starting for Real Sociedad at Rayo. Improvements in performance, therefore, are expected in the coming weeks as teams regain full fitness.
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