Díaz thrives and Alaves beats 10-man Getafe 3-0 as La Liga kicks off Europe’s domestic league season

Europe's top domestic leagues commenced on Saturday with Alaves triumphing over 10-man Getafe 3-0 in Spain. Mariano Díaz played a pivotal role in Alaves' victory, scoring a goal and delivering two assists as the team overcame Getafe, who operated with one man less from the 42nd minute. The Spanish league was the first among the major five European leagues to commence, following the Spanish national team's recent World Cup triumph.

Notably, defending champions Barcelona and Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid are set to begin their respective campaigns next weekend, as their players returned late from the World Cup. In the second leg on August 23, Barcelona will face Elche, while Madrid will take on Espanyol. Sevilla will host Rayo Vallecano in their match on Saturday.

The European season officially kicked off on Wednesday with Paris Saint-Germain's 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup. In the Premier League, the Italian league, and the French league, the inaugural games are slated for the following weekend. The German league will commence the following week. Díaz, formerly a Real Madrid forward, orchestrated the play leading to Nahuel Tenaglia's header in the 73rd minute and capitalized on a late goal with a precise shot into the top corner in stoppage time, subsequently setting up Mikel Rodriguez for the final score.

Getafe's Kiko Femenía received a red card for a dangerous foul just before halftime, having been initially cautioned with a yellow card, which was upgraded upon video review. Alaves' Ángel Pérez received a reprimand from coach Quique Sánchez Flores after being substituted and being seen punching the bench multiple times. Alaves finished 14th in the league last season, just one point shy of the relegation zone, while Getafe narrowly avoided relegation by securing a seventh-place finish.

The newly added players to Getafe's squad this season, Enes Unal and Johan Mojica, were not part of the starting lineup. Sevilla's upcoming match against Rayo Vallecano is set against the backdrop of administrative turmoil at Vallecano, forcing the club to play their first home game at Leganes' venue due to safety concerns. Rayo finished eighth last season and reached the Conference League final, which they lost to Crystal Palace.

Sevilla, on the other hand, finished 13th, one point above the relegation zone. Two Spanish league matches were originally scheduled for Sunday, but the Celta Vigo vs. Osasuna game had to be postponed due to a fungus outbreak on Celta's Balaidos field and will now be played on August 27. The two remaining matches on Sunday include Racing Santander's return to the top flight after a 14-year hiatus, where they will take on Villarreal, who finished third last season behind Barcelona and Madrid. Levante is set to face Espanyol.