La Liga feature: Title contenders begin on a winning note

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Karim Benzema netted a brace in Real's 4-1 win over Alaves.

Bengaluru, August 17: The 2021-22 La Liga season -- the first in the post Lionel Messi era -- began last week with all main title contenders starting their campaigns on a winning note.

The new season of Spanish football got up and running on Friday (August 13) night, with Valencia's 1-0 victory over Getafe.

It could not have been more dramatic, with two red cards - the first after just three minutes - and a penalty as new Valencia coach Jose Bordalas kicked-off his time in charge of the club with a win against his former club. And, most important of all, fans are back in La Liga stadiums!

Although the action is already underway, the clubs in the top tier of Spanish football are still working to improve their squads in the transfer market and to tie some of their top players down to long-term deals.

From reviews of MatchDay 1 of the season to welcoming fans back to the stadiums, to all the latest from the transfer saga, here are some of the big stories from the first week in the top flight of Spanish football.

Wins for big four

The top four from last season all kicked off their campaigns with victories. Champions Atletico Madrid edged out a hard-fought 2-1 win at RC Celta, as cross-city rivals Real Madrid eased to a 4-1 win over Alaves with karim Benzema doing the star turn with a brace.

Barcelona kicked off the post-Messi era with a big 4-2 win over Real Sociedad, while Sevilla FC beat promoted Rayo Vallecano 3-0 thanks to a Youssef En Nesyri penalty and a brace from new signing Erik Lamela. The big four have all started on the front foot.

Oblak makes history

Jan Oblak wrote himself into the Atletico Madrid history books once again following his appearance against RC Celta.

The Slovenian has now played 304 matches with the capital city side, overtaking Abel Resino to become the goalkeeper with the most appearances in Rojiblanco history.

Moreno to stay with Villarreal

Gerard Moreno is one of the best forwards in Europe and the Spaniard has committed his long-term future to Villarreal, putting pen to paper on a new deal until 2027.

The player shared the news on his social media channels, expressing his delight at the fact that he will keep wearing yellow for several more years.

Blow for Aguero

Sergio Agüero was hoping to get his Barcelona career up and running this week, but the Argentinian marksman has been dealt a major blow as a calf injury will keep him on the sidelines for 10 weeks.

He is now expected to be back in late October only.