Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery starts a new challenge this season as he prepares to lead Villarreal in La Liga.
The Spaniard is no stranger to the division after his successful spell at Sevilla, but he has to silence the doubters after being sacked at the Emirates Stadium.
After a short break, Emery is back in the dugout, and he has been busy this summer.
The Yellow Submarine have tried to take advantage of Valencia’s financial problem woes, bringing in Francis Coquelin and Dani Parejo.
Both should provide Villarreal with a solid grounding in midfield, while Gero Rulli and Takefusa Kubo have joined from Real Sociedad and Real Madrid respectively.
Villarreal qualified for the Europa League last season, but their record against Sunday’s opponents Huesca is not the best.
They have won just two of their six games against Huesca in all competitions, and it is worth backing the minnows at 7/5 to win via the double chance market.
Valencia Out To Silence Critics
Los Che are also in action on Sunday afternoon, and they will face Levante for the 29th time in their history.
Several of Valencia’s star players have left, with Rodrigo also moving on to join Leeds United.
Valencia are unbeaten in their previous six games against Levante, and we fancy them to get the job done despite the ongoing pressure on the current squad.
They are 11/10 to win on Sunday evening, but it could be a tough campaign for the Spanish giants.
New boys Cadiz Set for Rude Awakening
Cadiz return to La Liga, and they will be up against it when they take on Osasuna.
Osasuna finished 10th last season, and they have only lost four of their 24 top-flight matches against Cadiz.
They ended the last campaign on a high, losing just one of their last eight La Liga games.
Cadiz are one of the favourites to return to Segunda, and they should struggle upon their return to the big time.
Osasuna are 7/4 to grab all three points, and they should have enough quality to get the job done.
Alaves Hoping To Continue Recent Run
On Sunday, Alaves welcome Real Betis to the Mendizorrotza Stadium and the record books suggest they look a solid bet at 41/20.
Alaves may have just avoided relegation last season with a 16th-placed finish, but they are unbeaten in their last four games against Real Betis.
Betis have lost their opening game in each of the last four seasons, and the notoriously poor starters should continue that trend.
Even though Barcelona and Real Madrid are not in action this week, there are still some cracking encounters to look forward too.
*All odds correct at time of writing
