La Liga Goal Scoring Picks, Predictions, Odds for Matchday 1
La Liga is back! Though big names like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Sociedad are all on pause — by virtue of having players who featured in the World Cup semifinals and finals — the opening weekend offers some intriguing matchups as well as a look at two of the three teams newly arrived to the 2026-27 edition of Spain’s top flight.
With two matches a day Saturday through Monday, fans of the league will get a taste of what’s to come, and with Atlético Madrid facing Málaga on Wednesday to round out the Week 1 action, the title race will soon come into focus.
In the meantime, there’s a La Liga Golden Boot contender in the mix during the opening weekend, as well as some players that coaches will lean on to put up big numbers for their clubs.
Be sure to also check out our daily soccer betting trends page for odds, data and insights of every game.
Top La Liga Matchday 1 Goal Scoring Picks
- Martin Satriano, Getafe
- Georges Mikautadze, Villarreal
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Deportivo A Coruña
Martin Satriano, Getafe
Though Alavés is favored as the home team in the season opener, these are two comparable mid-table teams who very well could duel to an opening-day draw. Opta’s supercomputer projections have them neck-and-neck to top the bottom half of the table, and though either could find themselves in danger of relegation by spring, it’s more likely they get enough wins and draws to stay safely up.
Given the opportunity for goals on both sides of the equation, look for Martin Satriano to get Getafe on the board via penalty kick — as he scored in the preseason that way — on in open play as one of the players slated to lead their line.
The Uruguayan striker has had an unusual path — signed by Inter Milan, but then loaned to multiple teams during that time, including Brest, Empoli, and Lens, eventually making his way to Lyon, which then sent him out to Getafe on loan last season — which saw him score six goals in 18 appearances. With what appears to be a more permanent home at Getafe, Satriano gets to focus at the beginning of his prime with a team that’s committed to him through 2030. Look for him to reward that commitment with goals throughout the season, starting with the opener.
Georges Mikautadze, Villarreal
There’s a chance that Georges Mikautadze starts the season as a Golden Boot candidate with Villarreal and ends it as a Golden Boot candidate with Barcelona, as the crew at Camp Nou seek a replacement for Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, and look as if they’ll be barred from prying Julián Alvarez from Atléti.
Without Mikautadze, Villarreal’s top four ambitions and outsider title hopes take a bit of a drubbing. He’s 25, coming off a 13 goal and six assist season with last season’s third place team, and his quality is further endorsed by Barca’s interest. Keep an eye on the transfer news as it gets closer to kickoff to see if this progresses to the point where he’d be held out, but should he get a chance to showcase, look for him to score against a Racing team likely to have a rude awakening in its return to top-division play.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Deportivo A Coruña
Deportivo may not get many wins this season, but with an opener against an Elche team preparing for a relegation battle, this may be one of the few matches in which Deportivo is favored. Coming off a closer-than-expected 1-0 friendly to Real Madrid last time out, and given the optimism that surrounds teams at the start of the season, this could turn out to be one of the better stretches of the season for Deportivo fandom.
For those optimistic that Deportivo will avoid the drop, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has much to do with that. The Gabonese striker has featured for three of the biggest clubs in the world in his lengthy career, and even at 37, he’s expected to display at least a degree of the form that made him attractive to Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea in his heyday.
Elche – which has to face Barca, Real Madrid, and Real Sociedad in its first six matches – could see this opening match as an opportunity to grab points as well, so at least a couple of goals from each side wouldn’t be surprising. But it’s also likely, should Aubameyang avoid injury, he’ll best any Elche player in goals for this match and for the entirety of the season.
Photo Credit: REUTERS
