Mariano Díaz Stars As Alaves Thrash 10-Man Getafe 3-0 In La Liga Opener

Mariano Díaz produced a spectacular individual performance as Alaves began their La Liga campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Getafe on Saturday, setting the tone as Spain's top flight opened Europe's major domestic league season.

The former Real Madrid forward was at the heart of everything for Alaves, contributing a goal and two assists in an impressive display. Getafe's task became even harder when Kiko Femenía was sent off shortly before halftime.

Femenía was initially shown a yellow card for a dangerous challenge, but the decision was upgraded to a red card after a VAR review, leaving Getafe to play the entire second half with 10 men.

Alaves finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute when Díaz provided the assist for Nahuel Tenaglia, who headed home. Díaz then doubled the advantage in stoppage time with a precise strike into the top corner before setting up Mikel Rodríguez for the third goal in the closing minutes.

The result is an encouraging start for Alaves, who finished 14th last season, just one point clear of relegation. Getafe, meanwhile, had enjoyed a seventh-place finish last season and secured a place in the Conference League.

Elsewhere, Sevilla came from behind to defeat Rayo Vallecano 2-1, with Gerard “Peque” Fernández converting a penalty deep into stoppage time.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will begin their campaigns next weekend after their players returned late from the World Cup. Barcelona, seeking a third consecutive La Liga title, visit Elche on Aug. 23, while Real Madrid travel to Espanyol on Aug. 22.

The Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 begin next weekend, while the Bundesliga starts the following week.