11 Spanish clubs to take on English opposition from Premier League and Championship

In partnership with

Football Espana

·28 juillet 2025

11 Spanish clubs to take on English opposition from Premier League and Championship

With the return of club football just three weeks away and teams across Europe ramping up their preparations for the new season, a host of English clubs are looking to Spain’s La Liga to provide their sides with top level opposition as they look to hit the ground running come the start of the new campaign.

11 English clubs (Seven from the Premier League and four from the Championship) and 11 Spanish clubs (Nine from La Liga and two from Segunda) will be facing off against each other in an eye-catching slate of pre-season friendlies between 30th July and 10th August.

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These fixtures will showcase the depth of talent playing in both leagues and show English fans what Spanish football has to offer before the La Liga season kicks-off on Friday 15th August.

High profile La Liga players will be competing on English soil, with fans potentially able to watch the likes of Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann, Real Betis’ Isco, and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal, as well as enjoy the return of a host of former Premier League stars including Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher, Julian Alvarez, Clement Lenglet, and Real Betis’ Hector Bellerin.

Some of these pre-season fixtures mark the first-ever meetings between the clubs, showcasing the increased collaboration between English and Spanish clubs. Other encounters mark the potential first meeting between them this season, as clubs await the draw for this season’s European competitions. Key pre-season fixtures include:

Premier League holders Liverpool vs Basque side Athletic Club at Anfield, a double-header at Anfield on the 4th August.
Premier League runners up Arsenal will also play Athletic Club in the Emirates Cup at Emirates Stadium on 9th August, as well fellow Champions League qualifiers Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium on the 6th August.
Two more of this season’s Champions League contestants, Newcastle and Atletico Madrid, will face each other in the SELA Cup at St James’ Park on the 9th August.

The full fixture list for pre-season between 30th July and 9th August is as follows:

30th July:

Coventry vs Real Betis
Middlesbrough vs RC Deportivo

2nd August:

Oxford United vs Málaga CF
Watford vs RC Deportivo
Leeds vs Villarreal CF
Sunderland vs Real Betis

3rd August:

Girona vs Wolves (in Spain)

4th August:

Liverpool vs Athletic Club

6th August:

Arsenal vs Villarreal CF

8th August:

Newcastle vs RCD Espanyol

9th August:

Newcastle vs Atlético de Madrid
Wolves vs RC Celta
Bournemouth vs Real Sociedad
Bournemouth vs Real Sociedad B
Arsenal vs Athletic Club

10th August:

Sunderland vs Rayo Vallecano

Tickets for the games are already on sale now and can be found on club websites.

Keegan Pierce, Director of International Relations, LALIGA

“Football is deeply ingrained in the cultures of both England and Spain, and it is always a great occasion when clubs from the two countries face each other. As we look ahead to the new season, these pre-season fixtures are a brilliant opportunity for English fans to see the remarkable breadth and depth of talent in La Liga and to bring both existing and new fans closer to our league.”