Back to business in La Liga

With the Liga strike lifted - averting a second weekend of empty stadiums, forlorn lottery shop owners and fuming season-ticket holders - the ball can at last, in the words of LFP president José Luis Astiazarán, be put in play.

Opening the proceedings on Saturday are Sporting and Real Sociedad, who meet in the former's El Molinón stadium. It promises to be an enlightening introduction to the Spanish league for incoming Sociedad chief Philippe Montanier - the Molinón offers one of the most vociferous fan bases in the division from which Sporting drew its remarkable home form last season; nine wins, six ties and four losses.

Saturday's second match pitches Valencia against Racing. The former lost its best player, Juan Mata, to the needs of the club's balance sheet but at the same time Unai Emery has made some sound acquisitions, notably playmaker Dani Parejo, Brazilian penalty pest Diego Alves and Argentinean forward Pablo Piatti. Racing, meanwhile, will deem itself lucky just to field a team after a summer of zero encouraging transfer activity and question marks over the extent of Indian tycoon Ahsan Ali Syed's commitment to clearing the club's debts. Former Valencia coach Hector Cúper, who led the club to two Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, can expect a warm reception but even the great Argentinean will do well to keep Racing in the top flight this season.

Granada, making its debut in the top division after a 22-year hiatus, hosts near-neighbor Betis, itself returning after a two-year absence, in Saturday's late game.

Sunday sees the first midday kick-off of the season, and Atlético Madrid draws the short straw with Osasuna. Diego Forlán's exit from the club was confirmed on Thursday - the Uruguayan departing for Inter Milan - ending a disenchanting summer for fans who will have few Atlético icons to cheer when the team takes the field after the sales of Sergio Agüero, David de Gea and Tomas Ujfalusi. Incoming coach Gregorio Manzano will have everything crossed for a good start to the league campaign after Atlético thumped Vitoria Guimaraes 4-0 on Thursday to reach the Europa League group stage. It will not be long before the crowd turns hostile if things go awry, but the devilishly handsome 50 million-euro forward Radamel Falcao may soothe the savage Calderón beast with a few early goals.

Real Madrid avoided a potentially uncomfortable opening match against Athletic, a side that could push for a top-four finish this season with Sevilla again seemingly in disarray and Valencia and Villarreal weakened. Instead, José Mourinho's team will travel to Zaragoza to pick up three of the easiest points it will gain all season - the Aragonese club avoided relegation by a whisker last year and has entered administration and sold its finest talent, Ander Herrera, to Athletic over the summer.

Barcelona kicks off on Monday night, a schedule imposed on the club by its European Supercup commitment on Friday night in Monaco. The visiting team, Villarreal, is buoyant after a Europa League turnaround midweek but Juan Carlos Garrido's summer business was largely of the outgoing sort, with World Cup-winner Joan Capdevila and impish playmaker Santi Cazorla both leaving the Yellow Submarine.

Cazorla was Málaga's marquee signing in a busy summer that saw Manuel Pellegrini liberally spraying Sheikh Al-Thani's billions around Europe. Málaga signed nine players in its shopping spree, including Spain internationals Xisco and Nacho Monreal and wise old heads in Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jérémy Toulalan, Joaquín and Joris Mathijsen.

Barcelona should have been Málaga's first opponent but The Anchovies instead make the short trip to Sevilla, where the great experiment will be unveiled to the wary habitual occupiers of La Liga's Champions League berths.