Five main talking points from the opening weeks of the LALIGA HYPERMOTION season

Real Racing Club de Santander currently lead the standings in this division that is known for being extremely competitive.

LALIGA HYPERMOTION, Spanish football’s second division, is one of the most evenly matched and unpredictable competitions in the world and, once again, that competitiveness has been on display through the first weeks of the new season. There have been so many interesting results, as anyone can beat anyone. At the moment, it’s Real Racing Club de Santander who are leading the way, currently topping the standings in this division where anything can happen.

Real Racing Club conquer La Romareda

In the most recent matchday, Real Racing Club achieved a very impressive 3-2 away victory over Real Zaragoza at La Romareda. It was a match that had everything, as both sides had chances and moments in which they were in the ascendency. In the first half, the team from Santander dominated and went two goals up, as well as creating several more chances.

In the second half, however, it all changed and Real Zaragoza reacted. The home side managed to pull level with two quick goals. Then, when it seemed they could go on and win the game, Aritz Aldasoro scored one of the best goals of the season to put Real Racing Club ahead again. There was still time for more drama, as Jokin Ezkieta had to save an Ager Aketxe penalty deep into stoppage time to secure the three points and to earn Real Racing Club this statement win away at a fellow promotion contender.

Across the first eight matchdays, the Santander-based club have accumulated 17 points thanks to five victories, two draws and just one defeat, scoring 14 goals and conceding nine. So far, they have been the most consistent team in the division, although their pursuers are just behind them. The likes of Levante UD, Burgos CF, SD Huesca and Real Zaragoza are all pushing hard and remain contenders for automatic promotion too.

Carlos Álvarez, Aritz Aldasoro and Yeremay Hernández are the season’s breakout stars

Three players in particular have really broken out at the beginning of this LALIGA HYPERMOTION season. One of them is Aritz Aldasoro, a key player for the league leaders, while Levante UD’s Carlos Álvarez is another making an impact in the division, as is RC Deportivo’s young winger Yeremay Hernández, the player making the most dribbles in Europe.

Looking at Aldasoro, the 25-year-old is one of the leaders of the successful Real Racing Club team, standing out from his position in midfield. He brings balance to the team, while he can inject pace when he wants to. So far this season he has directly contributed with one goal and one assist, with his goal earning his team the three points on offer in last weekend’s game at La Romareda, when he produced a superb strike from distance.

In the case of Carlos Álvarez, he has been one of LALIGA HYPERMOTION’s top talents this season, producing moments which make it clear that the 21-year-old has what it takes to be a top player. Across the first eight rounds, he has scored three goals and assisted two more for Levante UD, all while adding directness, dribbling and pace for Los Granotes.

Another outstanding player is Yeremay Hernández, who has even been called up to the most recent Spain U-21 squad after Alberto Moleiro’s injury. The RC Deportivo player has had a very impactful start to the season with his three goals and two assists, but, above all, he is proving to be one of the best dribblers in Europe. Already he has racked up more than 60, surpassing the likes of Vinícius, Ousmane Dembelé or Lamine Yamal. The A Coruña-based side are looking to make the most of this supreme talent, who can unlock defences thanks to his gifts in one-on-one situations.

Santi Cazorla, Lucas Pérez, Marc Pubill and José Luis Morales add star power to LALIGA HYPERMOTION

LALIGA HYPERMOTION has so many historic clubs this season, many of whom have competed at the top end of LALIGA EA SPORTS and even in Europe in the past. Moreover, this is a league with high-profile footballers, some of whom have been European or Olympic champions in their careers.

In Spain’s second tier you’ll find players of the calibre of Santi Cazorla, one of the best footballers in Spanish football history, as well as former Arsenal striker Lucas Pérez, three-time Europa League champion Vicente Iborra and a regular top-tier performer in José Luís Morales. Marc Pubill, who just won Olympic gold with Spain, is another top-class player who is currently competing in this division.

All these players are contributing this LALIGA HYPERMOTION season. The veterans like Santi Cazorla and Lucas Pérez have had minutes in each of the eight matches so far this season, with the former providing one assist and the latter scoring one goal. As for Morales, he has three goals and an assist in eight appearances, marking a great start to the season. Pubill may have played less, since he had been at the Olympic Games until mid-August, but he has now played in five matches following his return.

The relegated teams can’t get going

The start of the season hasn’t been the best for Granada CF, UD Almería and Cádiz CF, the three clubs who were just relegated down from LALIGA EA SPORTS and who were considered among the favourites for promotion. They’re a lot further down in the standings, with Granada CF in 14th place on 10 points, UD Almería in 17th on nine points and Cádiz CF in 18th on nine points. They’re currently closer to relegation to Primera Federación than promotion to LALIGA EA SPORTS.

When they’d accumulated just 22 points between them by the seventh matchday, that was one of the worst combined totals ever. They’ve now boosted that to 28 total points, since Granada CF and UD Almería both won last matchday. Only in 2004/05 did the newly relegated teams have a worse total, of 19 points, if looking back across this century. This has been quite a surprise, especially since the UD Almería squad is packed full of talent, with top players such as Luis Suarez, Sergio Arribas, Dion Lopy and Marc Pubill.

Just eight points between the leader and 18th-placed team

The level of equality in this division is impressive and just eight points separate the top 18 clubs in the table. This competitiveness is reflected in the fact that the matches are so unpredictable, as anyone can beat anyone, with form and standings meaning little once the ball gets rolling. For example, leaders Real Racing Club lost in Matchday 7 to FC Cartagena, who are currently 19th. Then, just a week later, the Santander club pulled off their impressive win over Real Zaragoza, becoming the first away team to win at La Romareda. It’s clear that LALIGA HYPERMOTION is a wild and fiercely competitive division, producing great games and a very tight battle between all the teams.