Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano will kick off their 2026-27 La Liga seasons with a match at Estadio Ramon on Saturday evening. Last season, Rayo finished in eighth place in Spain’s top division, while Sevilla ended up in 13th, with a seven-point gap between the two teams in the 2025-26 standings. Sevilla has struggled to secure a top-four finish in La Liga since the 2021-22 season, recording placements of 12th, 14th, 17th, and 13th over the past four seasons during a challenging phase. Luis Garcia Plaza's team narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing just one point above the drop zone, indicating significant potential for improvement this year. The summer transfer window has been active for them, highlighted by the signing of Robbie Ure from Sirius. Several key players have departed, including Akor Adams, Juanlu Sanchez, and Tanguy Nianzou, which will give the squad a refreshed appearance this season. Sevilla has been busy in preseason, participating in seven friendly matches, achieving five victories and suffering two losses. They enter this match following a 2-1 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen. The Nervionenses are eager to challenge for European qualification in the upcoming season, but they face a tough start with matches against Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid lined up next. On the other hand, Rayo concluded last season with a loss to Crystal Palace in the Conference League final, yet they still managed to secure eighth place in La Liga, just one point shy of seventh-placed Getafe. Inigo Perez has transferred to Villarreal, and Benat San Jose has taken over as Rayo's manager; he previously led Eibar, who finished eighth in the Segunda Division last season.