Athletic to kick off LaLiga 2023/34 against Real Madrid

Athletic Club will face Real Madrid on the opening day of LaLiga 2023/24. The match, to be played in Bilbao on the weekend of August 13, will be the fifth occasion both teams have faced each other on the first day of the season. Our last opening day clash against Los Blancos was in Madrid in 1963/64, with the home side winning 3-1.

The final fixture of the season sees us travel to Vallecas to take on Rayo Vallecano on the weekend of May 26. LaLiga will end earlier this season due to the Euro 2024 in Germany, which gets underway on June 14.

As for the Basque derbies against Osasuna, Alavés and Real Sociedad, Los Rojiblancos will play their away games almost consecutively at the start of the season. Athletic visit Osasuna at El Sadar on August 20, Alavés at Mendizorrotza on September 24 and La Real on October 1. In the second half of the season, San Mames hosts Real Sociedad on January 13, Alavés on March 17 and Osasuna on May 12.

LaLiga opening day fixtures

Since Athletic Club face Real Sociedad in our first ever LaLiga match back in 1929, we have kicked off a campaign against 32 different opponents. From the 92 previous season openers, Athletic have played 54 of them at home and 38 away, with a record of 38 wins, 19 draws and 35 defeats.

FC Barcelona have been Athletic's most frequent opponent on the opening day, with Los Culés and Los Rojiblancos having met 10 times in the first matchday to date.

The Lions' biggest win in an opening day match came in the 1932/33 campaign, when they beat Real Betis 9-1 at The Cathedral, while their most emphatic away victory was a 3-0 win over RC Celta in 1958/59.