Racing vs Villarreal – News and Probable Lineups

Racing de Santander will kick off their return to Spain’s top division with a match against Villarreal at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero on Sunday afternoon.

The Green and Whites are the current champions of the Segunda Division, which earned them promotion back to this level, while Villarreal secured a third-place finish in La Liga last season.

Match overview

Racing has not competed in Spain’s top league since the 2011-12 season and has spent time in the lower divisions since then. However, the Green and Whites clinched the 2025-26 Segunda Division title to return to La Liga for the upcoming season.

Jose Alberto’s team played six pre-season friendlies, managing to win only one of those fixtures, which was a dominant 4-1 victory over Sporting Gijon on August 7.

Racing will play three La Liga matches before the end of August, facing Getafe after this fixture and concluding the month with a home game against Elche.

This summer, the Green and Whites have added seven new players, including Julen Agirrezabala from Athletic Bilbao, and have also welcomed back veteran midfielder Sergio Canales, returning to the club where he began his career.

In their history, Racing has faced Villarreal 33 times and has only recorded eight victories; however, they were victorious in their most recent encounter, achieving a 2-1 win in the last-32 stage of the Copa del Rey last season.

Villarreal concluded last season in Spain’s top tier in third place, enjoying a productive campaign that saw them earn 72 points from 38 matches, finishing 18 points ahead of sixth-placed Celta Vigo, thus comfortably qualifying for the Champions League.

The Yellow Submarine is now managed by Inigo Perez, who took over from Marcelino after leaving Rayo Vallecano, giving a fresh look to the club this season.

Villarreal experienced a quiet transfer window thus far, with their only signing being seasoned goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig.

However, there have been several departures, including Roman Terrats and Alfonso Pedraza, and more signings are anticipated before the transfer market closes.

The Yellow Submarine aims for another top-four finish in the Spanish top flight this season and is also looking to improve in the Champions League, having only managed a single point from their eight matches in the group stage of the 2025-26 season.

Team News

Racing may be without Giorgi Guliashvili due to injury; nonetheless, the home side is otherwise in good shape ahead of the clash with Villarreal.

There will be several players making their debuts in this match, with Asier Villalibre likely to take the lead in attack; the 28-year-old is favored to start upfront.

Highly-rated defender Jorge Salinas is also expected to feature in the starting eleven, continuing to attract interest from clubs such as Manchester United and Barcelona.

On the other hand, Villarreal may have a fully fit squad for this encounter, with no injury concerns reported at this stage in their preparation.

Georges Mikautadze is likely to find a place in the midfield, as the 25-year-old aims to build on the 15 goals he scored during his debut season at the club.

Nicolas Pepe is also expected to be named in the starting lineup alongside the experienced Gerard Moreno.

Racing de Santander probable starting XI:

Eriksson; Mantilla, Felipe, Gonzalez, Salinas; Door, Gueye; Martin, Canales, Vicente; Villalibre

Villarreal probable starting XI:

Junior; Mourino, Foyth, Veiga, Romero; Gueye, Comesana; Pepe, G Moreno, Moleiro; Mikautadze

This presents a challenging opening fixture for Racing, considering Villarreal was the third-best team in the league last season. The expectation is for a tight contest regarding the score, but the Yellow Submarine is expected to secure all three points.