Barcelona’s Martinez Valero test: kick-off time, broadcasters and LaLiga preview

FC Barcelona travel to Elche on Sunday, 23 August 2026, for their second LaLiga match of the season, with the Catalan side aiming to maintain their dominant record in this fixture.

The match will take place at the Martinez Valero Stadium in Elche, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30 GMT. Viewers in France can watch on DAZN France and Disney+, while Spanish coverage will be provided by Movistar Plus+ and Movistar LaLiga TV.

In the United Kingdom, the game will be shown on Premier Sports and Disney+. Coverage in the United States will be available through ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. ESPN and D Sports will broadcast the fixture across South America.

The match can also be watched in Sub-Saharan Africa on Canal+ Sport, SuperSport LaLiga and ZAP LaLiga. In Arab countries and North Africa, the broadcasters are beIN Sports.

The contest is one of the most anticipated matches of the weekend, with Barcelona holding a clear historical advantage over their opponents. The clubs have met 57 times in all competitions, including LaLiga and the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona have won 36 of those encounters, compared with nine victories for Elche, while the remaining 12 matches ended in draws.

That superiority has been particularly evident in recent league meetings. FC Barcelona have won the past 10 LaLiga clashes between the sides. Their most recent meeting came on 31 January 2026, when Barcelona won 3-1 away at Elche.

Elche enter the match after an encouraging pre-season. They went unbeaten in all five of their preparation games, recording victories against Kaizer Chiefs and Toulouse. The victories came by scores of 2-1 and 3-0 respectively, while the other three fixtures ended in draws.

Barcelona also produced a positive set of pre-season results, with wins over Nottingham Forest, FC Basel and Al Ahly. The Catalan club appear to possess the greater attacking threat, which could prove decisive at the Martinez Valero.

Elche will hope their home support and defensive organisation can help them challenge the visitors. However, Barcelona’s attacking quality and greater experience mean they begin the match as clear favourites.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 2-0 victory for FC Barcelona.

Published betting odds from 1xbet also reflect Barcelona’s status as favourites. Elche are priced at 9.3 to win, a draw is listed at 5.9, while a Barcelona victory is available at 1.4.

The meeting therefore presents Elche with a demanding early test, while Barcelona will look to extend their remarkable recent record against the club and make a strong start to the new LaLiga campaign.