A 1-1 draw at Malaga last weekend left Deportivo La Coruna with two points from two games and a sense that something sharper is needed at Riazor. Valencia arrive in Galicia in no better shape, having lost 0-1 at home to Real Betis four days ago without scoring a single goal in two La Liga outings. Both sides are still looking for their first win of the 2026-27 season, and Sunday’s match at the Estadio Municipal de Riazor gives one of them the chance to settle early nerves before the table begins to take a clearer shape.
What’s at stake
Three rounds in, La Liga’s top has already separated itself. Alaves lead on seven points, while Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla all sit on six. Deportivo, 11th with two points, and Valencia, 15th with one, are not yet in any danger zone, but a third straight winless result would leave either side trailing that top cluster by a significant margin and make the path back to respectability longer than it needs to be.
For Deportivo, a home win would push them to five points and above the midtable cluster that currently includes Osasuna, Racing Santander and Espanyol. For Valencia, a first three points under Carlos Corberán away from home this season would provide a lift after a pre-season and opening fortnight that produced one win from six competitive and friendly outings. A defeat for the visitors would drop them level with Malaga, Levante and Elche on one point, and leave Corberán facing uncomfortable questions after barely a week of competitive football.
How they got here
Deportivo have drawn both of their La Liga matches so far, 1-1 at home to Elche on matchday one and 1-1 away at Malaga five days ago. The Malaga draw was the more frustrating of the two: Antonio Hidalgo’s side went to a rival with similar ambitions and left with a point that felt more like a missed opportunity than a platform. In the head-to-head, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is already contributing, sitting joint-second in La Liga’s scoring chart with two goals from those two matches. Valencia’s record reads one draw against Celta Vigo, then a home defeat to Real Betis without registering a goal, zero scored across 180 minutes of La Liga football.
In the standings, Deportivo sit 11th on two points and Valencia 15th on one, separated by a single point but with the visitors carrying the heavier psychological weight of a home defeat and a goalless run stretching back to matchday one.
Key battle to watch
Aubameyang against Valencia’s central defensive pairing is the match-up that could determine the result. The striker has scored in both of Deportivo’s league games and will look to exploit any hesitation from a Valencia backline that has looked uncertain in the opening weeks. Valencia’s Javi Guerra and Pepelu will need to disrupt Deportivo’s build-up before the ball reaches their forwards, because once Aubameyang gets in behind, the early-season evidence suggests he will punish it. If Valencia can keep him quiet, they have the personnel in midfield to control the tempo and earn their first league point on the road.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
History leans heavily toward Valencia in this fixture: five wins from the last ten meetings against Deportivo’s one. But this Valencia have not scored in two league games, and they are travelling to a side with a striker in form and a point to prove at home. Deportivo look the more likely to edge it, though another draw would surprise no one given how tight both defences have been in the opening weeks.
Deportivo la Coruna
Valencia
Antonio Hidalgo