A Midweek of La Liga and the Eredivisie, Full of Old Ties

Elche vs Real Sociedad, with Takefusa Kubo and Keita Kita in the travelling party.

• La Liga's fourth round continues at 21:30 CEST on Monday 7 September (04:30 JST Tuesday). Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo is a left-footed right winger who arrived in San Sebastián after Real Madrid, Mallorca, Villarreal and Getafe. He invites pressure with his low centre of gravity, then slides the ball inside — exactly the tool needed to pull an Elche block apart.
• Sociedad carry a second Japanese attacker in Keita Kita, signed from the FC Tokyo academy in 2024. He is quick, direct in the dribble and clean with his right foot in front of goal. Two Japanese names in the same attacking group is reason enough to follow this one.
• Elche answer with Gonzalo Villar, a product of their own academy who went to AS Roma and came home. He sets tempo with close control and careful distribution in tight spaces. Out wide, German Valera is a left-footer from the Atlético Madrid system who once spent time with Real Sociedad B.

Getafe vs Celta Vigo: Ilaix Moriba returns to a former club.

• Getafe host Celta Vigo at 19:00 CEST on Monday 7 September (02:00 JST Tuesday). Celta midfielder Ilaix Moriba came through Barcelona's La Masia and passed through Getafe on a route that also took in RB Leipzig and Valencia. Watching a box-to-box player with that blend of power and technique operate at a former home ground is a story in itself.
• Celta's identity still runs through Iago Aspas. Born in 1987, the club's all-time leading scorer keeps producing from his left foot, from open play and from set pieces, and he remains lethal in cramped areas. Alongside him, left-back Marcos Alonso brings the delivery that made his name at Chelsea and Barcelona.
• Getafe are captained by Togo international Djené Dakonam, who is not tall but wins duels through reading and acceleration, and who can fill in at centre-back, right-back or holding midfield. Up front, Borja Mayoral — a Real Madrid academy graduate with Roma and Levante behind him — is the kind of penalty-box finisher who punishes thin margins.

Utrecht vs Go Ahead Eagles: a midweek afternoon thick with old connections.

• Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles meet at 14:00 CEST on Tuesday 8 September (21:00 JST) in the Eredivisie's fifth round. Utrecht goalkeeper Michael Brouwer once played for the Eagles before spells at Heracles Almelo and Emmen. On the other side, left-footed centre-back Joris Kramer — an AZ Alkmaar academy product with loan and permanent stints in Deventer — was part of the Eagles' KNVB Cup-winning group.
• Utrecht's midfield runs through Zidane Iqbal, the Iraq international who came through Manchester United's academy. Futsal-honed control and an unusually wide field of vision make him the natural first pass out of pressure. Ahead of him, Dani de Wit — Ajax-raised, established at AZ Alkmaar — makes his living arriving late in the box.
• The Eagles lean on Søren Tengstedt, a 187cm Danish forward who wears the number ten and is equally happy holding the ball up or running in behind. Right-back Alfons Sampsted, an Iceland international with Birmingham City and Bodø/Glimt on his CV, supplies the crossing from that flank.

NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior: Tadić and Linssen bring the mileage.

• NEC Nijmegen host Excelsior at 18:45 CEST on Tuesday 8 September (01:45 JST Wednesday) in a third-round fixture. Dušan Tadić, the Serbia playmaker who won the Eredivisie and reached a Champions League semi-final with Ajax, has also worn the shirts of Southampton and Twente. Born in 1988, he still sets the standard for a young squad with his ball retention and final pass.
• Japanese viewers will know Bryan Linssen from his time at Urawa Red Diamonds. A veteran striker who scored for Feyenoord and Vitesse too, he is small but expert at finding the half-yard and releasing the shot before the block arrives. How close he plays to Tadić will shape NEC's attack.
• Excelsior depend heavily on their experienced heads. Goalkeeper Stijn van Gassel has NEC in his past, which makes this a possible reunion behind enemy lines. Up front, Alireza Jahanbakhsh — the Iran international who played for Brighton, Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar — offers technical quality on either flank.

Twente vs Telstar: Koeman Jr's goal, and a 197cm problem called Weghorst.

• Twente meet Telstar at 18:45 CEST on Wednesday 9 September (01:45 JST Thursday). Telstar goalkeeper Ronald Koeman Jr — son of the Netherlands manager, born in Barcelona, signed in 2021 after Almere City and TOP Oss — was central to the club ending a 47-year wait for Eredivisie football. His distribution and general calm are what the team is built around.
• Twente's answer is Wout Weghorst, all 197cm of him. The Netherlands international scored heavily at Wolfsburg before Burnley, Manchester United and Beşiktaş, and he remains a genuine aerial problem with his back to goal. Where Telstar choose to cut off the crosses will decide how comfortable this becomes.
• Both sides field players back where they grew up. Telstar right-back Gerald Alders came through the Ajax academy and has had a loan spell at Twente, making Enschede familiar ground. Twente's Ramiz Zerrouki, an Algeria international shaped by the club's own academy, is back on loan from Feyenoord.