Roberto Soldado netted four times, including once in his own net, as Valencia's La Liga title challenge got off to a thrilling start with a 4-3 comeback win at home to Racing Santander on Saturday.

Unai Emery's side, which finished a distant third behind Barcelona and Real Madrid last season, was ahead in the first minute when Soldado slotted home the rebound following a fierce Pablo Hernandez strike.

Racing was level six minutes later when the Valencia captain nodded the ball into his own goal from a corner and Lautaro Acosta then finished off a fine breakaway to make it 2-1 to the visitors in the 14th minute.

Adrian gave Racing a two-goal cushion 11 minutes after the break before Valencia's French defender Adil Rami pulled one back a minute later.

Soldado made amends for his earlier blunder by scoring twice in two minutes, including a last-gasp winner, to snatch a rousing victory that will lift the club following the midweek departure of Spain international Juan Mata to Chelsea.

"We have three important points but they come with a warning," Emery said. "It was a game we suffered in winning and the conclusions from the victory include things that we can improve, such as the defensive situations."

La Liga is getting under way a week late after last weekend's first round of matches fell victim to a strike called by the players' union over unpaid wages, a dispute with the league that was finally resolved on Thursday.

Those games, including Barcelona at Malaga and Real at home to Athletic Bilbao, will now be played in January.

Champion Barcelona begins its bid for a club record-equalling fourth straight title at home to Villarreal today while Real was visiting Real Zaragoza yesterday. In yesterday's early game, Atletico Madrid were held to a goalless draw at home by Osasuna.

In the opening game of the season earlier on Saturday, Real Sociedad held on with 10 men to secure a 2-1 win at Sporting Gijon which also had a player sent off late on.

Granada stumbled in its first match back in the top flight since 1976 when it was beaten 0-1 by fellow promoted side and Andalucian rival Real Betis in the late kickoff.