Winners: Barcelona
Barcelona are looking to do something they’ve already done twice in their history—win three league titles in a row. It’s something only their mythical coaches Johan Cruyff (1991-1993; he added a fourth in 1994) and Pep Guardiola (2009-2011) have managed. Ernesto Valverde will try to emulate their achievements and also help record the club’s ninth title win in 12 seasons.
The pressure to maintain the hunger and drive in his squad, who have to labour under the ghosts of recent embarrassing UEFA Champions failure in Rome’s Olympic Stadium and Liverpool’s Anfield, will be ferocious. Crucially the club has reinforced sensibly, buying world-class players for the first time in five years with the additions of Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann.
They’ve also shored up a major weakness last season by bringing in left-back Junior Firpo. The ex-Real Betis player will provide cover for Jordi Alba, whose lapses against Liverpool at Anfield in May were critical.
Captain Leo Messi rightly drew attention to the merit of recently winning so many league titles in his stirring pre-season Gamper Trophy speech at the Camp Nou. His demanding professionalism should see them add another title to his CV, bringing him within one of the La Liga record, which is the 12 winners’ medals won by Real Madrid’s Paco Gento more than half a century ago.
Champions League Positions: Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Valencia
2. Atletico Madrid
There is a huge buzz around the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium—which should be a sellout for Atletico Madrid’s difficult season opener against Getafe on Sunday night—about the prospects of its team after major and exciting squad surgery.
The changes were enforced by external circumstances—clubs paid buyout clauses for Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Rodri (Manchester City) and Griezmann (Barcelona)—and internal policy, such as not offering more than one-year contract extensions to players over 30 years of age, which saw the likes of Diego Godin, Felipe Luis and Juanfran depart.
It has meant head coach Diego Simeone has had to replace the team’s spine. All the signs are that the job has gone well. Simeone, who is starting his ninth campaign in charge, has brought in one of La Liga’s gems in 24-year-old Mario Hermoso from Espanyol to bolster his defence, as well as Felipe, Kieran Trippier and Renan Lodi.
He’s added Marcos Llorente and the tigerish Hector Herrera to midfield and Joao Felix, the club’s most expensive signing in history, to the attack.
The team’s pre-season games were impressive, notably the 7-3 humiliation of Real Madrid in New Jersey, a defeat still reverberating around Spain.
However, doubts remain. Can Diego Costa avoid injury? Can Alvaro Morata, who turns 27 years old in October, finally deliver a full season to warrant his potential? Will Simeone revert to defence-minded type in November if results go against him early in the season, as has happened several times before?
There are just a few too many uncertainties to believe that Atletico can pip favourites Barcelona to the title.
3. Real Madrid
It seems that club legend Zinedine Zidane has been unable to lift the gloom around the Santiago Bernabeu since his return as coach in March. His pre-season has been a disaster—two wins in seven games, 18 goals conceded and statistically the worst performances of La Liga’s 20 teams over summer.
There are problems everywhere. Zidane’s faith in veteran players means the team’s starting XI, which finished 19 points shy of Barcelona in the league last season, will likely be the same again except for the addition of Eden Hazard.
The problem with Gareth Bale—who is in limbo after an aborted attempt to offload him to the Chinese Super League—persists. Defensive vulnerabilities remain, and they are still without a proven top-class goalscorer who can compensate for the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo a year ago. Luka Jovic, bought for €60 million, could eventually fill that void, but he has been scoreless during pre-season and is a gamble for the future.
Luka Jovic has failed to find the net in pre-seasonGiuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
The failure to bring in Paul Pogba—the one express petition made by Zidane—exacerbates problems in midfield, which badly needs a shakeup and is short of backup for Casemiro.
Could the speculated arrival of Neymar bring enough goals and quality to help Real Madrid sustain a title challenge? Unlikely, but it would bring back some excitement to the club, which has been sorely missing since Ronaldo’s exit.
4. Valencia
Valencia have endured a tumultuous summer at boardroom level, which nearly led to the departure of Mateu Alemany, the business brains behind Valencia’s recent resurgence.
With tranquility partially restored, one of Spain’s great historical powers should secure the final UEFA Champions League spot given their nearest rivals, Sevilla, have the difficult job of assimilating more than 10 new players and a change of trainer in former Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui.
Valencia’s big bet is on the bull-like Uruguayan centre-forward Maxi Gomez. After signing from Celta Vigo, it will be interesting to see if he can take the step up.
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