LALIGA Season Preview: Favorites, Challengers And Mbappe's ...

LALIGA is back this weekend and Real Madrid are firm favorites to retain their title. Bellingham and ... [+] Vinny are joined by Kylian Mbappe in the attack.

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LALIGA returns on Thursday, August 15th, after what was a golden summer for Spanish soccer. The national team, driven by young stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, won the Euros and the U-23 side won gold at the Olympics with 19 players from twelve different LALIGA clubs. Expectations for this season are high. Real Madrid finally signed Kylian Mbappe, FC Barcelona brought in treble winner Hansi Flick as coach, and Atlético de Madrid strengthened its attack with World Cup winner Julián Alvarez, and last season’s Pichichi (top scorer) runner-up Alexander Sørloth.

The season kicks off with a Thursday doubleheader. In the early game (1 PM EST), Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao host Getafe, after which (3 PM EST) Real Betis Balompié welcome last season’s surprise package Girona FC to Andalusia. Fans of FC Barcelona will have to wait until Saturday to watch the Hansi Flick era kick-off away at Valencia, while Kylian Mbappe won’t play his first LALIGA game for Real Madrid until Sunday away at RCD Mallorca.

So, after a summer of success, signings, and intrigue, what can fans expect from this LALIGA season?

Title Favorites Real Madrid

Having won LALIGA by a comfortable ten points last season Real Madrid is the clear favorite to retain the LALIGA title. Despite Toni Kroos’s retirement and the departure of defensive stalwart Nacho, Real Madrid’s squad looks extremely strong and has been bolstered by the addition of not only Kylian Mbappe but Brazilian wunderkind Endrick.

The biggest question seems to be how Carlo Ancelotti will fit all the talent at his disposal onto the pitch and if he can make them click. Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid legend Hugo Sánchez seems unconcerned. Speaking to the media during an exclusive Q and A session hosted by Fernando Palomo, the voice of LALIGA in Spanish on ESPN, Sánchez said “Ancelotti has shown the calm to manage the dressing room and to win.” He referenced the Italian’s ability to transmit tranquility to his star players, massage egos, and deliver tactical advice at the right moments.

The former striker also noted the mentality of the fifteen-time champions of Europe, stating “The players know they have to win every championship they compete in,” adding that at Real Madrid “you always think about winning.”

Things already seem to point in a positive direction. Real Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, August 15th, defeating Atalanta 2-0 in Warsaw thanks to goals from Federico Valverde and, yes, Kylian Mbappe. Barring major injuries, infighting, or a dramatic loss of form or fitness (think back to the Carlos Queiroz season) this will be Real Madrid’s title to lose.

MADRID, SPAIN - JULY 16: Real Madrid new signing, Kylian Mbappe is unveiled at Estadio Santiago ... [+] Bernabeu on July 16, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Getty Images Hansi Flick’s Barça (Re)evolution

On the other side of the eternal divide, Blaugrana faithful are looking to Hansi Flick to guide a title challenge, although there is an understanding that he has little money to sign and register new players.

Flick will have to rely on a combination of youthful local players and experienced foreigners to make up the 10-point gap on Real Madrid. With the return of Pedri, Alejandro Balde, and eventually Gavi to full fitness, the continued growth of Pau Cubarsí and Fermín López (both Olympic gold medalists), the addition of Euro winner Dani Olmo, and the star power of Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, Barça certainly has the quality to compete with the best of teams. The question is, will Flick be able to do what Xavi could not and get the squad to win consistently while playing the free-flowing style that Barca fans demand?

With the chaos that surrounds FC Barcelona, it is a big ask to have a coach who does not speak the language and is unfamiliar with the club culture to bring the title back in his first season. However, this is the reality of coaching Barça. President Laporta has mortgaged the club’s future with his lever-pulling and has made immediate success a requirement.

During the preseason, Flick has been able to lean on former Bayern and Barça midfielder Thiago Alcântara to relay his messages and to help him integrate into the club. However, Catalan sports paper Diario Sport reported that Thiago will move on in September, leaving Flick to lead his maiden campaign on his own.

In Hugo Sánchez’s opinion, Barça will struggle to compete with Real Madrid because it does not have the economic capacity to sign the best players in the world and because it is investing in the remodeling of the Camp Nou at a moment when resources are needed elsewhere. In his eyes, the arrival of Dani Olmo will strengthen the Catalans, but the Mexican striker laments the fact that FC Barcelona is not at its peak. He says “It’s important for Real Madrid that FC Barcelona is at their peak as well,” noting that it adds competitiveness to the league.

Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal will be key figures this season if Barca hopes to compete for ... [+] the LALIGA title.

Getty Images Cholo’s Title Charge

It would be unwise to look beyond Atlético de Madrid as a third possible title contender. Any team coached by Cholo Simeone will always be competitive, and with the addition of Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth, fans of the Colchoneros can expect added firepower this season.

The Colchoneros have, however, lost some important pieces. Álvaro Morata moved to AC Milan, Stefan Savić has gone to ply his trade in Turkey and Saúl is going on loan to Sevilla FC. Moreover, there are still rumors that Antoine Griezmann could make a move to the MLS, and since the back end of last season, he has not been playing at the same level. Still, Atlético looks to be in a strong position to compete for the top four if not the title, and the Madrid club has added Euro 2024 winner Robin Le Normand to an already sturdy backline.

With twelve seasons under his belt at Atlėtico, and fire still brewing in his belly Cholo Simeone will be as determined as ever to lead the Colchoneros to a third LALIGA title during his time in charge. What looks like another retooling of the squad could be exactly what the club needs to help channel its manager’s ferocious nature and upset Real Madrid and Barcelona. Hugo Sánchez certainly believes that Simeone has the backing of the directors and sees a strong Atlėtico as a positive for LALIGA.

Other Challengers

Last season Girona FC, the Catalan club from the eponymous city known for Game of Thrones was the surprise package. Michel’s side played electric soccer, scoring 85 goals (only two fewer than Real Madrid) and eventually finishing in third place and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. Hugo Sánchez says Girona’s success reminded him of Iceland’s marvelous run in the 2016 Euros, and says it’s a team that plays “very happy soccer.”

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that lightning will strike twice, especially with the added burden of midweek Champions League games. To date, the Catalan club (with backing from City Football Group) has added Bryan Gil from Tottenham and Donny Van de Beek from Manchester United. It has also brought back Oriol Romeu from FC Barcelona and is counting on its prolific scouting department to help create more household names this season. At the same time, the club lost tricky winger Savinho to Manchester City and LALIGA top scorer Artem Dovbyk to AS Roma. Bringing in Premier League cast-offs Gil and Van de Beek seems unlikely to compensate for such losses, but Girona has proved experts wrong before.

Fans should expect Michel’s side to continue attacking, but the results will almost certainly not be as strong this season. It is more likely that one of the other teams in European competition, Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, or Real Betis finish higher up the table, although fans would do well to keep their eyes on Villarreal, who under the stewardship of Marcelino seem to be ready to make another push for the top four.

None of these clubs has a perfect squad, but all of them have difference-makers who could change their fortunes in an instant. Bilbao will look to the Williams brothers and Oihan Sancet to carry on the positivity from last season’s Copa del Rey triumph. Real Sociedad will hope to keep stars Take Kubo, Mikel Merino, and Martin Zubimendi as it looks to return to the Champions League, and Real Betis will rely on the maverick ingenuity of Isco, Nabil Fekir and Chimy Ávila to compete for the top four.

With physical, mental, and tactical preparation better than ever before, Sánchez notes that the difference between teams is slim. Before, he says, teams relied purely on talented players, but now all teams have the physical ability to pressure high, meaning any team, even those of lesser quality can do damage just through adequate preparation.

BILBAO, SPAIN - DECEMBER 16: Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao celebrates 2-0 with Inaki Williams of ... [+] Athletic Bilbao during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Athletic de Bilbao v Atletico Madrid at the San Mames Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Bilbao Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Getty Images Relegation and Surprises

A LALIGA season is never without surprises and fans can expect nothing different this year. Perhaps this will be the season when Valencia CF or Sevilla FC return to European soccer, or maybe a smaller club like Las Palmas, Rayo Vallecano, or RCD Mallorca will make an unexpected push for the top 10. Valencia CF finally seems stable under the leadership of former player Rubén Baraja, and Mallorca did finish as runner-up in the Copa del Rey last season and has added coach Jagoba Arrasate, who oversaw a successful spell at CA Osasuna between 2018 and 2024.

Lower down the table the relegation candidates seem to be familiar names. The three clubs that came up at the end of last season, CD Leganes, Real Valladolid CF, and RCD Espanyol will all struggle to remain above the relegation battle. They will likely be joined by Celta de Vigo, who finished 13th last season but sacked their coach halfway through the campaign. Rayo Vallecano is a club that could just as easily be fighting relegation given its lack of resources and recruitment, and UD Las Palmas, having lost its manager from last season, Xavier García Pimienta to Sevilla FC may struggle to reach the 40-point mark which usually sees clubs survive.

Top Scorer (Pichichi)

It is hard to look any further than Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Pichichi. Mbappe scored a staggering 256 goals in 308 games for PSG, and with Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, and Luka Modric feeding him the ball one can only dream of how many goals he might score in one season. In fact, the only thing that may stop a Kylian Mbappe runaway victory would be his teammates scoring their own goals. The intra-club competition at Real Madrid for goals and assists will be one to watch.

Given a full season without injury, Robert Lewandowski will have a say in the race to be the top scorer. He won the award two seasons ago, and if Barça hopes to be champion again it will need Lewandowski to carry the goal-scoring burden. Other potential top scorers could be Julián Alvarez and Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored Spain’s winning goal at Euro 2024, Alexander Sørloth who was runner-up last season, and Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno who tends to average 15 goals per season.

The Best League in the World

With Spanish soccer in a golden moment, it is worth wondering whether LALIGA is the best league in the world. The argument is full of subjectivity and depends heavily on how best is defined and what metrics are used to measure it. What is certain is that LALIGA will once again have strong representation in European competitions this season (7 clubs), its defending champion has signed the most in-demand player in the world, and the champion’s archrival is rearming itself with a host of exciting homegrown talent that would make most clubs jealous.

While LALIGA clubs (Real Madrid apart) do not have the spending power of their English counterparts, the level of the league continues to improve in Hugo Sánchez’s estimation. The five-time LALIGA top soccer says that for many years it was the best league in the world, but then it was overtaken due to the Premier League’s investment. Now it seems the playing field is leveling again, with clubs spending smarter sums on high-quality players. Moreover, Sánchez believes that LALIGA has learned how to market itself better, thus increasing foreign investment in the league.

Because soccer is the number one sport in Spain, it has a stellar infrastructure, akin to that of the NFL in the U.S., that supports continuous player and coach development. This model has paid off handsomely with both the men’s and women’s national sides winning major titles in back-to-back summers and Real Madrid and FC Barcelona (less so recently) remaining reference points for global soccer.

With the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid should expect to conquer all in its path, but the rest of the league will be looking to spring a surprise. What awaits is another scintillating season of Spanish soccer in which there are bound to be unexpected twists and turns.