La Liga’s 24-25 season kicked off, the 95th in its history, with a clear favourite in Real Madrid, who are coming off the back of a rare Liga and Champions League double. However as the first two matchdays have shown, whomever comes out victorious, it will not be easy.
On paper, Los Blancos have gotten stronger with the addition of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain on a free, and added teenage sensation Endrick Felipe from Brazil. Looking at Eagle Predict, it is no surprise that Real Madrid are the side with the shortest odds to win.
Yet the exits of captain Nacho Fernandez, metronome Toni Kroos and target man Joselu Mato will be felt this season. All three came up with the goods when asked last season. Mbappe will obviously make Los Blancos more fearsome in attack, but Carlo Ancelotti will have to work out their dynamics in midfield.
Barcelona have not had the most auspicious of summers, but have added Dani Olmo, who was the most effective player at Euro 2024. Simply returning to the mean in terms of performance on the pitch, and the possibility of having finally having Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi fit before the end of the year would be a major boost. Meanwhile Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez continue to improve rapidly.
Hansi Flick’s early signs have been good, and if he can inspire a strong defence from an attacking line-up, then Barcelona will be huge contenders. Their injury situation will be a concern. Already Ronald Araujo, Gavi, Andreas Christensen and de Jong are long-term absentees, and Barcelona do not have masses of depth.
The outside shout will be Atletico Madrid. They have had their second-biggest transfer window ever in terms of spending and in terms of a single signing: Julian Alvarez. The World Cup-winner is seen as a marquee signing, and with Alexander Sorloth, Clement Lenglet and Robin Le Normand proven quantities, they have undoubtedly improved from last season. Conor Gallagher will also add legs and bite in the middle of the pitch.
For them the challenge will be for Diego Simeone to find consistency and a system that optimizes their resources. For a while, Atletico have not followed a consistent idea for more than a few months at a time, albeit in part due to injuries.
While some outside shouts such as Villarreal, Athletic Club and Real Sociedad could maintain themselves near the top for a few months, it would be a major shock if anyone managed to last as long as Girona did last season. All the same, the coming season is nicely poised for a battle at the top of the table.