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We are just hours away from the start of a new La Liga season. The UEFA Super Cup clash between the arch-rivals, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, has kickstarted the 2018/19 Spanish domestic season. Girona and Real Valladolid will play the first game of the La Liga season in a late kickoff on Friday.
It has been a busy summer transfer window for the Spanish clubs. Barcelona has made quite a few signings so far with the likes of Malcom, Clément Lenglet, Arthur, and Arturo Vidal arriving at the Nou Camp. The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus has rocked La Liga while Atletico Madrid signed Thomas Lemar in a blockbuster deal.
Deportivo, Las Palmas, and Malaga were relegated last season while Huesca, Valladolid, and Rayo Vallecano have gained promotion to the Spanish top-flight football.
With a lot of new players and new managers, it is going to be an exciting season of football in Spain.
All that being said, let’s predict how the 2018/19 La Liga season will end.
2018/19 Predicted Standings:
#20 Valladolid
#19 Huesca
#18 Leganés
#17 Rayo Vallecano
#16 Alaves
#15 Levante
#14 Espanyol
#13 Celta Vigo
#12 Athletic Bilbao
#11 Real Sociedad
#10 Eibar
#9 Girona
#8 Sevilla
#7 Getafe
#6 Villarreal
#5 Real Betis
Real Betis finished sixth in La Liga last season, which is their best finish in the last 10 La Liga campaigns. Betis finished in the 15th place during the 2016/17 season but were more consistent in 2017/18.
They managed to gather 60 points in the league last season and produced some impressive displays. Los Verdiblancos will be playing in the UEFA Europa League this season and will look to continue their great run of form.
Although they have allowed their star midfielder, Fabian Ruiz, to leave the club, they signed Willian Carvalho from Sporting as a replacement. They may not have any star cast, but they play well as a team.
They will be looking to better their performance from last season and aim for a place in the UEFA Champions League.
#4 Valencia
After a superb 2017/18 La Liga season under Marcelino Garcia Toral, Valencia will once again be looking to challenge the La Liga giants for a top-four finish. Valencia played some exceptional football last season and gathered 73 points in the league.
Marcelino has made some quality signings in the summer transfer window. Geoffrey Kandogbia arrived from Inter Milan, Kevin Gameiro was signed from Atletico Madrid, and Mouctar Diakhaby arrived from Lyon.
They have made a couple of exciting loan signings as Michy Batshuayi and Denis Cheryshev arrived from Chelsea and Villarreal respectively. Batshuayi was exceptional on a loan spell at Dortmund last season while Cheryshev took the 2018 World Cup by storm.
They have a great depth in the squad to finish in the top four.
#3 Real Madrid
The European Champions had a mediocre 2017/18 La Liga season. Although they dominated the UEFA Champions League, they struggled for consistency in La Liga. They finished third last season with only 76 points.
Also, the summer transfer window hasn’t been great for the Los Blancos. Cristiano Ronaldo has left the club, which left a big hole in the Real Madrid lineup. Until now, they haven’t replaced the Portuguese star.
While they have signed players like Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois, and Alvaro Odriozola, they clearly lack firepower up front. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have a strong squad, and the Galacticos will find it really hard to get into top-two.
#2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid rang a warning bell to other La Liga title contenders on Wednesday when they beat the European Champions, Real Madrid, 4-2 in the UEFA Super Cup game. Diego Costa was phenomenal on the night with a brace and tormented Real’s defense throughout the game.
Atletico Madrid was able to overcome Barcelona and Real Madrid to win the La Liga title in 2014, but have struggled in the past few years. Though they finished behind Barcelona in second place last season, they were clearly the second-best team in La Liga.
Diego Simeone has made some quality acquisitions this summer. Thomas Lemar, Rodri, and Nikola Kalinic arrived at the club for a combined fee of more than 100 million euros. Simeone has a great squad at his disposal to challenge Barcelona this season.
#1 Barcelona
The Catalan giants are the top favorite to win the La Liga this season. They lost just a single game in La Liga last season and finished 14 points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid. They dominated the league and were left unchallenged.
Their preparations are in full swing for the 2018/19 season. The defending Champions have been busy in the transfer market. Though Andres Iniesta, Paulinho, Andre Gomes, and Yerry Mina have left the club, they have signed some quality players.
Barcelona strengthened their defense with the acquisition of Clement Lenglet. They have also fortified their midfield and attack with the signing of Arturo Vidal and Malcom respectively.
With all bases covered, it is going to be really hard for other teams to stop Valverde & Co.
