The 2018/19 La Liga campaign is almost here, leaving football fans in anticipation as they gear up to watch another season of football heaven. As usual, the Spanish division will produce interesting moments, with recent developments suggesting a lot of entertainment, excitement and fantastic memories.
Catalan giants, FC Barcelona won the prestigious title convincingly last term and they will be looking forward to continuing with their domestic dominance this term. However, the competition will prove a bit different this season after witnessing a number of major changes recently.
Cristiano Ronaldo has left Real Madrid, Barcelona have signed a number of incredible superstars including Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal while Atletico Madrid look set to mount a title challenge - creating plenty of rooms for discussions ahead of the competition.
Below, we take a look at 4 interesting points that need to be discussed before the campaign begins this weekend:
#4. Post-Ronaldo era at Real Madrid
It was the end of an era in the Spanish Capital as Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo called time on his Real Madrid career. After spending 9 nine memorable years at the club, the attacker decided to try another challenge, leaving the Bernabeu stadium in favour of a move to Juventus last month.
Ronaldo was the brightest superstar in the Los Blancos' squad during his time in the La Liga, consistently producing spectacular performances and leading the European Champions to glory after glory. In fact, this is the first time in the past 9 nine years that the Spanish giants will enter a campaign without their talismanic forward.
There is no doubt Ronaldo's departure marks the beginning of a new era in the Spanish Capital. How Real Madrid will cope with the absence of the Portuguese remains to be seen, however, the likes of Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, and Isco have all been tipped to reach similar level impacts this season.
#3. Atletico to challenge for the title
The 2018/2019 La Liga campaign could produce another intense 2-horse battle at the top of the table. While Barcelona remain the favourites to retain their prestigious crown this term, there is no doubt they will face stiff competition from Atletico Madrid.
The Rojiblancos eclipsed their city rivals, Real Madrid to challenge Barcelona for the title last term. Even though they finished second on the table, they ensured that the Catalans fought till the very end and they will be looking forward to another shot on the crown this season.
Despite various rumours arising this summer, Atletico managed to retain their best players including the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin, and Angel Correa while also luring Thomas Lemar and Gelson Martins to Wanda Metropolitano. With the level of quality in their squad, there is no doubt the Capital club will be strong contenders for the La Liga title this term.
After defeating Real Madrid 4-2 to win the UEFA Super Cup recently, the Rojiblancos are beaming with confidence at the moment and that could as well reflect on their La Liga campaign this season.
#2. Barcelona's squad looks terrifying
The previous La Liga campaign produced a lot of interesting moments as Barcelona won their seventh title in 10 years. The Catalans had one of the best squads during the season, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti running riot on their way to clinching the prestigious prize.
To add to the amazing quality under their rank, La Blaugrana embarked on an incredible journey in the transfer window this summer, luring a number of fantastic superstars to the Nou Camp as well as welcoming some of their own players who went on loan spells last term.
Having signed the likes of Malcolm, Arthur Melo, Clement Lenglet and Arturo Vidal to link up with other world-class superstars including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele in the Catalan capital, there is no doubt Barcelona's squad looks quite terrifying at the moment.
#1. Who will challenge Lionel Messi?
The Spanish League was very fortunate to witness one of most interesting rivalries in football, with Argentine superstar, Lionel Messi and his Portuguese counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo setting the division ablaze with their unbelievable performances for 9 years. These superstars were totally unstoppable, racking up an unbelievable number of goals, shattering plenty of records and eclipsing each other's achievements season after season.
Obviously, we won't be able to witness such incredible rivalry in La Liga this term, with Cristiano Ronaldo having left the Spanish top flight in favour of a move to the Seria A. Following another European success with the Spanish giants, the attacker departed Santiago Bernabeu and completed a famous move to Juventus, leaving his Argentine rival as the only untouchable superstar in the La Liga.
Will it be a walk in the park for Lionel Messi in the Spanish top flight this season or will the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Gareth Bale, Diego Costa, Marco Asensio, Iago Aspas and Luis Suarez be able to stand up and challenge his dominance? Well, that remains to be seen when the campaign eventually begins this weekend.