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#3 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid are in transition, as they saw many of their big names make way for young, fresh talent. Diego Simeone's success over the years with the Roji Blancos has always depended on a rock-solid defense, but that department will have quite a different look this season, with the departures of Diego Godin, Juanfran and Felipe Luis.
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But it's the addition of the new young sensation, Joao Felix, that has made Atleti fans even forget that their star player Antoine Griezmann has left them. There is no doubt that the young Portuguese will be an incredible addition to this Atletico side, bringing a very different kind of flair to their attack this season.
Simeone's men have been sensational so far, especially in pre-season, and even without their rock-solid defense, which has been the identity of their success for so many years, they will give Barcelona and Real Madrid an absolute run for their money. We'll have to wait and see how long this slightly-changed style of play continues successfully for the Madrid side as the season progresses, and how they deal with those patches when they perhaps lose a bit of form.
Atletico Madrid are definitely going to get enough results to get into the top four, and it will be very interesting to see how they perform when they face Barcelona or Real Madrid in the big games of the season.
#2 Real Madrid
The former European Champions just haven't been the same since Cristiano Ronaldo left the Bernabeu. Its impossible to replace someone who is arguably the greatest player of all time. A stuttering Real Madrid finished third last season, 19 points behind Barcelona, played second fiddle to Atletico Madrid, and saw as many as three managerial changes.
But the Los Blancos aren't the type to rest on their laurels, and bringing back Zinedine Zidane was a step to get back to where they belong. Signing Eden Hazard from Chelsea, one of the best players to ever play in the Premier League, was a statement of intent. With Luka Jovic, Ferland Mendy and all the other new signings along with the quality that they already have in their squad, they'll definitely have a much improved season.
Zidane mentioned that winning the La Liga is the priority for Real Madrid and they're expected to challenge Barcelona till the very end of the season. But if the title challenge comes down to the clasicos, then even with the talent they've got in their squad, they could fall short of matching Barcelona.
