LaLiga may be a two-horse race but it's still not a certainty

A few days before LaLiga resumes after the UEFA Nations League break, Barcelona currently is top of the league, with their rivals Real Madrid several points behind in sixth place. Julen Lopetegui has gone due to Los Blancos' poor form, and now Santiago Solari is the new Real Madrid head coach.

Their form has improved too, with recent wins in LaLiga and the Champions League. The record holders of the latter competition should progress at the top of their group, and despite the departure of Ronaldo it's foolish to think they hold little chance to retain it again. Barcelona's defeat to Celta Vigo, whilst surprising, showed some defensive issues within the side, and with Sevilla and Atletico Madrid in tow, the top of the table seems very intriguing currently.

Much is said of the more equitable TV money distribution in LaLiga this season, and this may be a factor in the presently tight table. However, Real Madrid and Barca still are the biggest and wealthiest clubs, with by far the best talent. Granted, Atletico has world-class talent and World Cup winners - Griezmann, Costa, and Godin all rank here, amongst others. But both Real and Barca have all-star teams, in terms of talent. So to use a phrase, the Barca/Real cream should rise to the top.

So what factors can make this happen? And does it need to happen? Does it matter if Real Madrid and Barca challenge for the league, or are the major clubs doing so?

Both Barca and Real Madrid have suffered defeats to lower table opposition this season, and in a way, it provides extra life to the league. And this can be important if it wishes to gain the commercial standing globally that the English Premier League enjoys.

Either way, it's possible that we may again see the emergence of the old rivals battling it out again, and given their sizes, histories, resources, and players, it may be naive to suggest it won't happen.

Best players

Raphael Varane is a world-class talent in an underperforming Real Madrid.

Barca/Real Madrid have arguably the best players in the league. But they are not alone in merely holding world-class talent. And it's wrong to say they have a duopoly in stellar talent.

Atletico Madrid alone possess Antoine Greizmann - a recent World Cup winner - along with Godin and Costa. The club also has recently won LaLiga, with their latest triumph in 2014. It would be a stretch to say that they cannot be Champions League qualifiers, or they cannot challenge for the league at the very least, given their squad quality and managerial prowess. Diego Simeone is still a well-lauded manager in global terms and will ensure his team remains as competitive as possible.

But when examining Real Madrid and Barca, it's a near dream team, featuring:

• Messi
• Suarez
• Dembele
• Rakitic
• Pique
• Marcelo
• Ramos
• Varane
• Modric
• Kroos
• Bale
• Benzema

Many, if not all, of these players, are amongst the best in the world of their positions.

So in theory, given the talent they both possess, they should be the primary clubs battling it out.

However, even the best of players need the proper coaching and direction to succeed, and this possibly wasn't forthcoming under Lopetegui. A top side needs both an energising manager and strong players to attain the heights, and possibly this could mix well under Solari.

The ingredients are there - whether Solari can be the "chef" to fashion a tasty Real Madrid dish remains to be seen.

Lopetegui's poor tactics

Lopetegui, especially after his disastrous departure from the Spanish national team before the World Cup, had not been able to progress Real Madrid.

Part of the issues was not his own - Perez and others didn't buy adequate replacements for Ronaldo. And considering he scored on average 40-50 goals per season and was critical in three back to back Champions League wins, this was a curious and apparent error.

But under his tenure, Real Madrid's defensive woes had grown compared to recent seasons. This led to more defeats, and thus structurally the team couldn't perform at the level expected, and nay demanded. But hopefully, it can improve now that Solari has taken over. He will retain the attacking prowess that the club's players expound, and that los Madridistas demand. However, whilst change is required, it will take time to implement and this could be a boon and a hindrance to Solari.

Everybody knows that Real Madrid - as the biggest club on Earth - has a short shelf life for managers. Solari would, or should, know that Los Blancos require rapid development to salvage a respectable league placement this season. His job will surely depend on it, but there also is a rebuilding job both on and off the pitch.

Many of their top players are ageing, and there is the talk of a redesign of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. It's possible that a situation akin to other top clubs in Europe - like Arsenal in the mid to late 2000s, or Tottenham currently - in securing Champions League football and the most revenues possible. A poor league finish will compound these matters, and Solari certainly has his work cut out.

Teams that are challenging the Barca-Madrid dominance

Of the teams currently near the top of the league, is there something about them that is making them contenders? Is it as much about their strengths as it is Real Madrid/Barca's weaknesses? At the moment, Espanyol, Sevilla, Alaves, and Atletico Madrid are the main teams which are challenging near the top, and there are specific reasons for each side's strong start.

Espanyol is the city neighbour of Barca, as they too are a Catalan club. An analogy using clubs from other countries would be Liverpool and Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City, or Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. The former in each pairing is generally deemed the bigger club, at least in trophy wins, fanbase size, revenues, and overall global branding and prestige. Whilst Espanyol cannot, and won't claim to be I'd imagine, in Barca's size-ranking, this season at least they are showing they mean business.

Few would state that Espanyol would win the title over Messi and company. But they are proving a strong hit this season and could feature in the Champions League places shake-up at the least. Part of this is due to their overall organisational structure, in that as a club with limited resources, they have under boss Rubi been able to create a solid shape both on and off the ball. Goals from forward Borja Iglesias have also contributed, and it seems that if they can sustain their form, the city of Barcelona could have two Champions League sides next season.

Alaves too, like Espanyol, is not a big club traditionally. But it did reach the UEFA Cup final in 2001, losing to Liverpool in an epic final. It thus has, albeit many years ago, history in high LaLiga finishes and amongst the bigger boys in Spain. In some ways, the side has an anti-modern Spanish style, in that they are very compact and play strong counter-attacking football. They are akin to a classic Mourinho-side, or a highly drilled/defensive English Premier League team in this regard. They may lack the creative players of the other top table teams at the moment, but if anything their strong organisational capabilities are making them hard to beat, and thus worthy of their high league placing. Alaves may not win the league this season - but if they can sustain their organisation and compactness, a Champions League appearance next season may be in the offing.

They have already beaten Real Madrid this season, and thus know how to beat the other top sides.

Sevilla is a big club historically in Spain and has attained recent success in Europe via the Europa League (under former manager and now current Arsenal head coach Unai Emery). They are used to sustained Champions League football, which saw it defeat Manchester United in last season's competition, and is thus no stranger to the higher echelons of the table. Part of this familiarity comes from their strikers, including Ben Yedder, a French player who has proven a hit in LaLiga by scoring many vital goals.

Moreover, Sevilla has beaten Real Madrid this season, and also Espanyol in the immediate game before the Nations League break. They did lose to Barca however, but they already possess a psychological mark over some other top sides, which can prove crucial in denying the others Champions League placements. The south-Western Spanish club is a traditional mainstay in the upper parts of the table and is one of the biggest clubs in the country outside of the big two, so they know what it's like to stay the course here.

Led by Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid is perhaps the next biggest club in the country after the big two powerhouses. They have won LaLiga on numerous occasions - with the most recent being in 2014 - and they have also shone in European competition lately. Despite losing to Real Madrid twice in 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals, they won the Europa League in 2018 defeating Arsenal in the semis and Marseille in the final. As a club of pedigree, they know what it's like to be up amongst the challengers, and they have a world-class talent such as Costa, Greizmann, and Godin to call upon. Barca, however, has got one over Atletico earlier this season, with Messi shining in a defeat to the Catalans.

Real Madrid and Barca would know the threat they can pose to them, and after years of contention at the top surely won't discount them. Simeone has been loyal to Atletico but has been touted with many big jobs in other countries, such as Arsenal and Manchester United in the past. Atletico's success is in large part down to his famed organisational structure, high demanding pressing style, and capability to bring the best from Griezmann and other creative talents.

So we can see that, for this season at the least, Real Madrid and Barca will have their work cut out to be the sole challengers. This season has several other top sides, which have and may in the future, cause damage to them in their quests to win the league or secure Champions League football.

Real Madrid can still catch up

Barcelona is top currently, but only a few points ahead of Sevilla, Alaves, Atletico Madrid, and Espanyol.

So a turn of form for Real Madrid can greatly improve things, and move them into a more credible championship challenging position.

This can provide hope to Real Madrid, but also caution to Barca as they must ensure consistency. They cannot allow any further slip-ups and will be boosted once Messi returns from injury.

Suarez, Dembele, amongst others, have been picking up the slack as required, and they will have to sustain this until Leo returns. But with Champions League qualification assured, and still much of the season to play, they have what it takes until the big man can resume.

Barca must get Messi back to full shape as quickly as possible

They would need Messi back, should Real Madrid's form improve and they are getting near the table's summit. They have the firepower to do this, and the small gap between Barca and the other teams is not at all insurmountable.

Barca's defeat in some quarters was cited towards the poor defensive organisation, and this could be a worry in coming games.

Does it matter if Real Madrid and Barca are the main competitors?

LaLiga is without question one of the best leagues on Earth. But then whilst it seeks to rival the competitiveness of the English Premier League, and the commercial interest it enjoys, having a Real Madrid/Barca duopoly is counter-productive in this regard.

The Premier League is becoming increasingly less competitive with the dominance of the big six clubs. However, all of these clubs possess similar resource levels and often jostle for Champions League places as much as the title itself. And whilst it has been dominated since its founding in 1992 by Manchester United, this is largely due to the brilliance of Sir Alex Ferguson as their manager, together with his motivational, inspirational, and tactical excellence. Other top teams in PL history, like Arsenal or Chelsea, have been managed by top figures like Wenger, Mourinho, and Conte. However, LaLiga does have a structural bias towards RM/Barca, and this is one thing that stops it from rivalling the Premier League commercially.

In short, and with no intended disrespect, global fans see the Premier League as exciting, competitive, and fluid, whilst LaLiga is viewed as controlled, uncompetitive and dominated. These may not be fair points in the eyes of some - but they stand as common viewpoints nonetheless.

LaLiga has redevised its TV payment structures, but then maybe it's not in LaLiga's interests to have a resumption of the duopoly.

But since they are both by far the biggest clubs in Spain, it's likely their pre-eminence will remain.

Both clubs could progress far in the Champions League, and this will provide greater revenues, to gain the best players for subsequent seasons. Though as the two biggest and most historical clubs, their mere names are enough to attract players. Lessening the financial control they have can help, but few if any players would turn down the opportunity to join either club and thus they do possess both natural and artificial advantages.

Poor results notwithstanding, both clubs have their work cut out in winning the league or at least challenging for it in 18/19, as there is a new drive in the other teams to succeed and compete to the best of their abilities.

Maybe the big two's loss, in having their duopoly dented, can be La Liga's victory overall.