LaLiga 2018/2019 Preview: Real Madrid and the hunt for the LaLiga title

The 2018/2019 season is yet to begin but if the "white noise" on social media is to be believed, Real Madrid is already in "crisis" & may not do anything of note this season.

The UEFA Super Cup defeat to local rivals Atletico Madrid has added fuel to the fires of the doomsayers. The truth, however, is that the 2018/2019 season will be a transition season for Europe's most successful club.

After the shock resignation of manager Zinedine Zidane after the UCL title win, the departure of star man Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus has caused great consternation among Madridistas.

New manager Julen Lopetegui has come in and there are already signs of what the former Spanish national team coach wants to do.

Transfer Business

The transfer business has been underwhelming as the expected splurge for new, big-name players have not materialized.

Reported targets Mo Salah and Harry Kane signed new, long-term deals which made them unattainable, even for a club of Real's means. PSG duo Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have also been linked with the club links that Real has come out to publicly deny.

Alongside Ronaldo, Cantera products Lucas Torro, Omar Mascarell and Phillip Lienhart have also been sold, all for a combined £119.25m

Courtois looks set to become Real's number one

In have come Belgian goalie Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea for £35m as well as Spanish international right-back Alvaro Odriozola from Real Sociedad for £40m. Young talents; goalie Andry Lunin from Zorya Lugansk and Brazilian starlet; Vinicius Jnr. have also been brought in (Vinicius was signed last season but stayed back on loan at Flamengo).

The team under Lopetegui

The goalkeeping sub-plot promises to be one of the more interesting things around the Santiago Bernabeu this season.

Courtois is expected to become the new numero uno ahead of Costa Rican Keylor Navas with the young Lunin as the third choice. This means that Luka Zidane and Kiko Casilla have no place in the team and are expected to depart before the transfer window closes.

The goalkeeping deck is heavily stacked in the team's favour and is probably the team's strongest position.

Defence looks okay... for now

Central defence was one of the team's weaknesses in the last LaLiga season as Los Merengues conceded a whopping 44 goals.

Varane has become a prized asset for Real

Captain Sergio Ramos and World Cup winner Raphael Varane will continue to be the first choice centrebacks with backup from youngster Jesus Vallejo and utility man Nacho Fernandez.

Given Vallejo's still-green style of defending and Nacho's susceptibility to pacy attacks, Real may have to dip into the market to get in an extra centre-back to shore things up.

Theo Hernandez has gone on loan to Real Sociedad which means that Marcelo is the only senior left back in the team. The Brazilian is expected to continue his marauding runs down the flanks as he remains a key element of the team's attacking play. La Fabrica graduate Sergio Reguilon is expected to deputize whenever the Brazilian international may be absent.

Despite the exit of Mateo Kovacic, Real's midfield still has few equals. Carlos Casemiro is expected to share defensive roles with Marcos Llorente this season as there are growing concerns about the Brazilian's penchant for being caught out of position.

Toni Kroos is expected to continue being the regista supreme. After the rumour linking him with a move to Inter Milan has died down, Russia 2018's MVP, Luka Modric is expected to sign a new deal and continue pulling the strings in the middle of the pitch.

Dani Ceballos hardly got a look-in under Zidane last season. The 2018/2019 season is expected to be markedly different as the 22-year-old will be confident about getting enough time to show what he can do.

Real's Midfield is as good as ever

Isco is condemned to step up this season

Isco and Marco Asensio are perhaps the great unknowns. Undoubtedly talented, these two Spanish internationals have not shown the quality required on a consistent basis. This is expected to change under Lopetegui's reign as it is expected that they will get more responsibilities and game time under their former national team coach.

The attack is where the problem lies

How to fill the Ronaldo-shaped crater in the attack will be Lopetegui's biggest headache. Gareth Bale has craved being a central figure and enjoying the privileges Ronaldo had.

If he can stay fit (a big IF), the Welshman definitely has the ability to do a good job of replacing the Portuguese legend. Karim Benzema has not had a 20+ goal season in a long while. Backup striker Borja Mayoral is clearly not good enough to lead the line for a club like Real Madrid.

Bale looks set to become Real's go-to guy in the absence of CR7

Vinicius is still learning the ropes and may go on loan before the market closes. However, if a top goalscorer isn't brought in, the 18-year-old may be kept on to provide youthful attacking impetus alongside the wing play of Lucas Vasquez.

It's clear that supremo Florentino Perez will have to enter the market and get extra attacking options for the team but with just 14 days left in the window, it is not going to be straightforward.

Lopetegui's tactical tweaks and what to expect

Despite the loss in the Super Cup game, the tactical tweaks that Lopetegui intends to add to this team are already evident. Against Atletico, Isco played closer to Benzema that he normally was doing under Zidane (similar to what he played for Spain at Russia 2018 World Cup)..

Lopetegui has a tough task on his hands to reshape the team

The 26-year-old Spaniard constantly switched positions with Asensio which unnerved the Atleti midfield of Rodri and Koke until Saul Niguez had to drop into midfield to help out.

It is expected that the passing will be fatter and crispier under the new manager as the team switches to a more possession-based style compared to the rapid counter-attacking system that was favoured by Zidane

It is expected to be a season of gradual evolution rather than a revolution. In the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid has at time had the devil's luck during the run to their unprecedented 3-peat victory but a fourth title in four seasons currently looks unlikely.

Prediction (LaLiga): 2nd

Prediction (Uefa Champions League): Semi-finals