La Liga isn’t the competition it used to be last year. With Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona and Sergio Ramos moving from Real Madrid, the Spanish championship lost its marketing value. We are not saying that the fans will stop watching these two sides, or the league in general, but the hype will be far lower.
Nevertheless, we believe that the championship will be much more exciting because these two clubs are no longer dominant like in the past several years. This is a perfect chance for Atletico to win back-to-back titles, or for Sevilla to take a step forward and amaze the world.
Contenders
Still, we need to say that despite all the written in the above paragraph, Barca and Real are the top two favorites to win the La Liga title. Real is slightly better because they added some players, and Ramos’ departure didn’t hurt them the way Messi’s demolished Blaugrana.
Los Blancos have pretty much the same core of players from two seasons ago when they won the title, plus David Alaba, who will be of massive help now. The Austrian is a versatile defender, and he can play pretty much any position in the back line. Real to win the title is 1.44 at BetXchange.
As for Barcelona, all eyes will be on Coutinho and Depay, who now lead the team. Messi is gone, and Aguero won’t start the campaign due to his injury, meaning that these two players have to step up. Barca has young Pedri, too, but we will talk about him a little bit later.
As for Atletico, their team is the same with a few additions. In our personal opinion, Diego Simeone’s side has the biggest chances to win the silverware because both Barca and Real seem too soft for Atletico’s robust lineup. Do know that Atletico’s title here is valued at 3.20 at BetXchange.
Sevilla is in the position to surprise everyone. Julen Lopetegui formed a team that plays for a long time, and we believe that with a certain dose of luck, they might be in a position to play an important role in the title battle.
Top Goalscorer
Without Messi, the race for the Golden Boot will be one of the most interesting in entire Europe. Several superstars are in the mix for becoming La Liga’s top goalscorer, among them three players standing above all others – Karim Benzema, Luis Suarez, and Memphis Depay, each from the top three title candidates. At the moment, Depay’s chances are slimmer than Benzema’s and Suarez’s per bookmakers, but the overall situation suggests that he might be the best possible pick for the award.
Barca won’t have too many options upfront, and he will be the closest to the goal, along with Antonie Griezmann. The Dutch came from Lyon this summer and isn’t very well scouted, which is a big plus for him.
Pedri – Barca’s Future
This young kid has become an essential piece of not only Barcelona’s game but also of the Spanish national team. All that with just 18 years. Now, he has to be a big talent.
Per all the experts and analysts, he is the future of Blaugrana and the entire Spanish football, meaning that in two or three years, the teenager might become the biggest name in La Liga.
Three El Clasico’s Already Scheduled
The first meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid is scheduled for October 24 at Camp Nou. Then comes the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia on January 12 and the second league El Clasico in Madrid on March 20.
After a long time, we won’t witness Messi and Ramos waging war against one another on the pitch, which makes us pretty sad.
More odds and offers for betting on La Liga are available at BetXchange.
