La Liga 2017/18 Preview

Spanish national football is in decline, and the “Fury” does not hold any titles, but the club champion of Europe is again from La Liga, so it can be said that this league is still one of the two most powerful in the world. 20 teams will fight for their goals this season and of course not all the forces are equal, so we will organize them into groups of those will fight for survival, teams that want to avoid this fight and are secretly hoping that they can enter the European scene, and those that want to become the champions and win the title, or at least qualify for Europa League. Last season there were three new teams in this elite rank, and they have proved to be very good and two have even managed to survive, while one was eliminated. This season we will classify all three teams that came from Segunda again among the teams that will fight for survival, plus two mentioned teams that last season survived after entering in La Liga, and a team that is always somehow written off, but that is not giving up. A group of mid-table teams will be logically the most numerous, and that middle of the table is somehow a broad term and there will certainly be those that will surprise us positively, but also those that will fail completely and even get eliminated from the league. When it comes to title candidates, only two teams are big favourites, while others are hoping for a surprise, but are actually fighting for placement in the Champions League and Europa League remains as a comforting prize.

Relegation

FC Girona

Girona has never in their history played in the elite rank of Spanish football and then they last season finally managed to win this promotion. They were mostly at the top of Segunda in previous seasons, fighting for placement in La Liga, but that would be their stop and then they would have to do everything over again. Last season they finally succeeded, but this time they did not play in the additional playoffs, but they won second place and made their way to the elite rank. There were some minor problems at the beginning, but then they improved their from, got to second place and spent practically three quarters of the championship there with great performances at home. Their coach Pablo Machin is leading this team for more than three years and it has certainly paid to trust this expert, and as a prize, came this placement in La Liga, where they will of course have a very difficult job.

It is inevitable that team needs to be reinforced after entering La Liga, and Girona also brought some very interesting players, and it should be said that this club has cooperation with English Manchester City, so they have brought majority of player on loans from this team. The biggest reinforcement is striker Christian Stuani, who came from Middlesbrough and will surely be their main hope in the new season, and in that part of the team are also two new names, Moreno and Boulay. Maffeo and Garcia from Man. City will be in midfield, and we should also mention the left-back Planas from Celta, striker Espinosa from Middlesbrough, and the experienced goalkeeper Iraizoz from Athletic, who will probably be just a good reserve. Some players have decided to leave Girona despite placement at a higher rank, mostly because their loans have expired. We will mention the departure of Herrera, Mass, Mojica, Cifua, Sanchon and Long.

Probable starting lineups: Bono – Aday, Espinosa, Ramalho, Planas – Pons, A. Garcia – Portu, B. Garcia, Granell – Stuani

Forecast for the new season: Almost nothing in on the side of Girona when it comes to survival in the elite rank, because the competition is strong, and Girona is still the weakest team. They do not have the experience of playing in La Liga and it will definitely be very difficult for them to stay in the elite rank. And if they succeed, they will surely be in a great fight for survival.

Relegation (bottom 3): 2.25 at Unibet

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Getafe

After only one season spent in the lower rank of this competition, Getafe has returned to elite rank and now they want to make sure that does not happen again. For years this team was stable in the middle of the table, but there were also seasons in which their status was endangered, and the worst happened to them in the end. They returned to La Liga in the most difficult way because they were third in Segunda and they had to play additional playoffs. They had to skip two more obstacles, Huesca and Tenerife, and with certain problems they succeeded. It should also be said that they were really great on their field when they were defeated only once during the whole season and they were led by two coaches because after a bad start Esnaider was quickly replaced by Pepe Bordalas, who after the promotion to a higher rank remained on the bench.

Reinforcements were necessary and Getafe has renewed the team, with the greatest attention being focused on contract bidding for players who last season played for the team from Madrid and were the carriers of the game, like Pacheco, Portillo, Jimenez and Chuli, while they also bought some players like midfielders Bergaras from Real Sociedad, Fajr from Deportivo, left-back Antunes, right-back Djena, and center-back Bruno Gonzalez from Betis. There are also some other new names, which will hardly get immediately the place in the starting lineup, so they brought two goalkeepers, and it is known that Guaita is the first choice. When it comes to departures, we will mention Pena, Scepovic, Buendia and Faurlin, and they are definitely stronger, but the league is also much stronger and more demanding.

Probable starting lineups: Guaita – D. Suarez, Bruno, Gorosito, Antunes – Bergara, Lacen – Pacheco, Portillo, Fajr – J. Molina

Forecast for the new season: They have brought some interesting names and have the right to hope they will not get eliminated again, but it is certainly realistic to expect that Getafe will be in the lower part and lead a big fight. They may succeed in their intentions, even though they are objectively one of the candidates for relegation.

Relegation (bottom 3): 1.91 at bet365

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Levante

After only one season in Segunda, Levante returns to elite rank in great style, and it can be said that they practically walked through Segunda because they were from the fourth round on the leading position that they did not lose till the end. They had several long series without defeat and finally they could be maximally relaxed when they secured the promotion. Interestingly, even when they were eliminated, they were nailed to the bottom of the table and written off long before the end of the championship. At the beginning of last season, Juan Muniz sat down on the coaching bench and he took the team to La Liga, and now he will try to prove himself among the elite, with additional reinforcements when it comes to composition, so the team from Valencia hopes they can be competitive and continue in their positive rhythm from Segunda.

They have released some players who have been on loans, such as midfielder Camaras and striker Deyverson, while the loans expired for midfielder Montanes, but they bought goalkeeper Olazabal, who should have returned to Granada after expiration. Antonio Luna is the new left-back and he arrived from Eibar, Doukoure from Metz is reinforcing defensive midfield, Bardhy is the new name in attack and there is also striker Alegria from Betis, but he came on a loan. They have not brought a lot of reinforcements, because they obviously believe in their proven forces that were really dominant in Segunda last season.

Probably starting lineups: R. Fernandez – I. Lopez, Pier, Chema, Luna – Campana, Doukoure – Jason, Morales, Verza – Alegria

Forecast for the new season: The fact that they were dominant in Segunda and that they easily won the first place does not have to mean almost anything. Now it will be a completely different story and they have to get used to a lot more defeats that will certainly happen and we believe that Levante will be in trouble when it comes to survival, especially since they have not actually reinforced the team much and with this team, they are certainly a candidate for the bottom of the table.

Relegation (bottom 3): 2.63 at bet365

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Alaves

The team of Alaves was last season’s returnee in the elite rank and they were expected to have big problems with survival in La Liga, but they did not just survive, but they were safe through the entire championship and placed somewhere around the middle of the table. The special story was the King’s Cup, where they were a real sensation and they even reached the finals, where Barcelona was still too strong. But all in all, it was a great season and a good boost for a new one, I which they will despite all that still have to enter a big fight. Of course, good games last season have attracted to some of the best players, who became the targets of other clubs, so they lost them, while they also did not retain their coach who was the creator of this Alaves.

Mauricio Pellegrino left and it can be said that this is probably the biggest loss, but unfortunately it is not the only one. Center-back Feddal moved to Betis, midfielder Mendez went to Mexico, and right-back Femenia to Watford. They lost some players who were on loans, like Theo Hernandez, midfielder of M. Llorente and striker Deyverson, as well as Camara and Toquero. Big losses for which they tried to find adequate replacements, but it was not that easy and the players who arrived need to prove themselves. They bought center-back Ely from Milan, as well as striker Sobrino from Man. City, while they brought R. Duarte to the left back, Burguio, Pedraz and Wakaso in midfield. They also have a new coach, a young 36-year-old Luis Zubeldia.

Probable starting lineups: Pacheco – Vigaray, Laguardia, Ely, R. Duarte – D. Torres, M. Garcia – Ibai Gomez, Romero, Wakaso – Sobrino

Forecast for the new season: After a brilliant past season, Alaves could face new problems because they lost some very important players as well as their coach, which makes them very vulnerable, while the competition is very strong. They probably do not even think that they can repeat the Cup finals and they will focus all forces on the championship, but we anticipate that they will be among the teams that will fight for survival.

Relegation (bottom 3): 3.75 at bet365

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Leganes

As soon as they ensured survival in their first season in elite rank, it is clear that they can be satisfied in Leganes. They had a solid start and then they dropped to positions just above those leading to a lower rank where they actually spent most of the championship, which in itself shows under how big pressure they were till the very end. It is interesting to note that they have never fallen to any of these last three positions, thanks to a series without defeat in the finish. We should mention a very long series of 11 games without a win, which luckily did not cost them much. Coach Garitano has survived on the bench and is now entering the fifth year of his mandate and again with the same goal – survival, but his team is not the same.

The problem with Leganes is that they had a large number of players on loans that expired, but they have retained some players, like the Greek center-back Siovas. Other reinforcements are Tito from Granada on the right-back, Santos from Eibar on the center-back, and Cuellar from Sporting on the goal. Definitely reinforcements are the right-back Zaldua from Real Sociedad and Eraso from Athletic Bilbao. From departure we will mention goalkeeper Herrerina, center-back Insua, midfielders Lopez and Garcia, and striker Bueno. They have kept most of their game holders and they see their chance there, though they do not have the quality to be carefree.

Probable starting lineups: Servantes – Tito, dos Santos, Siovas, Rico – R. Perez, Timor – El Zhar, Gabriel, Szymanowski – Guerrero

Forecast for the new season: It is quite certain that a new struggle for survival is waiting for them, regardless of the players who arrived this summer in Leganes. Something has been lost, and it is known that the past season was very turbulent with lots of ups and downs, so we now expect them in the bottom of the table and among the serious candidates for relegation.

Relegation (bottom 3): 2.38 at bet365

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Eibar

In the previous three seasons, Eibar played in the elite rank and they were each time among the most serious candidates for relegation, but this team managed to survive, while they even played very good in the last championship from start to finish and ended up right in the middle of the table. This tenth place is their best placement in La Liga, and they can be particularly happy that there were no oscillations. Their coach in the previous two seasons was Luis Mendilibar, and considering the results he has achieved with this team, it is clear that he is still on the coaching bench. There were some changes in the team because they could not resist offers for some footballers, but they also brought some reinforcements.

Striker Lejeune went to Newcastle and it was the biggest loss, but they earned the most on him, and brought Paulo Oliveira from Lisbon’s Sporting and he could be a solid replacement. They also lost left-back Antonio Luna and they also found a replacement in Portugal, while Jose Angel arrived from Porto. We should also mention the purchase of the contract for goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez, as well as the engagement of striker Charles from Malaga and the Jordans from Espanyol. So, all in all they are about the same strength as last season.

Probable starting lineups: Y. Rodriguez – Capa, Galvez, Oliveira, Jose Angel – Escalante, Dani Garcia, Pedro Leon, Inui – S. Enrich, Kike

Forecast for the new season: In the fourth season in La Liga, Eibar hopes that they can be good enough to avoid the struggle for survival, but we think that it will not be easy and that they might now really be in the bottom of the table, which is why we have classified them into a group of vulnerable teams.

Relegation (bottom 3): 9.00 at Unibet

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Mid-table

Malaga

Malaga had a bad season and they spent the entire championship in the lower part of the table, but they had a long series of nine matches without a win. Because of that, they decided to change their coach Juande Ramos who started the season on the bench, and early in March this year they brought Michel who had improved their game a little bit, so there was no fear for survival, which is why they decided to start the new championship with him on the coaching bench, and they are now expecting even more, especially away, where they only had two victories last season. They played the best at the end of the season and can only hope they will continue in the same rhythm, even though they lost some very important players.

They sold defensive midfielder Camach to Wolfsburg, while midfielder Fornals went to Villarreal and striker Sandro Ramirez to Everton. They have made a lot of money on them, but they are not the only ones to leave because both of their goalkeepers, the experienced Kameni and Ochoa, the experienced striker Charles, midfielder Horta, and some other players who were only on loans, have all left this team during the summer. Of course, they had to look for reinforcements in more positions, and Roberto and Cenk Gonen are now the goalkeepers, and new center-backs are Baysse from Nice and D. Gonzalez from Sevilla’s second team. The new right-back is Cifuentes, while A. Gonzalez from Eibar and Argentinian Cecchini were brought in midfield. Probably the biggest boosts are in attack, and those are Borja Baston from Swansea, Penarand from Watford and both are on loans.

Probable starting lineups: Roberto – Rosales, Baysse, L. Hernandez, Juankar – Recio, Cecchini, A. Gonzalez, Keko – Penaranda, B. Baston

Forecast for the new season: They have lost a lot and considering that they have struggled for most of the championship last season, it is hard to say that they can do much better now. We have placed them in a group of mid-table teams, but it will not be surprising if they end up much closer to relegation zone than European positions.

Relegation (bottom 3): 17.00 at bet365

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Finish in the Top 6: 6.00 at Unibet

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Deportivo

The best years for the team of Deportivo are in the past and lately this team is struggling to survive. They were not so long ago eliminated twice from the elite rank, and after their last return, they played three very similar seasons, in which they were placed immediately above the danger zone. They had been terrified till the very end and most of the championships were on the 16th place where they ended up, but they have never fallen in the relegation zone. At the end of February, they replaced their coach Garitan after a series of eight matches without a victory, so Pepe Mel took over the team, who helped them survive, although their game was not unforgettable, especially at home, where they only triumphed once. It is logical that because of all the stresses from previous seasons, they now hope that they can at least be better with a lot of changes in the team.

It cannot be said that they lost their quality because Insu has left the last line and the right-back Laura and goalkeeper Lux, striker Riera and midfielder Fajr have left as well. A minor problem is that some players have been on loans so they also left the team, like John, Joselu, Moreno and Kakuta. They bought midfielder Guilherme from Udinese and covered the positions they lost, so their new striker is Schar from Hoffenheim, Valentin from Gimnastic will be on the right back, Bakkali arrived in midfield, and there are some other players who will play as loans, like the young midfielder Valverde from Real.

Probably the starting lineup: Tyton – Juanfran, Sidnei, Albentosa, Luisinho – Guilherme, Borges – Mosquera, Colak, Bakkali – Andone

Forecast for the new season: They made changes in the composition, but we do not believe they will manage to make some bigger steps. We do not expect them to fall out from the league or be among the strongest, but it will certainly be difficult to reach the top of the table, so it is realistic to expect them somewhere between the middle of the table and the relegation zone.

Relegation (bottom 3): 3.50 at bet365

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Finish in the Top 6: 12.00 at Unibet

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Las Palmas

Las Palmas was last season the only refreshment in Spanish football, but not because they won a very good placement but because this team played an admirable offensive football without too many calculations and they got many sympathizers for that. However, playing like that on the side has not brought them almost anything, and they have made only one triumph and only three draws. They were much better at the very beginning of the championship, and as the championship progressed, they were weaker and finally took only 14th place with seven wins without a win at the very end. They brought some well-known footballers in their ranks, and that is another reason they were above the average and attracted attention to themselves. At the end, all this was not enough to keep coach Quique Setien on the bench, so they will enter the new season with a new coach and some changes in the team.

They sold midfielder Mesa to Swansea and earned some money on him, striker Livaja went to AEK, the experienced goalkeeper J.Varas went to Granada, and apparently they were not satisfied with striker Jeseo, who was brought as a big star and reinforcement. They clearly needed strikers and they have solved this by bringing Argentinian Calleri, while Araujo and Ortuno returned from loans. They also brought Toledo from Uruguay’s team Maldonado, and the biggest boost is Vitolo, who was brought as a loan from Atletico because they are not eligible to buy players, so he will play for Las Palmas by the end of this year. It should also be said that they brought goalkeeper Chichizolu and right-back Navarro. Their new coach is Manolo Marquez.

Probable starting lineups: Lizoain – Michel, Lemos, Bigas, Castellano – V. Gomez, Halilovic – Boateng, Vitolo, Viera – Calleri

Forecast for the new season: It can be said that they have a pretty good team and the only question how it will all look on the field and with the new coach. They should not definitely have a problem falling into the bottom of the table and fearing for survival, but we see them firmly in the middle of the table, perhaps even with a small pass.

Relegation (bottom 3): 4.00 at bet365

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Finish in the Top 6: 12.00 at Unibet

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Betis Sevilla

Betis had a very modest season and they have spent the entire championship in the lower part of the table, although it cannot be said they have been endangered when survival is in question. They did not even expect a struggle for survival, but perhaps a breakthrough to the top of the table, but there was nothing of that sort and that is why they now decided on many changes. They replaced coach Poyet with V. Sanchez during the season, who has not shown much and fit into Betis and what they did before his arrival. The fact that they brought Quique Setien on the coaching bench clearly demonstrates that they want to make a turn because it is known that this expert led Las Palmas last season.

They sold their young star Ceballos to Real Madrid, because they could not have refused this offer, and they also lost right-back Piccini, midfielder Petro and center-back Bruno, midfielder Ruben Pardo and the great but elderly striker Ruben Castro. That is why the reinforcements are very interesting and they did not save any money earned from selling Ceballos. The new midfielder is Camaras from Levante, they have also brought Feddal from Alaves and Amat from Swansea, a new right-back Barragan, they bought Guardado from PSG, Sergio Leon from Osasuna, while the biggest boost is Tello, which they have brought from Barcelona. Because of all this, Betis is now a very interesting team and many eyes will be fixed on them this season.

Probable starting lineups: Adan – Barragan, Pezzella, Mandi, Durmisi – Guardado, Brasanac – Tello, Camarasa – Sanabria, Sergio Leon

Forecast for the new season: It is quite clear that we will watch a completely new Betis this season and that they should be better and stronger than they were. Reinforcements that they have brought are really promising as well as their coach and they now belong to teams from the middle of the table, but it can easily happen that they engage in a fight for Europa League.

Relegation (bottom 3): 7.00 at betway

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Finish in the Top 6: 7.00 at Unibet

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Celta Vigo

If we look at past season through all competitions that Celta played, then they can certainly be satisfied with the overall impression, because they reached the semi-finals in Europa League and Copa del Rey, but they still regret that they have not surpassed Alaves in the Cup and played the finals. Manchester United was still too big a bite in Europa League, although they were very close to a surprise. The championship is the worst part of the season, although it should be borne in mind that they deliberately neglected La Liga in some periods, due to their success in two mentioned competitions, and they have paid for that with only 13th place, which is why they this season do not have European obligations. They have not changed the composition too much, but they did change their coach Berizza, who really pulled out a maximum from this team.

Now Juan Carlos Unzue is sitting in his seat and he will have a difficult task to continue where his predecessor has stopped, which is certainly a tough task, and it can be said that he will have a very similar team. They have in the middle of last season lost Orellana to Valencia and he is now a definite member of that club, midfielder Bongon has returned to Trabzonspor, while striker Rossi’s loan has expired, with the departure of left-back Planas. They bought Jozabad from Fulham, Lobotka from Nordsjaeland and striker Maxi Gomez from Defensor.

Probable starting lienups: S. Alvarez – Hugo Mallo, Cabral, Fontas, Jonny Castro – Radoja, Wass – Sisto, P. Hernandez, Iago Aspas – Guidetti

Forecast for the new season: They have lost a few names and their coach, which could be a big handicap. They have brought some new names, but it seems that none of the newcomers will be in the starting lineup, and they are entering the new championship with their proven forces. They do not have European obligations and it will be easier, so we expect them very close to fight for the weaker European positions.

Relegation (bottom 3): 19.00 at Unibet

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Finish in the Top 6: 5.00 at Unibet

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Espanyol

Last season should have been very good for Espanyol, because they refreshed the team and were stronger than in the previous seasons, when they were mostly in the middle of the table and were the notion of stability in elite ran. However, they have not managed to do much more in this past championship and there were some great times, but also some falls, so they finally won the eighth place, which has not brought them entry on the European scene and they were disappointed with such an outcome. They did not change their coach, and Quique Flores will have a second chance to finally do something more with Espanyol and take them to Europe.

This time, the leaders of the club did not exaggerate with reinforcements, probably happy with what they have, with the proviso that coach’s obligation is to improve the game and make better use of a team that is solid. Some senior players, such as J Reyes and Sevilla, have left the team, while the loans expired for center-back D. Reyes from Porto, while they also lost side players V. Alvarez, R. Duarte and striker F. Caicedo, which is probably the biggest loss. They did not buy a new striker, but they bought a contract for offensive player Piatti from Valencia which is a great move, as this player was the best in the past season. Montanes also returned from the loan, and they brought Graner from Real Sociedad who should strengthen the midfield.

Probable starting lineups: P. Lopez – J. Lopez, O. Duarte, D. Lopez, Caricol – J. Fuego, V. Sanchez – H. Perez, Granero, Piatti – G. Moreno

Forecast for the new season: As if the middle of the table is simply foreseen for Espanyol and this team is the most constant when it comes to placements. Even bringing a lot of reinforcements last season did not help them much and they hope they are now more prepared, because they have not changed their team much. It is difficult to say whether they can get to a better placement, but the middle of the table is the most realistic.

Relegation (bottom 3): 21.00 at betway

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Finish in the Top 6: 5.00 at Unibet

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Real Sociedad

After a couple of weaker seasons, Real Sociedad managed to make a step forward, and this team eventually won the sixth place, which brought them back on the European scene, more precisely Europa League. They had a somewhat weaker start, but then they have improved their form and were constantly in European positions, between the fifth and seventh place, where they eventually ended up. It is possible to say that this is an objective placement for the team of this strength, especially because they did not spend it in European matches, and they also made a nice placement in the Cup quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Barcelona. Their coach last season was also Eusebio, and this expert started a new season on this bench, probably with the desire to repeat the result, for which they little refreshed the team.

There were not too many changes and some great trades or big losses, while they earned the most money on the departure of left-back Yuri Berciche, and they knowingly allowed the departure of the midfielders Graner and Bergare, which did not manage to impose themselves. They also lost the right-back Zaldua, center-back M. Gonzalez. They brought a good boost, and that is D. Llorente, who is the player of Real Madrid, Ruben Pardo returned from the loan and he will replace Graner, while the most intense reinforcement is Januzaj from Man. United, but he will have to fight for his place in the team, since Real Sociedad is the strongest in the attack. Agirretxe has also recovered in that part, who was absent last season, so it can be said that his return is a kind of boost.

Probable starting lineups: Rulli – Odriozola, I. Martinez, D. Llorente, de la Bella – Zurutuza, Illarramendi, Xabi Prieto – Vela, Willian Jose, Oyarzabal

Forecast for the new season: Perhaps they are a bit stronger, but not so much to expect some miracle from a team from San Sebastian. They would probably be happy to repeat the result from the past championship, with the proviso that they now also have European commitments which will take their strength away, so we cannot really say that they can be sixth, but certainly somewhere close.

Relegation (bottom 3): 81.00 at betway

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Finish in the Top 6: 2.50 at Unibet

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Athletic Bilbao

The old good “Pride of Basque” is again in its recognizable edition, which means without aliens and only Basques, which always makes work difficult. Last season they took a modest seventh place, although it must be said that they did not oscillate and were placed between the eighth and fifth position through the entire championship and eventually they got their hand on Europa League qualifiers, which would not be the case if Alaves managed to win the Cup. It is not exactly what they expected, but we know how limited this team is, which is why they were eliminated from Europa League by APOEL from Cyprus, which should not have happened. They are entering the new season without coach Valverde, and his replacement Cuco Ziganda will try to continue where his predecessor left of.

For Athletic to be considerably strengthened, some great player must appear in Basque so that Athletic can bring him in the team, or some big money in order to take away a good player from their biggest rival Real Sociedad. This way they are condemned to lending their players in the hope of them returning better. Therefore, there are no reinforcements, there is not a single name that has significantly refreshed the ranks of Athletic, but there are departures of players who may not have been in the starting lineup, but they were good reserves, like the experienced goalkeeper Iraizoz, and midfielder Eraso, while center-back G. Elustondo has also left the team. All things considered, they are even weaker than last season.

Probable starting lineups: Arrizabalaga – de Marcos, Etxeita, Laporte, Balenziaga – Benat, San Jose – Williams, Raul Garcia, Muniain – Aduriz

Forecast for the new season: Maybe now they would even be satisfied with the seventh place, because the team looks pretty good only in this starting lineup, with a couple of solid replacements, primarily in midfield. The problem is the bench and if there are injuries, there are big problems, so we see Athletic even below European positions.

Relegation (bottom 3): 81.00 at betway

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Finish in the Top 6: 2.00 at Unibet

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Top 6 and Title

Real Madrid

Real has last season practically done everything that was planned. True, they remained without a title at King’s Cup, but this is the least-rated competition, while the most important trophies ended up in the “Royal Club’s” showcases. They have again won the Champions League for the third time in the last four years and for the second consecutive time, but it seems to them that they like the most the title of Spain’s champions since they have been waiting for this title for five years and now have been able to break the dominance of Barcelona’s biggest rival. They were not the leaders only four rounds in the complete championship, so it must be said that winning the title is quite deserved. They had one game less than Barcelona for a long time and it has created pressure, so it seemed as if they do not have the advantage, but they endured till the last round. Coach Zinedine Zidane will take them to the new season, with minimal changes now and without any bombastic boosts, with the proviso that this will probably change till the end of the transitional period.

So, there were no big boost in Madrid by the time we were writing this text, which does not mean that it will not be the case soon since they need a top striker, and the first target is Mbappe from Monaco. They need a striker soon because they have sold Alvaro Morata to Chelsea, while James Rodriguez went to Bayern. They sold the right-back Danilo, borrowed the left-back Coentrao, and the contract ended for center-back Pepe. Valley has returned from his loan to Frankfurt, and he was replaced by Pepe, while T. Hernandez was hired to the left-back, as a good substitute for Coentrao. They also bought a talented young midfielder Dani Ceballos from Betis, though he might not immediately get a place in the starting lineup. We are still waiting for a great striker to come to Madrid this season.

Probable starting lineups: Navas – Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo – Casemiro, T. Kroos, Modric – Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale

Forecast for the new season: Nothing has really changed in the composition of Real and they will probably be further strengthened, but regardless of that, it is known that the only true success for them is winning the title of the champion and it is also clear that their only real rival will probably be Barcelona. This time they have only switched places and Real is in the role of the defender of the title, which is psychologically a bit harder.

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FC Barcelona

When Barcelona only wins the King’s Cup in a single season, it is practically as if they have not won anything and that season is considered catastrophic. True, the trophy slightly softened that rating, but they handed over the championship title to a fierce rival, while they were eliminated relatively early from the Champions League. The team with the best offensive trio in the world just had to do much better, but it did not, so there were changes both on the coaching bench as well as in the team. They should not have played so poorly in duels with so-called small clubs, and get eliminated from the Champions League by Juventus, with no goals scored in two duels, while their best moment was in that unrealistic match with PSG, when the result was 6-1.

Coach Luis Enrique is no longer a coach of this team, because this Catalan giant has not won the championship title either in Spain or in Europe. Ernesto Valverde from Athletic Bilbao is a new solution on the bench and he is expected to bring some innovative solutions, although many will say that anyone can be Barcelona’s coach with Messi and other stars in the team. They sold a big star Neymar for the unbelievable 222 million. Huge money, which of course opens great opportunities and there will surely be some reinforcements, but there were not any yet. Semedo was brought from Benfica to cover the troubled right-back, they also bought center-back Marlon from Fluminense, and returned some players from loans, while Mathieu’s departure is the only one worth mentioning. It is certain that there will be at least a few major boosts.

Probable starting lineups: Ter Stegen – Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Jordi Alba – Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta – Messi, L. Suarez, P. Alcacer

Forecast for the new season: One thing is for sure and that is that they do not want to repeat last season, even if that means they will not win the Cup again. Barcelona wants the title of Spain’s champions and that is the only thing that would satisfy them, so they are hoping that they can with new coach and refreshments in the team respond to Real for the past season, regardless of Neymar’s departure.

League Winner: 2.20 at Interwetten

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Atletico Madrid

For the third season in a row, Atletico has ended their competition in La Liga in third place and that is exactly what was expected of this team and it can be said they have met their goal. Of course, they were hoping before the start of each championship they can endanger the big duo and invoke what happened four years ago when they became the champions, but despite the many boosts last season, they still could not parry them. On the contrary, they played even below expectations for the most part of the season and just before the end of the championship and only at the end they started playing much better so they took the third position. Barcelona was stopped in the Cup, and in the Champions League they lost again to their city rival Real, and it turned out that all paths were shut down by Spanish team. A creator of this Atletico, Diego Simeone, is still on the coaching bench, and there will not be any significant changes in the team till further notice.

The reason is that Atletico is under penalty and they have no right to boost until the end of this calendar year. This means that only players who have been on loans can now return to team, like striker Vietta from Sevilla and left-back Siqueir from Valencia. They have already arranged the arrival of the offensive midfielder Vitolo from Sevilla, but he will by the end of the first part of the season play in Las Palmas. They were not able to buy, but they could sell players and O. Torres was sold to Porto, who was there last season. They sold T. Hernandez to their angry city rival Real after he was on loan in Alaves. They lost Kranevitter, Borre, Cerci, Manquillo, and Tiago who ended their careers. It is a bit awkward situation, but they have a very good team and they should not have much to worry about.

Probable starting lineups: Oblak – Juanfran, Godin, Savic, Filipe Luis – Gabi, Saul Niguez, Koke, Carrasco – Griezman, Gameiro

Forecast for the new season: They should not repeat last season’s start, because they are now prepared better and they do not have any new names, so it is more realistic to continue with good performances from the end of last season, but the big question again is whether they can keep up the same rhythm to get involved in the title fight. It is more realistic to defend the third place from Sevilla, which is a serious competitor.

Finish in the Top 6: 1.02 at Unibet

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Finish in the Top 4: 1.10 at bet365

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League Winner: 34.00 at William Hill

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FC Sevilla

It is difficult to say whether Sevilla can be satisfied with last season, as this team has become accustomed their fans to trophies in Europa League, which they did not win this time. They could not, since they played the Champions League and after they passed the group stage, they were eliminated by Leicester in the round of sixteen, which they certainly did not expect. They have met with Real Madrid in the round of sixteen in the Cup, and they were eliminated, while they were good for the most part of the competition and they even threatened the leading duo for some time, but they dropped the third place in the finish and ended up fourth. It must not be forgotten that they at the beginning of the season played both European and Spanish Super Cups and they were left without both trophies, after defeats by Real and Barcelona. They are welcoming this new season with a new team and with a new coach on the bench.

They engaged Eduard Berizza from Celta and they hope he can do a good job as he did with a much weaker team from Vigo. They also had a lot of expectations from Sampaoli before the start of last season, but they were not happy at the end, so they were rightfully cautious, and the question is how they will arrange all the changes in the team. Somehow, they have just brought players of the same calibre as they lost and it looks like this. Instead of Mariano on the right -back they now have Corchia from Lille, instead of Rami, Kjaer from Fenerbahce, instead of Iborre, Banega from Inter, and on side positions they have returnees J. Navas and Nolito instead of Nasri and Vietta, and there is also Pizarro, and striker Muriel, who will replace Jovetic, returnee to Inter.

Probable starting lineups: S. Rico – Corchia, Kjaer, Lenglet, Escudero – N’Zonzi, Banega – J. Navas, Nolito, Vazquez – Muriel

Forecast for the new season: Despite many changes, it can be said that they are equal in strength, so it is logical to expect a similar season at least when it comes to championship, which means that they would be fighting for third place with Atletico in the end. If they make a breakthrough then it will be really for every praise.

Finish in the Top 6: 1.45 at Unibet

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Finish in the Top 4: 2.38 at bet365

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League Winner: 151.00 at bet365

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Villarreal

We would say that Villarreal expectedly took the fifth place and won placement in Europa League, which is much more objective than the Champions League they wished. Not that “Yellow Submarine” is not a quality team, but there are four better ones, and this team had to provide more than their capabilities to make that step. Last season, they have started their European performance in the Champions League, but they were eliminated by Monaco in the playoffs, and then they played Europa league, where they were stopped in the sixteenth finals. They did not have the biggest drops in the championship and they were always somewhere between the seventh and fourth place, while we must not forget that they suddenly lost their coach Marcel before the beginning of last season and Fran Escriba has only taken over this team in August, while he is now preparing to lead this team from the start of this season.

So far there have been no major changes in the team, but it is possible that this will change because they are hoping to bring Barcelona’s midfielder, R. Soriano. The biggest loss is the departure of striker Musacchia who went to Milan, but they have earned a lot on him, while midfielder J. dos Santos is also no longer a part of this team. Loans have expired for strikers Borre and A. Lopez, but they are good enough in these positions, while young Enes Unal from Man. City also arrived. Center-back position was reinforced by Semedo from Sporting, while Fornals from Malaga came in midfield. We should also mention that defensive midfielder N’Diaye returned from his loan. If there are no new arrivals, they are not much weaker than last season.

Probable starting lineups: Asenjo – Mario, V. Ruiz, Semedo, J. Costa – B. Soriano, Trigueros, Castillejo, R. Soriano – Bakambu, N. Sansone

Forecast for the new season: They are again hoping that they can win fourth place and the Champions League, but it is again certain that at least four teams are better and that it is much more realistic to be fifth or sixth and win a new placement in Europa League in which they want to leave a deeper trace this season.

Finish in the Top 6: 2.25 at Unibet

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Finish in the Top 4: 6.00 at bet365

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League Winner: 501.00 at BetVictor

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Valencia

Valencia has had the worst season in the near history, but it should be said that this was in fact a second bad season in a row for them and that is what might be more worrying. One bad season might somehow be justified as a jumble of unhappy circumstances, however, two are a sign that a lot of it was not things were not working properly. As for the past, they were somehow at the end of the transitional period lost many important players and then they brought the reserves that were quality players on paper, however, it was not like that, and only in the second part of the season they looked a little better. Of course, they changed coaches in such a bad season, which eventually ended with assistant coach Voro on the bench. They have never been above the 12th place during the championship and they were even the last and therefore you might wonder why we have decided to place Valencia among the teams that are expecting entry on the European stage. The reason is that it is too much for such a team to fail for the third time in a row, and there are some changes in the team, as well as in the coaching position.

They will be taken to the new championship by Marcelino, a coach who has a lot of experience when it comes to La Liga, because he led Villarreal. They lost two goalkeepers, Ryan and Diego Alves, so they brought Neto from Juventus, who should now be the first keeper of the net. Striker Negredo has left the team, as well as midfielder E.Perez, while the loan expired for center-back Mangala and he returned to Man.City. Loans have also expired for Munir and M. Suarez, and that is why they also boosted these positions. They bought striker Zaza from Juventus, Orellano from Celta, while Ibanez returned from the loan. Maksimovic arrived from Astana, while Ruben Vezo returned to center-back. Not that they are particularly stronger now, but there is material for optimism.

Probable starting lineups: Neto – Cancelo, Abdennour, Garay, Gaya – Parejo, Soler – Santi Mina, Nani, Rodrigo – Zaza

Forecast for the new season: It is difficult to expect that Valencia will shine now and get in the position that lead to Champions League, but we expect a lot more from them than last season because they do not have European obligations, they have a good coach and a better prepared team that was last season assembled hastily. That is why they could get to a placement that leads to Europa League.

Finish in the Top 6: 2.50 at Unibet

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Finish in the Top 4: 8.50 at betway

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League Winner: 501.00 at BetVictor

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