The Spanish first division cranks up this weekend, and that leads me to the safest prediction in world soccer:
Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid will win the title.
It’s not exactly a gamble to pick one of those teams, since one has to go all the way back to Valencia’s title run in 2003 to find the last La Liga season in which a team other than this year’s favorites didn’t claim the championship.
That doesn’t mean it won’t be fun, though. Let’s look around La Liga and get set for Week 1:
What’s new at Barca?
The reigning champions brought in some reinforcements, Samuel Umtiti and Lucas Digne, to bolster its back line while also adding Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes to the mix in midfield.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar still compose the most lethal strike force in the world, and the midfield will still pass foes into oblivion.
The only mystery is, with the squad advancing in age a bit, can they hold off what’s sure to be a spirited charge from Real Madrid?
The new Galácticos
For a change, Madrid didn’t go out and spend crazy money during the transfer window. That honor goes to Manchester United for its stunning capture of Paul Pogba. It takes some doing to “shock” Madrid when it comes to a player’s price.
Instead, Madrid bought back its former academy graduate, Alvaro Morata, from Juventus and will enter the season with largely the same cast of characters Zinedine Zidane had at his disposal last year.
And any cast featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale is one worth watching.
The outsiders
No team works harder than Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, and with some shrewd summer signings (Kevin Gameiro, Nico Gaitán and Sime Vrsaljko), the team has a little more depth to help them navigate both the domestic and European campaigns.
Antoine Griezmann backed up his strong club form with a solid showing at the Euros and looks ready to impress again this season.
Simeone is a vastly underrated manager that always has his teams ready to play, and he has to like his chances with this team.
The field
After the top three, things open up considerably. Malaga, under Juande Ramos, could surprise as could a Quique Sanchez Flores-led Espanyol side.
Valencia and Villarreal are in varying states of disarray right now, making any effort to predict their table finishes dicey at best. Sevilla, the eternal winners of the Europa League (three in a row), have had a bit of upheaval this summer as well.
Osasuna and Leganes are likely headed for a relegation battle, which could also feature Eibar, Sporting Gijon and a host of other teams.
There may not be much doubt about the top three, but spots four through 20 are as unpredictable as a fan could ask for.
Week 1
La Liga returns with a full slate this weekend:
Schedule (all times Eastern)
Friday
Malaga vs. Osasuna, 2:40 p.m.
Deportivo vs. Eibar, 4:40 p.m.
Saturday
Barcelona vs. Real Betis, noon, Bein Sports
Granada vs. Villarreal, 2:15 p.m.
Sevilla vs. Espanyol, 4:15 p.m.
Sunday
Sporting Gijon vs. Athletic Bilbao, 12:15 p.m.
Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid, 2:15 p.m., Bein Sports
Atletico Madrid vs. Alaves, 4:15 p.m., Bein Sports
Monday
Celta Vigo vs. Leganes, 2 p.m., Bein Sports
Valencia vs. Las Palmas, 4 p.m., Bein Sports
