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Rob Palmer / ESPN commentator
Malaga
Friday, 16 August 2024, 13:21
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Is there any point in making Spanish predictions when Real Madrid conquered Europe, ran away with La Liga's title, and only appear to have strengthened?
Probably not, but here we go.
Yes, Real are clear favourites. The long courtship of Kylian Mbappé brought the inevitable marriage and the honeymoon is about to begin. It looks daunting for the rest of the Primera División.
What hope can I offer? Maybe the other Bernabéu beauties will feel spurned. Can Vinícius Júnior share the spotlight with the new golden boy? Will Jude Bellingham have a little less stage to strut his stuff?
The other issue for Real is the injury to David Alaba. They don't expect his services until mid-winter after a setback in his recovery from knee surgery. They made light of it last season when Nacho covered diligently. Alas, Nacho took the offer to swell his pension by seeing out his days in Saudi Arabia. He'll be a big loss after 23 years at the club. It's like losing the caretaker - all of those awkward fixes were covered by him.
Eternal rivals Barcelona are being written off before the season starts. The club is a financial shambles and under new football management. Hansi Flick replaces Xavi who was at his wits' end.
Luckily for the German, his snag list is shorter than his predecessors. Somehow the club have managed to scrape together the 60 million euros to sign Dani Olmo. Spain international Alex Balde has recovered from the injury that unbalanced the defence and young star Gavi is expected to return very soon. Along with Pedri, Pau Cubarsí and Fermín López, they have the backbone of the next generation of the Spain national team.
The adversity of last season meant the premature promotion of several young players like Cubarsí and Fermín. The pre-season tour suggested there are more to follow. So, Barça fans, there is hope.
Last season, many predicted it could be Atlético Madrid's year. Yes, me too, if you scroll back to SUR twelve months ago. They frustratingly failed to deliver, prompting a reboot by Simeone. At that club you change the players, not the coach!
He's cast off the deadwood and made some elite signings: Euro winner Robin Le Normand, La Liga's second leading scorer last season Alexander Sorloth, and World Cup winner Julián Álvarez. All three are winners; all three are stepping up a personal standard with the move to Madrid. Maybe I was just a year out?
The one club nobody predicted reaching the Champions League was Girona. They exceeded all expectations to finish third. The downside is the defection of their key players to bigger clubs around Europe. They have replenished, but a top ten finish with a European adventure is more realistic this campaign.
The best challenge may come from the Basque region. Nico Williams was one of the standout players of the Euros and could have signed for virtually any club. He's sticking with the family club in Bilbao alongside his brother.
Martin Zubimendi's cases were half packed for John Lennon Airport, but the lure of sticking with his boyhood club was more tempting than a move to Liverpool FC. He's one of five Real Sociedad players who were part of the successful Spain squad in the summer.
"La Real" could be the team to offer an unexpected challenge to the usual suspects. They've not had a healthier squad since winning the league in the 80s.
So maybe, just maybe, the title isn't quite so predictable? Let the games begin.
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