The 2018/19 La Liga campaign is almost here, leaving football fans in anticipation as they gear up to watch another season of football heaven. As usual, the Spanish division will produce interesting moments, with recent developments suggesting a lot of entertainment, excitement and fantastic memories. Catalan giants, FC Barcelona won the prestigious title convincingly last term and they will be looking forward to continuing with their domestic dominance this term. However, the competition will prove a bit different this season after witnessing a number of major changes recently.
Cristiano Ronaldo has left Real Madrid, Barcelona have signed a number of incredible superstars including Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal while Atletico Madrid look set to mount a title challenge – creating plenty of rooms for discussions ahead of the competition.
Below, we take a look at 4 interesting points that need to be discussed before the campaign begins this weekend:
#4. Post-Ronaldo era at Real Madrid
It was the end of an era in the Spanish Capital as Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo called time on his Real Madrid career. After spending 9 nine memorable years at the club, the attacker decided to try another challenge, leaving the Bernabeu stadium in favour of a move to Juventus last month.
There is no doubt Ronaldo’s departure marks the beginning of a new era in the Spanish Capital. How Real Madrid will cope with the absence of the Portuguese remains to be seen, however, the likes of Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, and Isco have all been tipped to reach similar level impacts this season.
#3. Atletico to challenge for the title
The 2018/2019 La Liga campaign could produce another intense 2-horse battle at the top of the table. While Barcelona remain the favourites to retain their prestigious crown this term, there is no doubt they will face stiff competition from Atletico Madrid.
The Rojiblancos eclipsed their city rivals, Real Madrid to challenge Barcelona for the title last term. Even though they finished second on the table, they ensured that the Catalans fought till the very end and they will be looking forward to another shot on the crown this season.
#2. Barcelona’s squad looks terrifying
The previous La Liga campaign produced a lot of interesting moments as Barcelona won their seventh title in 10 years. The Catalans had one of the best squads during the season, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti running riot on their way to clinching the prestigious prize.
To add to the amazing quality under their rank, La Blaugrana embarked on an incredible journey in the transfer window this summer, luring a number of fantastic superstars to the Nou Camp as well as welcoming some of their own players who went on loan spells last term.
#1. Who will challenge Lionel Messi?
The Spanish League was very fortunate to witness one of most interesting rivalries in football, with Argentine superstar, Lionel Messi and his Portuguese counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo setting the division ablaze with their unbelievable performances for 9 years. These superstars were totally unstoppable, racking up an unbelievable number of goals, shattering plenty of records and eclipsing each other’s achievements season after season.