Can Real Madrid topple La Liga champs Barcelona? Can Mbappe upstage Yamal?

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Barcelona’s domination of Real Madrid past play resulted successful Los Blancos bringing an extremity to Carlo Ancelotti’s 2nd tenure – adjacent though helium had delivered a league and European treble a twelvemonth previous.

Rumours rumbled for astir of the season, aft a low-key commencement astatine location and abroad, that erstwhile Real midfielder Xabi Alonso would beryllium making the power from Bayer Leverkusen to regenerate Ancelotti.

With their La Liga and UEFA Champions League defence over, the Madrid-based nine wasted small clip successful announcing Alonso, conveniently astatine a clip erstwhile Brazil cranked up their involvement successful Ancelotti.

All seemed good for a dignified departure for the Italian, nine football’s astir decorated manager, who present volition pb the grounds World Cup winners into adjacent year’s 2026 edition.

For the perfectly written publication to continue, however, Alonso volition request to marque a beardown commencement connected each fronts. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look astatine the caller La Liga season.

When does the La Liga play begin?

The archetypal lucifer of the caller Spanish run is connected Friday, August 15 and sees Girona, who finished lone a constituent supra the relegation portion past season, entertain a Rayo Vallecano broadside that claimed ninth spot successful La Liga past year.

Girona were the league’s astonishment package 2 seasons agone erstwhile they finished 3rd – lone 4 points down Barcelona.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Marc-Andre ter Stegen assistance the trophy aft winning LaLiga

When are Barcelona and Real Madrid’s archetypal La Liga fixtures?

Barcelona footwear disconnected their La Liga defence connected Saturday, August 16, erstwhile they marque the travel to Mallorca.

Real Madrid are not successful enactment until Tuesday, August 19, erstwhile they implicit the archetypal circular of Spanish top-flight fixtures with a travel to Espanyol.

What transfers person Real Madrid and Barcelona made?

It has been a quiescent transportation model for Barcelona, whose finances had been heavy successful the spotlight past twelvemonth with La Liga rules limiting spending connected wages and transfers – complicating the registration of Dani Olmo.

The Spanish planetary arrived from RB Leipzig successful Germany for a interest of $62.5m successful the summertime of 2024, but was nearly forced into a escaped transportation away from the Catalan nine owed to their dire fiscal situation.

The loan of Marcus Rashford, who made his debut successful the 5-0 pre-season demolition of Como, from Manchester United is Barca’s lone large summation successful the disconnected play to their ranks truthful far.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, person been speedy to bolster a defence that has been hampered by wounded and suspension passim past season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was a much-heralded arrival astatine a snip from Liverpool for $11.3m. Little disbursal was spared, however, successful the seizure of Spanish antiaircraft duo Alvaro Carreras from Benfica for $57.7m and Dean Huijsen for $67m from Bournemouth.

Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold astatine the FIFA Club World Cup

What were the results betwixt Barcelona and Real Madrid past season?

Barcelona won each 4 El Clasico matches betwixt the shot clubs past season, including the decisive La Liga clash, a May 11 gathering successful Catalonia. The 4-3 triumph each but sealed the title for Barca, and besides ended immoderate thought that Ancelotti whitethorn enactment connected arsenic manager of Real.

A 4-0 demolition of Real successful Madrid connected October 26 kicked disconnected the derbies past season, the archetypal large informing signs that Los Blancos whitethorn person a turbulent thrust ahead.

That decision for Ancelotti’s broadside was compounded by a 5-2 hammering successful the Spanish Super Cup last successful January, earlier a 3-2 Copa Del Rey last triumph for Barca successful precocious April near Real facing up to the imaginable of a trophyless season.

Where volition the spotlight absorption connected Barcelona and Real Madrid?

The deficiency of immoderate large additions to Barcelona’s title-winning squad volition propulsion uncertainty connected whether manager Hansi Flick volition beryllium capable to propulsion the players to spell again without further contention for places.

An early-season wounded to Robert Lewandowski whitethorn mean an aboriginal accidental for Rashford to marque his people successful onslaught alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. The England planetary has galore questions himself to reply pursuing his demise from his presumption arsenic the prima of Old Trafford.

Ferran Torres, the 25-year-old Spanish international, volition besides beryllium a campaigner to commencement successful the spot of Lewandowski successful the early-season games.

With the solution of Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s dispute, some the backlines and midfield look well-resourced for Barca. Flick’s broadside volition beryllium afloat expected to enactment up a stern defence of their La Liga rubric and to spell each the mode successful the Champions League, a contention they were heavy favourites to triumph past play until their shock semifinal elimination by Inter Milan.

Barcelona's Marcus Rashford acknowledges fans earlier the lucifer against Como

Real Madrid volition person to header with the nonaccomplishment of Luka Modric successful midfield, lone a twelvemonth aft the status of Toni Kroos – an lack believed to person heavy contributed to Real’s demise past season.

The link-up betwixt the beforehand 3 of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo was different country of interest for Real. Indeed, truthful overmuch truthful that it affected the relation of Jude Bellingham, who was forced to beryllium deeper successful midfield pursuing the accomplishment of the former.

Mbappe yet silenced the critics. The French international’s tally of 40 goals successful each competitions surpassed that of Cristiano Ronaldo successful his archetypal play with Madrid.

Nonetheless, the link-up betwixt an onslaught and midfield, which is present missing some of its mainstays for much than a decade, volition beryllium the large occupation for Alonso to solve.

Can Atletico Madrid situation Real and Barcelona?

Atletico finished 14 points disconnected apical spot past season, but had offered anticipation astatine 1 stage, with a 15-game winning streak, that glory was connected the cards.

Diego Simeone’s broadside finished sixth successful the League Phase of the Champions League, but were yet eliminated by Real, who themselves had to scope the knockout signifier via playoffs. They did besides person a disappointing group-stage exit astatine the Club World Cup, including a 4-0 decision by Paris Saint-Germain.

Simeone’s broadside are ever based connected a coagulated defence, and the imperishable seizure of Clement Lenglet pursuing his indebtedness from Barcelona past play ensures that is apt to continue.

An already formidable guardant enactment is boosted by the accomplishment of Thiago Almada from Botafogo, for an undisclosed fee, pursuing a season-long indebtedness astatine Lyon past season.

The 24-year-old helped Argentina to the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar, the Copa America past twelvemonth and was portion of his country’s side astatine the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Alongside chap countryman Julian Alvarez, France and Atletico fable Antoine Griezmann, and Giuliano Simeone, the lad of the manager, Almada could good sprinkle the magic needed to elevate Atletico to the apical of the pile.