Real Madrid or Barcelona. Three reasons why each team should dominate the new edition of La Liga

The new edition of La Liga is fast approaching, with the battle for the Spanish football throne starting on Saturday. Barcelona will defend their title from last season, Real Madrid will not want to be without a league trophy for two years in a row. What are the reasons for both teams to win the title?

Why Real Madrid should win the title

A year without a title

In the 2021-22 season, Real Madrid won La Liga comfortably by 13 points, and given Barcelona’s problems, it seemed like they could establish a dynasty and win several years in a row. But the very next season, Real started losing a large number of points to outsiders and lost the Spanish championship.

No one in Madrid will want to allow their biggest rival to win the title twice in a row. A year’s break is bearable, two years without a title is not. Real will be very hungry to wrest the title back.

Fantastic backup

With the arrival of Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid’s midfield has arguably become the best in the world. Ancelotti has young and hungry wolfmen at his disposal – Bellingham, Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Güler and to them two experienced leaders – Kroos and Modric.

You’d probably be hard pressed to find a better centre back in the world. All of them, with the possible exception of the youthful Güler, belong to the core with their quality and would be key players in any other team in the world. Here, however, only three, or four in a rombo formation, will fit into the line-up.

And with Dani Ceballos still to return from injury in September, it will add to the competition in an already packed midfield. But Ancelotti has several options for every opponent and it is this line that must pull the team through and shade the sometimes weaker defence or attack.

Joselu

Perhaps a little surprising, but yes, it is Joselu who could help Real to the title. The club’s management knew very well why they brought the 33-year-old striker. He is not in Madrid to referee the star matches of the Champions League, but to score against the weaker clubs that Real so often struggle with.

Girona 1:1, Rayo Vallecano 2:3, Villarreal 1:2, Mallorca 0:1, these are the games in which Real lost the title last season. While Los Blancos are great in tough matches in the Champions League, in La Liga against weaker opponents they often lack motivation and the players seem to feel that the match will win itself.

This is exactly why Joselu came in. A striker who will be grateful for every minute, he certainly doesn’t let anything go and in every game, no matter how weak the opponent, he will do everything he can to get the ball in the net. And he has quality too, after all, he scored 16 goals in La Liga last season.

Moreover, Real lacked a tall striker in the penalty area to whom centres could regularly fly. Benzema had plenty of other qualities, but he tended to deal with situations technically around the whitewash, rarely just waiting for a centre. Joselu could meet that and win games against weaker opponents, which ultimately makes the title.

Why Barcelona should win the title

The king of “simple” matches

What Real Madrid often struggles with, Barcelona, on the other hand, manage brilliantly. The Culés won 13 times last season by 1:0, they can perfectly manage matches with weaker opponents even if they don’t play well and the other team is even better, Barcelona can push the match to the necessary result.

It was thanks to this that the Blaugranas dominated last season, managing even matches in which they were not the better team.

Xavi’s team

Since his arrival, Xavi has managed to turn a dysfunctional club into a pedalling team that has won both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. Even though in Europe Barcelona are not doing well under Xavi, in La Liga they are extremely stable.

Last season, when the Blaugranas conceded only 20 goals in 38 rounds, is testament to all that. The second best defence was Real Sociedad, who got 35 goals. If the Culés defence performs this well in the new season, it will be the basis for success.

Fighting against the odds

Before last season, nobody trusted Barcelona much, because of the club’s financial problems some already imagined the worst. But Joan Laporta did the possible and the impossible to bring in reinforcements, and it finally succeeded.

Together, Xavi and co. defied expectations and took a depreciating club to the top. Ahead of the upcoming season, there are once again questions about whether Barcelona can repeat the success. What if the Culés once again defy the odds and win another title by force of will?

Source: La Liga