Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1156727
28 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 AUGUST 2019 LA LIGA SPORTS LALIGA is back with Barcelona chasing a hat-trick of league ti- tles and again looking the ones to beat with both Real Madrid and Atletico having questions to answer for differing reasons after an eventful summer. The Premier League may still be regarded as the best league in the world, but in Spain this summer there has been some huge transfer activity with three €100m signings being made by the three main challengers for the title. And the three in question could hold the keys for their re- spective teams: can Eden Hazard spark a Real Madrid revival? Can Joao Felix justify Atletico Ma- drid's huge spending spree? Can Antoine Griezmann fit into an already packed Barcelona attack that may yet end up including Neymar? Barcelona are odds-on favour- ites to make it a title hat-trick, and after the summer they've had there's no wonder why, but can Real or Atletico Madrid launch a serious title challenge this season? Barca backed for title hat-trick Things for Ernesto Valverde and his squad actually fell flat last season after their devastat- ing Champions League exit at Anfield, with Lionel Messi still talking about it in pre-season as a rallying cry for the coming campaign. They'll be going all- out to be kings of Europe again but will they take their eye of the ball domestically? They certainly have the play- ers to compete in both, after dominating last season they've only gone and added Antoine Griezmann to the list of mega- money forwards, joining Messi, Suarez, Coutinho (for now) and Dembele (also for now) in the most star-studded attack on the planet. They've even solidified their midfield with Ajax's Frenkie De Jong, which could be the best move of them all when it comes to avoiding another European collapse this season. Barca have won eight of the last 11 Span- ish league titles but progressed beyond the Champions League quarter-finals once in four years - that's just not good enough for this side. Fitting all these players into a functioning side will be Val- verde's biggest problem, but if Coutinho and/or Dembele depart in the remainder of the transfer window then that may help - while Messi missing the start of the season through injury is a bit of a worry. Winning the league simply isn't enough for Barca this year - that will very much be the minimum requirement but with so much talent on show it's hard to see them finishing anywhere other than back on top. All change at Atletico Madrid This is a new Atletico as Diego Simeone has seen wholesale changes this summer, with stal- warts Antoine Griezmann, Lu- cas Hernandez, Filipe Luis, Juan- fran and Diego Godin all leaving while Portuguese teenager Joao Felix has arrived under a fanfare - and a hefty price tag. Kieran Trippier has arrived along with highly-regarded cen- tre half Mario Hermoso, while Hector Herrera and Marcos Llorente bolster the midfield and they will still be hopeful of add- ing Valencia striker Rodrigo be- fore the window closes. Alavaro Morata is there and as we know anything can happen when Die- go Costa is around. Felix has been excellent in pre-season and hopes are high of them at least being Barca's nearest challengers for a third straight season - as they've been transformed into a big-spending powerhouse after moving into their new stadium. Getting these players to gel as a team will be Simeone's big- gest task this season, that's why he's the best-paid manager in the league, and he'll have to get them moving quickly to try and catch Barca - but they at least look a lot more together than Madrid ri- vals Real after their strange sum- mer of unrest. Zidane under pressure at Real The Spanish press have already been piling the pressure on Zin- edine Zidane before a ball's even been kicked, and it's strange not to see more optimism surround- ing a team that's splashed out over £200m this summer and brought in one of the best play- ers in the world in Eden Hazard. Luka Jovic, Rodrygo, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy have all arrived, but it is lack of movement in two specific areas that has some fans concerned, notably the failure to complete Gareth Bale's departure and to bring in Paul Pogba. Pogba was said to be Zidane's top summer target and the fact they've been unable or unwilling to bring to the club is cause for concern in some quarters, with Bale's situa- tion unsettling too. Having Bale, and James Rodri- guez for that matter, still around when Zidane has made it known he doesn't fancy them is not the best for team atmosphere, and when you throw in a serious injury to Marco Asensio and some poor pre-season results then there's no wonder there are clouds darken- ing above the Bernabeu. There is debate over whether Thibault Courtois or Keylor Na- vas should be the number one keeper, while striker Jovic has been linked with a loan move away after failing to impress Zi- dane - these are not issues you need when setting out to over- haul a 19-point deficit to Barca from last season. Turning their backs on Chris- tian Eriksen looks like a mistake, and what they can do with Bale and Rodriguez could be pivotal to their chances this season. We must remember this is Real Ma- drid so they have to be respected - but this season is already shap- ing up to be another soap opera at Santiago Bernabeu. Who are the best of the rest? It has been a busy summer up and down LaLiga as all 20 clubs know that standing still means falling behind. Valencia have kept their core of last year's Copa del Rey-winning squad, while also adding bullish centre- forward Maxi Gomez from RC Celta. Getafe narrowly missed out on a huge upset when missing out on fourth place to Valen- cia on the final day last season, but they'll be hard-pushed to replicate that effort when faced with Europa League football this season - you could say the same for Espanyol who also punched above their weight last season. Sevilla finished seventh and sixth in the last two years and now have former Spain national coach Julen Lopetegui settling in as their new coach. They're building a new-look team from 12 summer signings having sold Wissam Ben Yedder to Monaco. Although only four LaLiga clubs have new managers in charge for the new season, change has been happening up and down the division. Real Be- tis signing France's 2016 World Cup winner Nabil Fekir looks a real coup, as does Leganes bringing back Denmark inter- national forward Martin Braith- waite. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid season previews Antoine Griezmann has signed for Barcelona for huge money