Nick Dorrington


With the current European Champions set to go head-to-head with a side that has spent upwards of £200M over the summer, this year’s La Liga looks set to be a classic. While Fiorentino Perez throws Madrid’s money at anyone who has ever so much as glanced at the Ballon d’Or, Barcelona have swapped last season’s top scorer Samuel Eto’o and large wads of cash for the Italian league’s top marksman Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Villarreal have strengthened despite losing their coach Manuel Pellegrini to Madrid and look set to vie it out with Sevilla, Atletico Madrid and Valencia for the two remaining Champions League spots. Plucky upstarts Xerez prepare to take on Spain’s finest for the first time in their history, while sprinkled throughout the league are a number of clubs from places that seem more likely locations for a Thomson package holiday than a top flight football team.

Commentators seem keen to suggest that the balance of power in Europe is drifting away from the English Premier League to La Liga. Whether or not they are right remains to be seen, but there is one thing that cannot be doubted: the Spanish league will offer excitement, goals and a fair helping of theatre from the first whistle until the very last. And you can’t ask for any fairer than that.

Almeria

Hugo Sanchez did a decent job in steadying the ship when he arrived midway through last season, but with Alvaro Negredo’s departure leaving a prolific goal-scorer shaped hole in his squad, the Mexican coach could well find this season tougher going.

Colombian midfielder Fabian Vargas is an astute signing, and the highly-promising Pablo Piatti is sure to improve in his second season in Spain, but the lack of a proven goal-scorer is likely to see Almeria in the bottom half come the end of the campaign.

Last Season: 11th
Key arrival: Fabian Vargas (Boca Juniors)
Key departure: Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla via Real Madrid), Bruno Saltor (Valencia)
Prediction: 13th

Athletic Bilbao

It took some time for Seville-born Joaquin Caparros to win the affection of the notoriously partisan Athletic Bilbao support, but after a couple of decent league campaigns and a Copa del Rey final appearance he is finally getting the respect he deserves.

With their Basque-only signing policy, Bilbao are never big movers in the transfer window and thus Caparros has by and large the same side as last season to work with. 16 year-old sensation Iker Muniain is sure to attract headlines, but otherwise expect a solid, unspectacular season at San Mames.

Last Season: 13th
Key arrivals: Inigo Diaz de Cerio (Real Sociedad), Mikel San Jose (Liverpool)
Key departure: Joseba Garmendia (Numancia)
Prediction: 12th


Atletico Madrid

Last season’s third highest scorers look to have resisted numerous overtures towards their deadly strike partnership of Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan, and can therefore go into the season aiming for another top four finish.

Young goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo is a significant improvement over the departed Leo Franco, but will need to be at his best in front of a defence that again looks less than convincing. That said, Atletico usually adhere closely to the notion that attack is the best form of defence, making them, if nothing else, perhaps the most exciting team in the division.

Last Season: 4th
Key arrival: Sergio Asenjo (Valladolid)
Key departures: Maniche (1.FC Koln), Leo Franco (Galatasaray)
Prediction: 5th


Barcelona

Improving on perfection is never easy, and after a whirlwind first season at the helm that brought three trophies and a mass of plaudits, Josep Guardiola will know that the real test lies in sustaining that form throughout his second year in charge.

Swapping last season’s top scorer Samuel Eto’o for Inter Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic will certainly give Barca a different dimension in the final third, something that may be key on the rare occasions that their pretty flowing football doesn’t yield results.

With another generation of talented youngsters looking to break through and the nucleus of the side that had such success last season it would be hard to bet against Barcelona retaining the La Liga crown come the end of the campaign.

Last Season: 1st
Key arrivals: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Maxwell (Inter Milan)
Key departures: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan), Aliaksandr Hleb (Stuttgart)
Prediction: 1st


Deportivo La Coruna

Depor narrowly missed out on a Europa League place last season, but have endured a fairly fruitless summer in the transfer market, struggling to add many new recruits.

They have also lost Joan Verdu to Espanyol, just as the Barcelona youth graduate was finally beginning to live up to his potential, meaning that coach Miguel Angel Lotina will have to rely on the ever-fragile Juan Carlos Valeron to be his creative fulcrum.

That said, the system, rather than individuals has been Deportivo’s strong point over the last couple of campaigns and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see them pushing for a top six finish again this time around.

Last Season: 7th
Key arrival: Juca (Partizan Belgrade)
Key departure: Joan Verdu (Espanyol)
Prediction: 7th


Espanyol

The tragic sudden death of club captain Daniel Jarque has cast a huge shadow over Espanyol’s preparations for the new season and it would be perfectly understandable if they were to get off to a sluggish start.

With a new stadium, some interesting new signings and a highly-promising coach in Mauricio Pochettino, however, they look set to improve on last season’s tenth place finish, and could even find themselves in contention for a Europa League place if things go their way.

Last Season: 10th
Key arrival: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic)
Key departure: Sergio Sanchez (Sevilla)
Prediction: 8th


Getafe

Getafe survived by the skin of their teeth on the final day of last season and the jury will now be out on whether Michel can put his previous coaching failures behind him and keep the Azulones in the Primera for another season.

Esteban Granero’s return to Real Madrid will rob Michel of his primary creative talent, and the onus will therefore fall on Daniel Parejo, on loan from Madrid, to fill the void left by his predecessor.

Getafe probably have just enough quality to avoid the drop, but whether Michel is the man to lead them to safety remains very much in doubt.

Last Season: 17th
Key arrival: Daniel Parejo (Real Madrid)
Key departure: Esteban Granero (Real Madrid)
Prediction: 14th


Malaga

Malaga enjoyed a superb first season back in the top flight and will be hoping for another top ten finish this time around. Coach Antonio Tapia quit to join relegated Real Betis at the end of last season, but his replacement Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz should be more than comfortable with his surroundings as it was he who led the Boquerones back to the top flight in the first place.

The team from the Costa del Sol have made a number of interesting signings, with a good mix of youth and experience. Eliseu and Duda are their only major losses, while the permanent signing of Albert Luque on a free transfer from Ajax looks to be excellent business based on his showings last season.

Last Season: 8th
Key arrivals: Albert Luque (Ajax), Milan Stepanov (Porto)
Key departures: Eliseu (Lazio), Duda (Sevilla)
Prediction: 9th


Mallorca

Failure to find a new owner until a couple of weeks before the close of the transfer window has limited the Islanders transfer activity this summer, but more arrivals are promised now that the Mingarro brothers have completed their takeover.

Coach Gregorio Manzano has had to contend with losing a number of his best players in recent years and things are no different this time around, with Juan Arango and Miguel Angel Moya heading for Monchengladbach and Valencia respectively.

Despite that, he always seems to find a way to steer Mallorca well clear of trouble. Presuming they get another few bodies in the door before the start of the campaign a comfortable mid-table finish awaits.

Last Season: 9th
Key arrival: Sergio Tereja (Chelsea)
Key departures: Juan Arango (Borussia Monchengladbach), Miguel Angel Moya (Valencia)
Prediction: 10th


Osasuna

Jose Antonio Camacho clearly felt he had a reputation to rebuild after disastrous spells at Real Madrid and Benfica when he took the Osasuna job a month and a half into last season. The experienced coach led his new charges to safety, but tougher challenges await this time around.

Osasuna have lost some good players during the transfer window without bringing in a truly notable signing, meaning Camacho will have to get the best out of what he has if he wants to prolong their stay in the top flight. A season of struggle seems probable.

Last Season: 15th
Key arrival: Javier Calleja (Malaga)
Key departure: Jonathan Plasil (Bordeaux)
Prediction: 16th


Racing Santander

New Racing coach Juan Carlos Mandiá may have underestimated the job he has before him this season, with the club losing four of their regulars from the last campaign, including their first choice central defence.

Nikola Zigic’s 13 goals in 19 games played a large part in moving them clear of the drop zone in the second half of last season. Without a striker of similar ability Racing look certain to be scratching around for goals for much of the campaign. A battle against relegation looks likely.

Last Season: 12th
Key arrival: Luis Garcia (Atletico Madrid)
Key departures: Ivan Marcano (Villarreal), Nikola Zigic (Valencia)
Prediction: 15th


Real Madrid

Madrid president Florentino Perez has overseen unprecedented spending in an attempt to wrestle the La Liga crown back from Barcelona’s grasp. With the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema moving to the Bernabeu this summer, Real Madrid are sure to be there or thereabouts come the end of the campaign.

Former Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini is the man tasked with turning the Galacticos part two into a successful side, and will be under no illusions as to the task that awaits him. The pressure will be on from the opening whistle of the season, with teams up and down the country anxious to take the scalp of the free-spending Blancos.

Pellegrini, though, is an incredibly astute coach, and it is unlikely to take him long to get the team playing the way he wants. Barcelona’s consistency will probably see the Catalans come out on top, but Madrid are sure to run them close, both domestically and in Europe.

Last Season: 2nd
Key arrivals: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Kaka (AC Milan), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Raul Albiol (Valencia)
Key departures: Jan Klass Huntelaar (AC Milan), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Javier Saviola (Benfica)
Prediction: 2nd


Sevilla

Sensible improvement is always the key at Sevilla and this summer has been no different as a number of underachieving fringe players have left the club, paving the way for Didier Zokora, Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Sanchez to join the ranks at the Sanchez Pizjuan. The club have also been able to resist AC Milan’s interest in striker Luis Fabiano.

Manolo Jimenez shrugged off the early season boo-boys to create a well-drilled side that were well worthy of their status as best of the rest at the end of the campaign. With a strong first team squad and good young players coming through the system, everything would appear to be in place for another top four finish this time around.

Last Season: 3rd
Key arrivals: Didier Zokora (Tottenham Hotspur), Alvaro Negredo (Real Madrid)
Key departure: Enzo Maresca (Olympiacos)
Prediction: 3rd


Sporting Gijon

Sporting survived relegation by just one point last season. After a summer in which they have failed to significantly strengthen their squad, another season of battling the drop appears to be on the cards.

The current group of players have probably reached their ceiling achievement wise and there is every chance Sporting will be preparing for life in the second tier this time next year.

Last Season: 14th
Key arrival: Miguel de las Cuevas (Atletico Madrid)
Key departures: None
Prediction: 19th


Tenerife

Seven years after their last top flight appearance, Tenerife return to La Liga determined to improve upon their single season sojourn in the early millennia.

It will be tough going for the Canary Islanders though, especially as they will have to adapt to life without Alejandro Alfaro, who was the driving force behind their promotion last year. Without him, it is hard to see Tenerife creating enough chances to sustain their place among the elite and thus a swift return to the Segunda looks very likely.

Last Season: 3rd (Segunda Division)
Key arrival: Roman Martinez (Espanyol)
Key departure: Alejandro Alfaro (Sevilla)
Prediction: 20th


Valencia

Valencia have performed miracles to keep hold of their star players thus far, and should the likes of David Villa, Juan Mata and David Silva line up for their La Liga opener there is no reason why they can’t achieve a top six finish.

The loss of Raul Albiol is clearly a blow to their defensive solidity, but in Miguel Angel Moya they finally have a goalkeeper capable of establishing himself between the Mestalla sticks for the foreseeable future.

The forward line is top notch, but with a less than stellar midfield and defence behind them Champions League qualification looks to be just out of Valencia’s reach this time around.

Last Season: 6th
Key arrivals: Miguel Angel Moya (Mallorca), Nikola Zigic (Racing Santander)
Key departures: Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Fernando Morientes (Marseille)
Prediction: 6th


Valladolid

Valladolid’s 16th place finish last season represented a drop of one place from the previous year. Having lost their influential goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo to Atletico Madrid, the signs are there to suggest a further slip in position this time around.

Coach Jose Luis Mendilibar will have an overhauled squad at his disposal for the new season, with no fewer than 12 new faces at the Jose Zorilla. A cursory glance at the new arrivals would suggest that it is quantity rather than quality that Valladolid have gone for, and with that in mind the goal will simply be to avoid relegation at all costs.

Last Season: 16th
Key arrival: Pele (Porto)
Key departure: Sergio Asenjo (Atletico Madrid)
Prediction: 17th


Villarreal

Following the most successful coach in a club’s history is never an easy task, so Ernesto Valverde – fresh from a league and club double with Olympiacos in Greece – certainly has his work cut out for him in succeeding Real Madrid-bound Manuel Pellegrini.

However, with new signing Nilmar looking a real thoroughbred and chief creator Santi Carzorla back from the injury that saw him miss the second half of the last campaign, Valverde has a good chance of returning the Yellow Submarine to the Champions League in his debut season.

Last Season: 5th
Key arrival: Nilmar (Internacional)
Key departures: Manuel Pellegrini (Coach) (Real Madrid), Nihat (Besiktas)
Prediction: 4th


Xerez

Last season’s Segunda champions appear optimistic ahead of their first ever season in the Spanish top flight and some decent signings have given them the tools necessary to make a good fist of staying in the division.

New coach Jose Angel Ziganda knows his side will need to hit the ground running if they are to have any chance of maintaining their top flight status. He will be keen to prove a point after his dismissal by Osasuna early last season, but faces an uphill task to steer his new charges away from an immediate return to the second tier.

Last Season: 1st (Segunda Divison)
Key arrival: Leandro Gioda (Independiente)
Key departure: Brian Sarmiento (Racing Santander)
Prediction: 18th


Zaragoza

Marcelino Garcia Toral took a calculated risk when he left Racing Santander to join newly relegated Zaragoza at the end of the 2007/08 season and his gamble would appear to have paid off as he has led the Blanquillos back into the Primera at his first attempt.

However, a tight financial situation will make things difficult for the highly-rated coach, especially as it has led to the departure of club captain Alberto Zapater to Genoa. That said, further recruitment appears to be in the works, and if they can add a couple of good players to the squad then there is no reason why Zaragoza cannot finish on the fringes of the top ten.

Last Season: 2nd (Segunda Division)
Key arrivals: Jermaine Pennant (Liverpool), Ichchukwu Uche (Getafe), Marko Babic (Hertha Berlin)
Key departure: Alberto Zapater (Genoa)
Prediction: 11th

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