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The domination of Barcelona over Real Madrid last season led to the end of Los Blancos to the second mandate of Carlo Ancelotti – even if he had delivered a league and a European double a year earlier.
Rumors scolded for most of the season, after a discreet departure in the country and abroad, this former midfielder, Xabi Alonso, would make Bayer Leverkusen to replace Ancelotti.
With their defense of La Liga and UEFA Champions League, the club based in Madrid has lost a short time to announce Alonso, conveniently at a time when Brazil has increased their interest in ancelotti.
Everything seemed good for a worthy departure for the most decorated manager of Italian club football, which will now lead the winners of the record World Cup for the 2026 edition of next year.
So that the perfectly written script continues, however, Alonso will have to take a good start on all fronts. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the new Liga season.
When does the Liga season begins?
The first match of the new Spanish campaign is Friday August 15 and sees Girona, who only finished one point above the relegation zone last season, entertains a Rayo Vallecano team which won ninth place in La Liga last year.
Girona was The League’s packet of surprise There are two seasons when they finished third – only four points behind Barcelona.
When are the first Liga devices in Barcelona and Real Madrid?
Barcelona launched the Liga on Saturday August 16, when they go to Mallorca.
Real Madrid is not in action before Tuesday, August 19, when they finished the first round of high -level Spanish lighting with a trip to Espanyol.
What transfers have made Real Madrid and Barcelona?
It was a silent transfer window for Barcelona, whose finances were strongly in the spotlight last year, the liga rules limiting salary and transfers – complicating the registration of Dani Olmo.
The Spanish international arrived from RB Leipzig in Germany for an amount of $ 62.5 million in the summer of 2024, but was Almost forced to a free transfer Far from the Catalan club because of their disastrous financial situation.
THE Loan by Marcus Rashfordwho made his debut The demolition of pre-season 5-0 of ComoDe Manchester United is the only major add in Barça during their ranks so far.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, quickly strengthened a defense which was hampered by injuries and suspensions throughout last season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was a very proven arrival to a Liverpool snip for $ 11.3 million. However, few expenses have been spared in the capture of the Spanish defensive duo Alvaro Carreras de Benfica for $ 57.7 million and Dean Huijsen for $ 67 million in Bournemouth.
What were the results between Barcelona and Real Madrid last season?
Barcelona won the four El Clasico games between football clubs last season, including the decisive clash La Liga, a meeting of May 11 in Catalonia. THE 4-3 wins For Barça, and also ended any thought that Encelotti could remain as director of Real.
A 4-0 demolition From Real to Madrid on October 26 launched the derbies last season, the first main warning signs that Los Blancos could have a future ride to come.
This defeat on the side of Acelotti was aggravated by 5-2 hammering in the Spanish Super Cup January final, before 3-2 COPA DEL REY Final VAIage for Barça At the end of April, left real in the face of the prospect of a season without trophy.
Where will the spotlights focus on Barcelona and Real Madrid?
The absence of major additions to the winner team of Barcelona will put doubt that the manager Hansi Flick will be able to push the players to leave without any other competition for the places.
An injury at the start of the season to Robert Lewandowski could mean a first opportunity for Rashford to make his mark in attack alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. The English international himself has many questions to answer his disappearance of his status as Old Trafford Star.
Ferran Torres, the 25 -year -old Spanish international, will also be a candidate to start Lewandowski at the start of the season games.
With the resolution of The dispute of Marc-André Ter StegenThe backlines and the midfielder seem to be well resourced for Barça. The Flick team will have to fully set up a severe defense of its title La Liga and go to the Champions League, a competition that they were heavily favorite to win last season until their Elimination of the semi-final by shock by Inter Milan.
Real Madrid will have to face the loss of Luka Modric in the midfield, only a year after Toni Kroos retirement – an absence that would have greatly contributed to Real’s disappearance last season.
The link between the three before Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo was another area of concern for real. Indeed, so much so that this affected the role of Jude Bellingham, who was forced to sit more deeply in the midfield after the arrival of the first.
Mbappe finally silenced criticism. The total of 40 goals from the French international in all competitions exceeded that of Cristiano Ronaldo in his first season with Madrid.
Nevertheless, the link between an attack and the midfielder, which is now missing his two pillars for more than a decade, will be the major problem to be solved for Alonso.
Can Atletico Madrid challenge Real and Barcelona?
Atletico finished 14 points from first place last season, but had offered hope at some point, with a sequence of 15 consecutive victories, this glory was on the cards.
The team of Diego Simeone finished sixth in the league phase of the Champions League, but was finally eliminated by realwho had to reach the scene with direct elimination via the playoffs. They also had a disappointing outing in the group phase during the club World Cup, especially A 4-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Simeone team is still based on a solid defense, and the permanent capture of Clement Lenglet after its loan from Barcelona last season guarantees that this should continue.
An already formidable before-before line is stimulated by the arrival of Thiago Almada de Botafogo, for unknown costs, following a loan of the season in Lyon last season.
The 24 -year -old helped Argentina at The 2022 World Cup In Qatar, COPA America last year and was Part of the team of his country At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Alongside his compatriot Julian Alvarez, France and the legend of Atletico Antoine Griezmann, and Giuliano Simeone, the manager of the manager, Almada could well sprinkle the magic necessary to raise Atletico to the summit of the pile.
