It’s been a hurt time for football clubs, both in terms of performance and finance in La Liga. But with a new season now firmly underway, who has started well and Who needs to do more to ensure they perform well this season?

Barcelona
Barcelona finished last season poorly claiming a distant 2nd place in La Liga 5 points behind Real Madrid and things haven’t been much better this summer with the arrival as ronald Koeman as manager. Suarez has now set sail for greener pastures at Atletico Madrid, whilst Messi handed in a transfer request, which was vehemently rejected. Cash is also very tight at the Catalan club with the president making it clear that sales need to be realised to provide funds for any additional purchases. For us, Barcelona still look a long way off the pace to challenge this season.

Real Madrid
Real Madrid finished last season as champions, but they were far from their best. The departure of Ronaldo to Juventus was supposed to usher in a new era, with Zidane at the helm. However the ongoing debacle that is Gareth Bale rumbled on throughout the summer, with the Welshman signing for Tottenham only last week on a season long loan. It looks as though Madrid too need to sell players before they strengthen in any considerable way.

Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid look to have done the shrewdest business this summer. Barcelona may think that Suarez is surplus to requirements, but Atletico certainly think he can offer a lot for the Spanish challengers. With Simeone at the helm, the Madrid underdogs can certainly improve on their points tally in the forthcoming season.

The verdict… Whilst La Liga certainly doesn’t have the strength and depth of the Premier League, we expect a tighter run affair this season. We worry about all the goings on at Barcelona and think that they will slip further behind this season, with the Messi situation rumbling along in the background. Our pick would be the surprise outsider Atletico… they have done some good business this summer and reckon they could close the gap in the coming campaign.