La Liga is often heralded as ‘the best league in the world’. Whilst arguments may rage for days as to whether the quality of the football and the excitement of the league make that statement true, it certainly isn’t if you are looking for a competition with an unpredictable winner.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated the Spanish league for decades and, yet again, the 2010/11 season looks very much like a straight fight between two of the world’s biggest clubs.
The current Barcelona team is, in some people’s eyes, one of the finest club sides ever to grace the game. After an unprecedented six trophy haul in 2008/9, the Catalan giants had to settle for the La Liga title in 2010, accumulating an incredible 99 points in the process. Inter Milan ended Barca’s search for back to back Champions League wins and it is manager Jose Mourinho that once again stands between Barcelona and the trophies they crave.
Pep Guardiola’s side reads like a Who’s Who of world football. With the likes of Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield, the mercurial Lionel Messi and Pedro up front and experienced defenders Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol at the back, it’s hard to find a weakness in their line-up.
Thierry Henry and Yaya Toure were inevitable departures, and there are question marks over Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future after a disappointing first season in La Liga.
However, whilst Barca would have been worthy favourites for the title with their existing roster of players, the addition of striker David Villa makes the Catalans a frightening prospect. Villa has statistically been the world’s best striker for half a decade and the number of goals he could bag in this Barca side doesn’t bear thinking about. The Spanish striker is a terrific value 4/1 to win the Pichichi award for La Liga top scorer. And, in addition to the recruitment of Villa, if Pep Guardiola can prise Cesc Fabregas away from Arsenal, Barcelona looks just about unstoppable.
Standing in their way, as ever, are fierce rivals Real Madrid. It is worth remembering that whilst Madrid may not have won anything last season, their points total would have secured them the La Liga title in just about every single other season on record. Manuel Pelligrini’s side pushed Barca all the way, and it was only in the late season meeting between the sides that Barcelona finally secured the vital win they needed to open up a gap at the top.
And now, of course, Real Madrid have appointed the one Galactico manager in the game: Jose Mourinho.
There is no doubting Mourinho’s magic touch. League titles and European success at Chelsea, Porto and Inter have made him the most sought after manager in world football and at Madrid he will bid to become the first coach to win the Champions League with three different clubs. It will take a change of approach at Madrid, though, with the galactico policy likely to be eschewed in favour of Mourinho’s own style. He will want control over which players to buy and play and the Madrid fans may have to get used to a less gung-ho approach than in previous seasons.
A return to the latter stages of the Champions League would be a welcome outcome although even with Mourinho in charge, I’m not tempted by the 6/5 on Real Madrid winning the league for the first time since 2008.
So, what of the other contenders?
The truth is: there are no real other contenders. Valencia finished third in 2009/10 although they were an astonishing 25 points behind second place Real and there is no reason to believe it will be any different in 2010/11. The La Liga title betting is 25/1 bar the Big Two.
Valencia finished third in 2010 but the financial problems facing Los Che make it unlikely they will repeat that feat. They have already lost David Villa, Nikola Zigic and David Silva and whilst the likes of Juan Mata may step up to the mark (Mata is an intriguing each way punt at 40/1 to top score in La Liga) it could be a long hard season for Unai Emery‘s side.
I actually fancy the chances of Villarreal to re-establish themselves amongst the Champions League places. Guiseppi Rossi has been in good pre-season form and with no other outstanding challenger, the Yellow Submarines could well win the ‘League winners without the Big Two’ market at 6/1.
Atletico Madrid should be there or thereabouts – with or without Diego Forlan – and Sevilla continue to play some of Spain’s most offensive and attacking football. It will also be interesting to see whether the progress made by both Mallorca and Deportivo la Coruna last season can be maintained this time around.