The 2023-24 La Liga season kicks off on Friday when Almeria hosts Rayo Vallecano at Power Horse Stadium while Sevilla tackle Valencia.
The Spanish top flight offers a lot of thrill and excitement which Afrosport will bring to passionate football fans in Nigeria and across Africa live.
Here is a preview of the season’s title contenders, top four contenders and relegation candidates.
Title contenders
Barcelona
The Blaugrana claimed a 27th title last season, finishing 10 points clear of fierce rivals Real Madrid. It marked a remarkable turnaround for manager and former player Xavi in his first full season in charge.
The Catalan’s half-season was filled with struggles but he was able to steady the ship even in the midst of financial difficulties that has continued to rock the club. Robert Lewandowski has also continued to be the catalyst for the team with his goals even at the age of 34 giving Barca the needed results. Xavi will rely on the Polish forward once again to deliver the goods. There is also the experience of Ilkay Gundogan to count on after joining on a free transfer from Manchester City.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos had a season to forget in 2022-23 as they failed to match up with Barcelona in La Liga and crashed out in the Champions League semi-finals to Manchester City.
Real were only able to win to take home the Copa del Rey which is poor by their extremely high standards. They have also lost a big figure in Karim Benzema and are yet to replace him with another prolific name, with Espanyol loanee Joselu being a stop-gap option.
The arrival of midfielders Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler should bring some life into the team while manager Carlo Ancelotti will be looking to end his stint at the Santiago Bernabeu on a high before taking on the role of Brazil national team manager next June.
Atletico Madrid
Los Rojiblancos are the only side that are capable of wrestling the La Liga title from either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
They have done it twice under Deigo Simeone in 2014 and 2021. On other occasions, Atleti has largely finished in third place including the 2022-23 season.
Beating Real Madrid and Barcelona to the title will take a lot of effort and so far, Atleti have recruited Javi Galan, Caglar Soyuncu, Cesar Azpilicueta and Santiago Mourino. These are not names that can necessarily make wholesome changes in the Atletico squad but should the team show better consistency, they just might do the unthinkable for the third time under club icon Simeone.
Afrosport is bringing the best of 2023-24 La Liga season to your TV screens, starting from August 11
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Top four contenders
Sevilla
The Andalusian giants had a mix 202-23 season, first swimming in relegation waters before Jose Luis Mendilibar’s arrival brought stability which ultimately saw them finish in 12th place, nine points clear of the drop zone. They also won the UEFA Europa League title for a record-extending seventh time and qualified for the UEFA Champions League as a result.
Mid-table isn’t where Sevilla usually find themselves and will hope the stability pushes them further up into the top four where they belong.
Real Sociedad
The Basque outfit finished an impressive fourth, making it the third time they made it into the Champions League after the 2003-04 and 2013-14 seasons.
The team have however lost a key figure in David Silva who has retired from football after a successful 20-year career. Regardless, Sociedad still have top players in their ranks and will be relying on the likes of Mikel Oyarzabal, Takefusa Kubo, Malian Hamari Traore, and Nigeria’s Sadiq Umar among others to secure another top four finish.
Villarreal
The Yellow Submarines are among the prime top four candidates but missed out last season by finishing in fifth place, eight points behind Sociedad.
Quique Setien will be looking to set things straight for the new season with his team.
Real Betis
Los Verdiblancos have a recent reputation of missing out on the top four such as the 2021-22 season where they were just five points shy of Sevilla.
They were in strong contention the season after but lost stream and ended up in sixth place, 11 points behind Sociedad.
Betis have been a decent side under Manuel Pellegrini but they will need to do much better if a first Champions League appearance in 19 years is to be a reality come the end of the season.
Relegation candidates
Promoted sides: Granada, Las Palmas, Alaves
Granada and Alaves are back in the top-flight after relegating at the end of the 2021-2022 season while Las Palmas are back for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Each side have had some solid seasons in La Liga in the past such as Granda finishing seventh in 2019-20 and Las Palmas finishing 11th during the 2015-16 season while Alaves ended ninth in 2016-17. These three sides will however have to show more strength if they are to survive or go anything close to their aforementioned best seasons.
Valencia
Los Che were on the cusp of relegation last season, finishing in 16th place, just two points shy of the drop zone.
It has continued Valencia’s recent struggles where getting a top 10 finish is tough. This is a far cry from the successful team that dominated Spain and Europe in the early 2000s.
Financial difficulties and lack of investment from owner Peter Lim is another issue and should Valencia swim in relegation waters for the 2023-24 season, they might not be lucky to come out this time.
Watch the 2023-24 La Liga season live on Afrosport TV across Nigeria, Channel 730 on Free TV or stream online via VIDIVU TV
