The 2022/2023 La Liga season was an enthralling journey that as usual, featured the biggest clubs in world football; Real Madrid and Barcelona FC going at it while Atletico Madrid gamely tried to keep up.
We all know how that ended: Barcelona ended up winning the La Liga title with a 10-point margin while Real Madrid went trophyless and lost reigning Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema to Saudi Arabian side, Al Ittihad.
Who will win the 2023/2024 La Liga title? Join us as we find out with odds from leading Nigerian betting company, BetKing.
Transfer movement
Barcelona: The Blaugrana have been busy this transfer window, bringing in Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu and Inigo Martinez to bolster their ranks. They also said goodbye to Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba who have both joined Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, Antoine Griezmann and Samuel Umtiti among others.
Real Madrid: Despite the departure of their captain, Los Blancos have improved due to the arrivalof Jude Bellingham this summer, with the English midfielder arriving from Borussia Dortmund for €103m.
Arda Guler was also acquired from Fenerbahçe and will be a valuable option from the bench for the Lilywhites due to his ability to play across several different positions. Brahim Diaz, Fran Garcia and Joselu have also made returns to the Bernabeu from clubs in Spain and Italy.
Preseason form
Madrid have had an average preseason, winning twice, and losing twice, once to Barcelona. Barcelona, on the other hand, have also played four preseason games: winning three and losing once to Arsenal.
New season
Both clubs have favorable early fixtures in the new season; Barcelona will face Getafe, Cadiz and Villareal in the first three matches of the new campaign while Los Blancos will be away to Athletic Bilbao, Almeria and Celta Vigo.
How well both teams navigate that early round of fixtures could be vital in determining which of them lifts the La Liga title at the end of the season.
Tactics
Barcelona: In preseason, Barcelona stuck to their usual 4-3-3 with a few variations. Sometimes, Xavi used a midfielder on the wing, giving his team extra security in the middle of the park and other times, he used a direct winger. The rise of Abde Ezzalzouli and the return to form of Ansu Fati will give him options on the left next season.
La Masia still remains an incubator for supreme talent. Academy product, Fermin Lopez scored a wonder goal against Madrid that had the football world buzzing in Barcelona’s recent 3-0 friendly win. If he can get regular game time, he will give Xavi a weapon he doesn’t currently have – a midfielder who can shoot accurately from distance. This ability would be especially valuable against teams that prefer to defend in a low block against Barça.
Real Madrid: Football fans who prefer throwback tactics enjoyed a rare threat in the preseason as Carlo Ancelotti deployed a diamond formation to get the best out of his young midfield of Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham. It remains to be seen how long he sticks with the formation, especially if Madrid do manage to prise Kylian Mbappe away from PSG.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are still important, but this season will witness a change of the guard as the older midfielders are saved for the most important moments.
As it stands, expect both clubs to play a high line and look to compress their opponents and win the ball closer to the opposition goal. It will be interesting to see what tactics they use in the first El Clasico on October 29.
The Race for Golden Boot and Best Goalkeeper
Apart from the title race, individual accolades are also highly coveted especially as the best goalscorers and goalkeepers will have a big part to play.
With Karim Benzema gone, Robert Lewandowski is the clear frontrunner to win the Pichichi(Spanish highest goalscorer award) unless Vinicius Junior somehow becomes an elite marksman this season.
Thibaut Courtois and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are both world-class goalkeepers and will be instrumental for their respective teams. This is a tough choice but each keeper will need to have at least 15+ clean sheets for their team to be in title contention.
Bet on Barça to win the La Liga, Lewandowski to score 25+ goals & Gundogan to have 5+ assists @ 2.50
The best of the rest
The way the La Liga is set up, Real Madrid/Barcelona are favorites every year. Once in a while, Atletico Madrid shows up to spoil things for the established La Liga giants.
This season, they can pull off an upset – if things go their way. From Jan Oblak in goal to Jose Gimenez and Cesar Azpilicueta in defence, World Cup winner Rodrigo de Paul in midfield as well as Antoine Griezmann, Memphis Depay and Joao Felix in attack, the Rojiblancos have the tools to stun the El Clasico rivals.
The big question is, can they?
Bet on Atletico Madrid to win the La Liga title if Real Madrid/Barcelona didn’t count @ 1.72
We’re not sure which of the two Spanish giants will walk away with the La Liga title this season, but we’re sure of one thing; it will be an exciting ride as usual. As the season unfolds, Punters across Nigeria can continue to enjoy the thrilling spectacle that is the Spanish La Liga, eagerly anticipating the crowning of the season’s champions.
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