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LA LIGA PREVIEW: Here is the lowdown on Barcelona, Real Madrid and rest of top-flight teams

The League may have had a problematic time off the field struggling with selling British TV rights and draw up a full list of competitions, but the action after that returns again tonight.

The summer window in Spain has also raised all sorts of bizarre stories and unexpected twists and there are still a few weeks left with a deadline of 2 September.

The main points of discussion were Atletico Madrid and The legal dispute of Barcelona about Antoine The transfer of Griezmann, the final move of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid Nabil Fekir's shock decision to join Real Betis and Valencia and retain their boss Marcelino Garcia Toral after a turbulent summer.

Although the window remained open, the focus now returns to football and it promises to be one of the most intriguing seasons of recent years.

The race for the title is a call for everyone with Athletic and Real who spend a lot of money to close the gap in Barcelona, while the battle for European places could be between six or seven teams.

There are also some familiar faces with the return of Osasuna, Mallorca and Granada, all of whom hope to beat the drop after having experienced several relegations in recent years.

Prior to the season opener on Friday night when Athletic Bilbao hosted the defender of Barcelona, which ITV announced they would broadcast on Thursday in the UK, Sportsmail give you an in-depth understanding of how each of the 20 sides of the top flight is set and everything you need to know prior to the new campaign.

La Liga returns Friday – can Barcelona retain the title of this campaign?

LA LINKS ON TV IN THE UK

ITV4 show competitions from the opening three weeks of the new season, starting on Friday evening :

Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona – 8:00 pm Friday, August 16

Barcelona v Real Betis – 8:00 pm, Sunday, August 25

Villarreal v Real Madrid – 20:00, Sunday 1 September [1945905]

Athletic BILBAO

Head coach: Gaizka Garitano

Transfers in: Peru Nolaskoain (Bilbao Athletic, promotion), Inigo Vicente (Bilbao Athletic, promotion), Asier Villalibre (Bilbao Athletic, promotion), Gaizka Larrazabal (Bilbao Athletic, promotion)

Transfers from: Mikel Rico (Huesca, free), Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad, free), Xabi Ethxieta (Getafe, free), Sabin Merino (Been anes, free), Other Iturraspe (Espanyol, free), Peru Nolaskoain (Deportivo, loan), Andoni Lopez (Elche, free), Inigo Vicente (Mirandes , loan), Markel Susaeta (released)

Last season: 8th

With such restrictions on the transfer market, Athletic Bilbao always faces a tough fight to improve last season's performance.

Inaki Williams was impressed by last season and will repeat this campaign from his repetitions

Gaizka Garitano recently defended the club's policy of only signing Basque players and said: & # 39; It is different if you play not only for money, not just for victory titles, but also for our sweater, for our values, for our families, friends, it is something special in the world. & # 39;

Bilbao has somehow managed to make ends meet and possess a talented team. After capturing the future of Inaki Williams, who was affiliated with Manchester United this summer, Garitano will hope to be able to deliver European football to a club that has starved of it in recent seasons.

Finish was a huge improvement over the previous campaign, almost degrading them and Gartian will strive to keep pushing Bilbao in the right direction.

Key Man: Inaki Williams

The Spaniard Becomes Bilbao's main scoring threat and will try to pursue his form for the final campaign after placing the best 13 La League season goals.

ATLETICO MADRID

Head Coach: Diego Simeone

Transfers in: Hector Herrera (Porto, free), Ivan Saponjic (Benfica B, £ 450k ), Renan Lodi (Club Athletic Paranaense, £ 18m), Felipe (Porto, 18m), Kieran Trippier (£ 20m, Tottenham), Mario Hermoso (Espanyol, £ 22.5m), Marcos Llor (Real Madrid, £ 27 million), Joao Felix (Benfica, £ 114 million)

Transfers from: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona, £ 108 million), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich £ 72 million), Rodri (Manchester City , £ 63), Gelson Martins (Monaco, £ 27m), Luciano Vietto (Sporting Lisbon, £ 6.75m), Bernard Mensah (Kayserispor, £ 3.25), Felipe Luis (Flemish, free), Diego Godin (Inter Milan , free), Andre Moreira (Belenenses SAD, free), Juanfran (Sao Paulo, free), Hector Hernandez (CF Fuenlabrada, loan), Nehuen Perez (FC Famalicao, loan), Axel Werner (San Luis, loan), Nicolas Ib anez (San Luis, loan)

Last season: 2nd

Diego Simeone has spent a lot of time this summer and expectations will be high. Joao Felix has attracted attention especially in the preseason and Athletic wants him to play a major role in this campaign to fill the void that Antoine Griezmann has left.

Despite bringing in eight new faces, the concern for Athletic will be that they have also lost some experienced members of their team this summer with people like Diego Godin, Juanfran and Felipe Luis leaving free.

Traditionally a well-oiled machine that prides itself on clean sheets, you can expect more from the same from Athletic, which this summer has reinforced more than anywhere else at the back.

£ 114 million man Joao Felix has had a brilliant preseason season and becomes Atleitco & # 39; s most important player this term

They could also welcome an additional addition through the door as James Rodriguez's protracted move from Real Madrid for the deadline of 2 September would have been completed.

Atletico only had the only trophy to celebrate the final installment after he lifted the European Supercup, but the goal this season will undoubtedly win one of the big winning games.

Key Man: Joao Felix

You can't sign for £ 114 million and don't expect you to be the best dog's club.

After Griezmann's departure, the responsibility for the young Portuguese international lies in his shoes. If something is wrong, he should have no problems.

BARCELONA

Head coach: Ernesto Valverde

[1945902] Transfers in: ] Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid, £ 108 m), Frenkie de Jong (Ajax, £ 67 m), Grandson (Valencia, £ 23 m), Junior Firpo (Real Betis, £ 16 m), Emerson (Atletico Mineiro, £ 10 m), Marc Cucurella (Eibar, £ 3 million), Moussa Wague (Barcelona B , free)

Transfers from: Malcolm (Zenit, £ 36m), Jasper Cillessen (Valencia, 31m), Andre Gomes (Everton, £ 22m), Paco Alcacer (Borussia Dortmund, £ 19 m), Denis Suarez (Celtic Vigo, £ 11 m), Emerson (Real Betis, £ 5 m), Marc Cardona (Osasuna, £ 2 m), Segi Palencia (Saint-Etienne, £ 1.8 million), Thomas Vermaelen (Vissel Kobe, free), Douglas (Besiktas, free), Adrian Ortola (Tenerife, free), Marc Cucurella (Getafe, loan)

Last season: 1st

It's fair to say that Barcelona is in front and in the mid den has stood as the co me to the greatest stories of the transfer window this summer. After finally capturing Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in a £ 108 million controversial deal, the Catalan giants still don't look like they are stopping to end Neymar & # 39; s sensational return to the Nou Camp.

Who else would be the most important man of Barcelona than the unstoppable Lionel Messi

But as you look past the drama, Ernesto Valverde has quietly enjoyed a good window. The Barcelona boss has added depth to the full back with the addition of Junior Firpo from Real Betis, while Grandson is replacing Jasper Cillessen, as Marc-Andre Stegen & # 39; s understudy has a goal.

So far, Frenkie de Jong looks like he has played his entire career in Barcelona and is seamlessly integrated. However, their preparations for the season took a knock when Lionel Messi sustained a minor injury during training just days after returning, so Valverde will hope and get his talisman back as soon as possible.

Key man: Lionel Messi

Who else?

Even if Neymar returned this summer, Barcelona will continue to rely on the little Argentinian who will ridiculously give you 30-50 goals in all competitions.

CELTA VIGO

Head coach: Fran Scribe

Transfers in: Ivan Villar (Celtic Vigo B, promotion), Jorge Saenz (Valencia, loan), Santi Mina (Valencia, free), Joseph Aidoo (Genk, £ 7.2 million), Denis Suarez (Barcelona, £ 11.6 million)

Transfers from: Dennis Eckert (released), Nemanja Radoja (released), Robert Mazan (CD Tenerife, loan), Gustavo Cabral (Pachucha, free), Facundo Roncaglia (Osasuna, £ 225k), Andrew Hjulsager (KV Oostende, £ 450k), Emre Mor (Galatasaray, loan fee £ 540k), Mathias Jensen (Brentford, £ 3.42 m), Maxi Gomez (Valencia, £ 13 m)

Last season: 17th

Celtic Vigo cam dangerously close to dropping last season and only a disaster averted after an inspiring second half of the season.

They may not be one of the favorites to go down, but Vigo can have a hard time again during this period. Maxi Gomez, who scored 13 important goals in La Liga last season, will be a big miss.

The Uruguayan played an important role in beating the drop but left earlier this summer for only £ 13 million to Valencia. Denis Suarez is a solid asset, but the Spaniard has found it hard to find his best shape and stay fit in recent years.

If he can reach the level he is capable of, there is no doubt that he will be a big player for them. But it is in attack where you fear that Vigo can be exposed. They lack firepower and the pressure will lie on the aging of Iago Aspas to deliver an abundance of goals again this time.

Key Man: Iago Aspas

Yes, he is still around and still popping targets for Celta Vigo. Only the 20 goals for him last season. There is no doubt that Vigo's hope will be on the Spaniard. But at the age of 32 it will become clear whether he can stay fit or not.

Iago Aspas is the go-to man of Celta Vigo, hoping that Denis Suarez can have the real impact

ALAVES

Head Coach: Asier Garitano

Transfers in: Lucas Perez (West Ham, £ 2.07 m, Joselu (Newcastle, £ 2.02 m), Ramon Mierez (Tiger, £ 2.01 m), Luis Rioja (Almeria, £ 1.8 m), Saul Garcia (Deportivo La Coruna, free) ), Tachi (Atletico Madri d B, free), Aleix Vidal (Seville, loan)

Transfers from: Antonio Cristian (Fuenlabrada, free), Carlos Vigaray (Real Zaragoza, free)

Last season: 11th

For a previous season it turned out that Milds would cause a shock by finishing in the top four.

However, a disappointing conclusion of the campaign meant that she ended up at the mid-table, and they now have a new coach at the helm in Asier Garitano, who replaces Abelardo.

Many of Alaves & # 39; s most important campaigns were only on loan to the club, and people like Takashi Inui, Borja Baston and Jonathan Calleri have all left.

Alaves responded by bringing in two attackers who were struggling to make a big impact in the Premier League – Lucas Perez and Joselu. They also loaned Aleix Vidal, previously from Barcelona, to Seville.

It may turn out to be a difficult season for Alaves, with much depending on whether their new strikers can run to the ground.

Key Man: Lucas Perez

Perez collected only four league goals in his spells in England with Arsenal and West Ham.

The 30-year-old, however, will have great expectation to impress Alaves when he returns to La Liga.

During a loan period with Deportivo La Coruna two seasons ago, Perez scored nine times in La Liga, and he will try to improve that number because he wants to play a major role for Alaves.

Lucas Perez struggled a major to make impact for Alaves

EIBAR

Head coach: Jose Luis Mendilibar

Transfers in : Edu Exposito (Deportivo La Coruna, £ 3.6 m), Quique (Deportivo La Coruna, £ 2.97 m), Pedro Bigas (Las Palmas, £ 2.7 m), Roberto Alabe (Atletico Madrid B, £ 2.52 m, Takashi Inui (Real Betis, £ 1.8 million), Esteban Burgos (Alcorcon, free), Roberto Correa (Cadiz, free), Alvaro Tejero (Real Madrid), Asier Benito (Bilbao) Athlet ic, free), Ruben Lobato (Oviedo Vetusta, free)

Transfers from: Joan Jordan (Sevilla, £ 12 m), Ruben Pena (Villarreal, £ 7.2 m), Marc Cucurella (Barcelona, £ 3.6 m), Pablo Hervias (Real Valladolid, £ 900,000), Pere Milla (Elche, free), Unai Elgezabal (Alcorcon, free), Jose Antonio Martinez (Granada, loan), Asier Benito (Ponferradina, loan), Roberto Olabe (Albacete, loan), Nano (Cadiz, loan)

Last season: 12th

Eibar has become somewhat predictable, with last season they returned to the midtable end.

A 12th place followed by 9th place and 10th in the previous two campaigns, with the expectation that they will end up in a similar position again this time.

The departure of midfielder Joan Jordan is a blow, but Edu Exposito, who became a member of Deportivo La Coruna, should be able to tuck in quickly.

Experienced coach Jose Luis Mendilibar remains in charge and his side must be able to easily avoid relegation.

Key Man: Charles

He is perhaps 35 years old, but Charles was very impressive for Eibar last season, as he scored 14 goals in La Liga.

Eibar will hope that the attacker can continue to find the net for at least one more campaign.

]

Charles may not be younger, but he still knows always where the back of the net is

ESPANYOL

Head coach: David Gallego

[1945902] Transfers in: Matias Vargas (Velez Sarsfield), £ 9.45 million), Fernando Calero (Real Valladolid, £ 7.2 million), Other Iturraspe (Athletic Bilbao, free), Andres Prieto (Leganes, free), Bernardo Espinosa (Girona, loan)

Transfers from: Mario Hermoso (Atletico Madrid, £ 22.5 m), Aaron Martin (Mainz, 5.4 m), Hernan Perez (Al Ahli , free), Roberto (West Ham, free), Alvaro Vazquez (Sporting Gijon, free), Oscar Duarte (free)

Last season: 7th

Espanyol did quite well last season because they finished in seventh place in La Liga and earned a place in the Europa League qualifiers.

However, the departments of some important players in the summer can hit the club hard.

Mario Hermoso, for example, joined Atletico Madrid, and as a result Espanyol can be considerably less resilient at the rear.

In addition, if they eventually make progress in the Europa League, this may prove to be a hindrance to their domestic form, with manager David Gallego, who has replaced Ruby, facing a difficult task.

Key Man: Marc Roca

Roca, a product of Espanyol & # 39; s academy, delivered a number of consistent performances last season.

This campaign, with several players going further, the defensive midfielder may have more difficulty taking responsibility if Espanyol appears to be enjoying an impressive campaign.

Roca was connected to Bayern Munich earlier this summer, but chose to stay with Espanyol. If he continues to perform at such a high level, he will certainly not be long before there is more speculation about his future.

Highly regarded midfielder Marc Roca could be a crucial figure for Espanyol this campaign

GETAFE

Head coach: Jose Bordalas

Transfers in: Enric Gallego (Huesca , £ 5.4m, Faycal Fajr (Caen, £ 1.35 million), Jack Harper (Malaga, £ 1.35 million), Raul Garcia (Girona, free), Xabi Etxeita (Athletic Bilbao), Marc Cucurella ( Barcelona, loan), Allan Nyom (West Bromwich Albion), not disclosed

Trans fers from: Roberto Ibanez (Osasuna, £ 1.8 m), Jack Harper (Alcorcon, loan), Gaku Shibasaki (Deportivo La Coruna, free), Alvaro Jimenez (Albacete, loan), Miguel Rubio (Fuenlabrada, loan ), Ignasi Miquel (Girona, loan), Mathieu Flamini (released), Chuli (released)

Last season: 5th

Getafe got a place in the Europa League group stage after being on last season fifth place in La Liga ended

They want to push this campaign even further and have designs to reach the top 4.

Coach Jose Bordalas will have to manage his team carefully so that his most important players do not get too exhausted by the Europa League.

However, Getafe has a talented team and is unlikely to be pushovers when confronted with La Liga & # 39; s leading lights.

Key Man: Jorge Molina

Molina was a key factor behind much of Getafe & # 39; s impressive displays last season, as evidenced by the fact that he scored 14 goals in La Liga.

The sharp shooter managed to achieve 62 percent of his effo rts on goal, because he caused numerous problems for the defense.

Even at the age of 37 he has shown no signs of delay and this campaign will be fruitful again.

The 37-year-old Jorge Molina was impressive last season and will want to be in again catch the eye

GRANADA

Head Coach: Diego Martinez

[1945902] Transfers in: Darwin Machis (Udinese, £ 2.7 million), Domingos Duarte (Sporting Lisbon, £ 2.7 million), Yan Brice (Seville, £ 900,000), Fede Vico (Leganes, £ 225,000), Roberto Soldier (Fenerbahce, free), Neyder Lozano (Elche , free), Yangel Herrera (Manchester City, loan), Jose Antonio Martinez (Eibar, loan)

Transfers from: Adrian Castellano (Numancia, £ 270,000), Sergio Pena (FC Emmen, free), Pablo Vazquez (Badajoz CD, free), Jose Antonio Gonzalez (Cordoba, loan), Alberto Martin (released), Fran Rico (released), Nicolas Aguirre (released), Raul Baena (released)

Last season: 2nd, Second Division

One of the newly promoted games, Grenada returned to La Liga after two seasons.

They hope to get it sooner than their last top flight campaign, when they ended up at the bottom of the table.

In particular, there have not been many large departments from Granada this summer, and coach Diego Martinez has earned a lot of praise.

However, it will still be very difficult for his party to prevent him from leaving immediately.

Key Man: Roberto Soldado

Former Spanish striker soldier accompanied Granada this summer for a free transfer after his departure from Fenerbahce.

With a lot of La Liga experience, the 34-year-old will be trusted this season by Granada.

Last season, Soldaat scored six league goals in 21 games for Fenerbahce, but he hopes he will be able to score more often for Granada.

Roberto Soldier will are excited to impress Granada after joining the club on a free transfer

Leganes [1945904]

Head coach: Mauricio Pellegrino

Transfers in: Martin Braithwaite (Middlesbrough, not disclosed), Juan Soriano (Sevilla, loan), Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis, loan), Aitor Ruibal (Port B, not disclosed), Andre Grandi (Madrid International , free), Sabin Merino (Athletic Bilbao, free), Alex Martin (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Roberto Rosales (Malaga, £ 1.08 million), Juan Munoz (AD Alcorcon, £ 1.35 million), Jonathan Silva (Sporting Lisbon, £ 2.7 million), Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea, £ 4 Million)

Transfers from: Mamadou Kone (Deportivo de La Coruna, loan), Dani Ojeda (Albacete, loan)), Andres Prieto (Espanyol, free), Ezequiel Munoz ( Lanus, free), Nabil El Zhar (Al Ahli Sports Club, free), Fede Vico (Granada CF, £ 225k), Gerard Gumbau (Girona, £ 450k), Luciano (Gremio, 900k)

Last season: 13th

Now starting their fourth consecutive campaign in La Liga, Leganes wants to build on last season when they finish 13th – their highest position ever.

They made the news in September by beating Barcelona 3-1 and moved permanently to Martin Braithwaite after being impressed during a loan period.

season it would not be surprising if Leganes ended up at the mid-table again. However, they have a difficult start because they host Atletico Madrid.

Keyman: Youssef En-Nesyri

He played a crucial role for Leganes last season and scored nine goals in La Liga.

That led to interest in the Moroccan from a large number of clubs, including Brighton.

Leganes rejected an offer of £ 18 million from the seagulls, leaving En-Nesyri frustrated and whether he remains interesting to see if the commitments of the 22-year-old remain the same.

Youssef En-Nesyri was the subject of interest from Brighton after an impressive season

Levante

Head coach: Paco Lopez

Transfers in: Ruben Vezo (Valencia, £ 4.5 m), Sergio Leon ( Real Betis, £ 3.6 m, Gonzalo Melero (SD Huesca, £ 3.2 m), Carlos Clerc (Osasuna, free), Oscar Duarte (Espanyol, free), Jorge Miramon (SD Huesca, free), Hernani ( Postage free, Borja Mayoral (Real Madrid loan)

Transfers from: Ruben Garcia (Osasuna, £ 2.7m), Chema (Nottingham Forest, 450k), Esteban Saveljich (Rayo Vallecano, £ 270k), Pedro Lopez (SD Huesca, free), Jason (Valencia, free), Pepulu (Tondela, loan), Ivi Lopez (SD Huesca, loan), Raphael Dwamena (Real Zaragoza , loan), Koke (Deportivo, loan)

Last season: 15th

Get up with a jumble of the season, but will bring some confidence in the season after relegating Majorca rivals in their last friendly match have been defeated. It will be important that they start quickly with matches against Real Madrid and Real Betis that come within the first month.

They comfortably defeated the drop last season, kept floating seven points and will come out to maintain their position in the top flight.

Ze hebben wat opwindend talent, met name aan de bovenkant van het veld en zouden genoeg moeten hebben om de prestatie van vorig seizoen om op te blijven herhalen.

Key man: Roger Marti

13 De competitiedoelen zijn voor iedereen een behoorlijke terugkeer, maar het feit dat Marti zo vaak in een worstelend team de achterkant van het net heeft weten te vinden, maakt het nog indrukwekkender.

Levante genoeg over hen om punten te verzamelen, zelfs Marti schiet niet, maar als de 28-jarige vorm kan vinden zoals vorig seizoen, moeten ze weer veilig zijn.

Roger Marti wordt beschouwd als de belangrijkste speler van Stand-up na zijn overvloed aan doelpunten

RCD Mallorca

Hoofdcoach: Vicente Moreno

Transfers in: Lumor (Sporting Lissabon, lening), Aleksandar Sedlar (Piast Gliwice, gratis), Josep Sene (Leonese Cultural, gratis), Alex Joy (Real Betis, gratis), Aleksandar Trajkovski (Palermo, gratis), Aleix Febas (Real Madrid Castilla, gratis), Pablo Chavarria (Stade Reims, gratis), Igor Zlatanovic (Radnik, £ 1,17 m), Martin Valjent (Chiev o, £ 1,35 m), Ante Budimir (Crotone, £ 1,98 m)

Transfers uit: Carlos Castro (CD Lugo, lening), Sergio Buenacasa (SD Ponferradina, lening), Enzo Lombardo (Racing Santander, lening), Pablo Valcarce (SD Ponferradina, lening), Bryan Reyna (Barakaldo CF, lening), Stoichkov (Alcorcon , lening), Franco Russo (SD Ponferradina, lening), Alex Lopez (Extremadura, lening), Salva Ruiz (Valencia, gratis), Fernando Cano (Lleida Esportiu, gratis), Alvaro Bustos (Pontevedra, gratis), Leandro Montagud (Cultureel Leoness, gratis), Pol Roige (GIF Sundsvall, gratis), Alejandro Faurlin (Marbella FC, gratis)

Vorig seizoen: 5e, tweede divisie

Overal boven de onderste drie wil van Mallorca this season just to restore some normality.

Lago Junior will be La Liga new boys Mallorca's biggest scoring threat

In the last three seasons they have been relegated, then promoted and promoted again.

They came up via the play-offs, but unlike in the Championship, it is far from the richest game in football, so Mallorca have had to operate on a shoestring budget this summer.

It's going to be a real struggle for them, but the fact they lost the first play-off leg 2-0 and won the second leg 3-0 to secure promotion suggests they have the mettle to at least put up a good fight.

Key man: Lago Junior

Any side that has just gone up into a new league has to rely on a striker grabbing them enough goals to win matches.

That responsibility for Mallorca falls firmly on the shoulders of Lago Junior this season. He was their top scorer last term, netting 11 times in the league.

The jump to La Liga is a big one, but Mallorca will hope Junior is up for the test and can come close to his tally last campaign.

Osasuna

Head coach: Jagoba Arrasate

Transfers in: Pervis Estupinan (Watford U23s, loan), Raul Navas (Real Sociedad, loan), Jaume Grau (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Adrian Lopez (FC Porto, free), Facundo Roncaglia (Celta Vigo, £225k), Darko Brasanac (Real Betis, £900k), Brandon (Stade Rennais FC, £1.8m), Robert Ibanez (Getafe, £1.8m), Marc Cardona (Barcelona, £2.25m), Chimy Avila (San Lorenzo, £2.43m), Ruben Garcia (Levante, £2.7m)

Transfers out: David Rodriguez (released), Xisco (released), Miguel Olavide (released), Jaume Grau (CD Lugo, loan), Miguel Diaz (CD Tudelano, free), Carlos Clerc (Levante, free), Imanol Garcia (Cordoba, fr ee)

Last season: 1st, Segunda Division

Osasuna raced away to win the Spanish second division and bounce back to La Liga at the first time of asking.

But this season will be very different. They will not experience the winning feeling as often as they did in the Segunda and they must be prepared for that.

Osasuna have been a yo-yo club since their relegation from the top-flight in the 2013-14 season and will be eager to take this opportunity to re-establish themselves as a La Liga club.

First season, just stay up by any means necessary, that will be the goal.

Chimy Avila has a big role to play for Osasuna after proving himself in La Liga last season

Key man: Chimy Avila

Avila was a very smart buy by the La Liga new boys.

The midfielder scored some eye-catching goals last season during his loan spell at Huesca and his overall play is neat and tidy.

He bagged an impressive 10 goals last time around and will be key to Osasuna's chances of survival.

Real Betis

Head coach: Rubi

Transfers in: Borja Iglesias (Espanyol, £25m), Giovani Lo Celso (PSG, £20m), Nabil Fekir (Lyon, £20m), Juanmi (Real Sociedad, £7m), Emerson (Barcelona, £5m), Dani Martin (Sporting Gijon, £4.5m), Alfonso Pedraza (Villarreal, loan)

Transfers out: Pau Lopez (Roma, £21m), Junior Firpo (Barcelona, £16m), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham, loan fee: £14.5m), Sergio Leon (Levante, £3.5m), Ryad Boudebouz (Saint Etienne, £3m), Takashi Inui (Eibar, £2m), Victor Camarasa (Crystal Palace, loan), Darko Brasanac (Osasuna, £900,000), Alin Tosca (Gazisehir, free), Alex Alegria (Mallo rca, free), Aitor Ruibal (Leganes, loan), Julio Gracia (Badajoz, loan), Liberto Beltran (Lleida Esportiu, loan)

Last season: 10th

A side with real potential that at times showed just what they were capable of last season.

Betis had a care-free and attractive style of playing but the core of their side has been cut up this summer.

Pau Lopez, Junior Firpo and Giovani Lo Celso, who was instrumental in midfield last term, have all gone on to bigger and brighter things, but you can't help but wonder had Betis kept hold of them that they could have made a real push to break the top six.

As it happens, that is not the case. Fans will be however be delighted by the capture of Nabil Fekir, who decided to join from Lyon despite seemingly having a number of more appealing offers.

Borja Iglesias was prolific for Espanyol last season too, so his signing will add further firepower to their goalscoring threat. The ambition will be to finish in those European places. Whether they can do it or not is another thing entirely.

Key man: Nabil Fekir

It will be interesting to see how the Frenchman takes to La Liga.

Fekir has only ever played in France, so it will be a challenge for him to adapt to his new surroundings. If he can be even half the player he was at Lyon then Betis have got a gem.

He scored a shed load during his time at Lyon and assisted almost just as much for his team-mates. The 26-year-old is Betis' most talented player and will revel in being the star man and their focal point of attack.

The arrivals of Nabil Fekir (L) and Borja Iglesias (R) adds significant firepower to Betis' attack

Real Madrid

Head coach: Zinedine Zidane

Transfers in: Eden Hazard (Chelsea, £150m), Luka Jovic (F rankfurt, £54m), Eder Militao (Porto, £45m), Ferland Mendy (Lyon, £49m), Rodrygo (Santos, £40m), Alberto Soro (Real Zaragoza, £2m), Luca Zidane (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Javi Sanchez (Real Madrid Castilla, free), Jorge de Frutos (Real Madrid Castilla, free)

Transfers out: Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea, £40m), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid, £27m), Raul de Tomas (Benfica, £18m), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan, £18m), Jesus Vallejo (Wolves, loan), Alberto Soro (Real Zaragoza, loan), Martin Odegaard (Real Sociedad, loan), Dani Ceballos (Arsenal, loan), Borja Mayoral (Levante, loan), Jorge de Frutos (Real Valladolid, loan), Sergio Reguilon (Sevilla, loan), Javi Sanchez (Real Valladolid, loan), Andriy Lunin (Real Valladolid, loan), Luca Zidane (Racing, loan )

Last season: 3rd

It all looked so promising for Real Madrid at the start of the summer window as Zinedine Zidane looked to get all of his transfer business done and dusted ahead of the new campaign. Real brought in Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Ferland Mendy in what looked to be the new era of Galaticos.

However, their pre-season came tumbling down in an instant when they were truly humbled by a new-look Atletico Madrid side in America. There were complaints that Hazard had packed on the pounds while Real's aging midfield continued to be a thorn in Zidane's side.

The Frenchman is still desperate to bring in Paul Pogba but Manchester United's valuation of the World Cup winner looks to have killed any potential move.

The Spanish giants have often looked disjointed and out of sorts during pre-season and even Marca have stated that the idea of Real winning a trophy this season is 'farcical'. While keeping that in mind, you'd expect Real to challenge Barcelona and Atletico for the league this season given the amount they've shelled out this summer.

Key man: Eden Hazard

Brought in for a deal worth up to £150million, Hazard will be that go-to player whether he starts out on the left or in the No 10 position behind Benzema. Zidane will need to drum out that 'unselfish' characteristic Hazard possesses if he's going to become a goal-machine for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid will expect a lot from Eden Hazard this season after becoming their record signing

Real Sociedad

Head coach: Imanol Alguacil

Transfers In: Alex Sola (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Robin Le Normand (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Aihen Munoz (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Andoni Zubiaurre (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Ander Guevara (Real Sociedad B, promotion), Martin Odegaard (Real Madrid, loan), Alex Remiro (Athletic Bilbao, free) Modibo Sagnan (Lens, £4.05m), Alexander Isak (Borussia Do rtmund, £5.85m), Portu (Girona, £9m)

Transfers Out: Alex Sola (Numancia, loan), Jon Guridi (Mirandes, loan), Martin Merquelanz (Mirandes, loan), Jon Bautista (KAS Eupen, loan), Hector Moreno (Al Gharafa Sports Club, free), Eneko Capilla (Asteras Tripolis, free), Geronimo Rulli (Montpellier, £1.35m loan fee), Juanmi (Real Betis, £7.2m)

Last season: 9th

There will be a notable change for Sociedad this season, with the renovation of their Anoeta Stadium set to be completed.

A major plus for the club this summer was retaining the services of wingers Mikel Oyarzabal.

However, the departure of defender Hector Moreno, among others, could prove to be problematic.

Key man: Mikel Oyarzabal

There was much speculation about Oyarzabal's future this summer, with Manchester City among the clubs to have been linked with him.

However, the winger ended up staying at Sociedad and will be seeking to build upon a hugely impressive 2018-19 campaign, when he scored 14 goals and provided four assists in La Liga.

This season Sociedad are set to again be heavily reliant upon the 22-year-old.

Mikel Oyarzabal ended up staying at Real Sociedad despite much speculation over his future

Real Valladolid

Head coach: Sergio

Transfers in: Javi Sanchez (Real Madrid, loan), Jorge de Frutos (Real Madrid, loan), Pedro Porro (Manchester City, loan), Sandro Ramirez (Everton, loan), Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid, loan), Federico Barba (Chievo, loan), Pablo Hervias (Eibar, £900k)

Transfers out: Moises Delgado (Racing Santander, loan), Antonio Dominguez (Algeciras CF, free), Fernando Calero (Espanyol, 7.2m)

Last season: 16th

Ronaldo may have splashed out to purchase a majority share in the club last season, but the former Brazil star's wallet has remained firmly shut this summer.

Despite last season's struggles to beat the drop, Pablo Herbvias has been the club's only permanent signing, moving from Eibar for £900k.

The loan signing of Sandro Ramirez however could prove to be a great piece of business. He may have flopped at Everton and failed at Real Sociedad last season, but the Barcelona academy product has proven he can score regularly in La Liga, having netted 14 times for Malaga in the 2016-17 campaign.

Having scored the least amount of goals last season (32), Sandro's acquisition provides Valladolid's attack with the firepower it has so desperately been lacking. Fernando Calero will be a big loss for them though after the talented defender joined Espanyol. Just staying up will be the goal this season.

Key man: Sandro Ramirez

The pressure will fully be on Sandro Ramirez to score goals this season.

His confidence will be at an all-time low after failing to score a single league goal in 24 games at Real Sociedad last season, but if he can recapture his best form, he could have a sole impact on where Vallodolid end up this term.

Sandro Ramirez has struggled for form but can play a big part in Real Vallodolid's survival bid

Sevilla

Head coach: Julen Lopetegui

Transfers in: Rony Lopes (Monaco, £22.5m), Jules Kounde (Bordeaux, £22.5m), Lucas Ocampos (Marseille, £13.5M), Diego Carlos (Nantes, £13.5m), Munas Dabbur (RB Salzburg, (£13.5m), Joan Jordan (Eibar, £12.6m), Luuk de Jong (PSV, £11.25m), Oliver Torres (Porto, £10.8m), Fernando (Galatasaray, £4.05m), Nemanja Gudelj (Evergrande, free), Sergio Reguilon (Real Madrid, loan).

Transfers out: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco, £36m), Pablo Sarabia (PSG, £16.2m), Quincy Promes (Ajax, £14.13m), Luis Muriel (Atalanta, £13.5m), Yan Brice (Granada, £900k), Gabriel Mercado (Al Rayyan, free), Marc Gual (Girona, loan), Giorgi Aburjania (Twente, loan), Ibrahim Amadou (Norwich, loan), Carlos Fernandez (Granada, loan), Juan Soriano (Leganes, loan), Aleix Vidal (Alaves, loan).

Last season: 6th

Big things are expected at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium this season with a new manager in place and £100m spent on new talent.

Sevilla's biggest summer signing Rony Lopes can shine for them in La Liga this season

Returning director Monchi has got straight down to work with 11 new signings to help Julen Lopetegui rebuild his reputation after quitting as Spain manager on the eve of the World Cup for a disastrous spell with Real Madrid.

The Spaniard faces the task of getting the new-look side to gel together as quickly as possible but improving on last year's sixth-placed finish should be achievable.

Key man: Rony Lopes

The attacking midfielder will be desperate to b anish the though ts of last season's nightmare with Monaco and begin a new chapter at Sevilla.

Two years ago, Lopes was linked with just about every major club in Europe after banging in 15 goals. Last season he managed just the four as Monaco narrowly escaped relegation.

Sevilla have clearly seen something in Lopes to splash out £22.5m off the back of such a disappointing campaign and will look to him to be their creative spark this term. A cultured midfielder who is great on the ball, can pick out a pass and has an eye for an goal, he possesses all the attributes to shine in this league.

Valencia

Head coach: Marcelino García Toral

Transfers in: Jasper Cillessen (Barcelona, £31m), Maxi Gomez (Celta Vigo, £13m), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal, £5m), Manu Vallejo (Cadiz, £5m), Jorge Saenz (Tenerife, £2m), Salva Ruiz (Mallorca, free), Alex Carbonell (Cordoba, free), Jason (Levante, free), Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City, free), Jaume Costa (Villarreal, loan)

Transfers out: Neto (Barcelona, £23m), Simone Zaza (Torino, £11m), Ruben Vezo (Levante, £4.5m), Jeison Murillo (Sampdoria, loan), Nacho Gil (Ponferradina, free), Aymen Abdennour (Kayserispor, free), Jorge Saenz (Celta Vigo, loan), Santi Mina (Celta Vigo, free), Alex Blanco (Real Zaragoza, loan), Toni Lato (PSV, loan), Uros Racic (Famalicao, l oan), Alex Carbonell (Fortuna Sittard, loan)

Last season: 4th

Valencia survived a turbulent summer which saw the futures of general manager Mateu Alemany and head coach Marcelino Garcia Toral almost leave the club.

Alemany appeared ready to walk away from Valencia and Marcelino vowed he would follow him through the exit doors if he did, but the latter had a change of heart and the two have remained.

Keeping hold of Marcelino was a huge coup for Valencia, considering he led them to a Champions League spot and Copa del Rey glory last term – the club's first trophy since 2008.

Having achieved so much, it will be difficult for Valencia to maintain the high standard, but they have invested well, bringing in the likes of Jasper Cillessen, Maxi Gomez and Denis Cheryshev. A top-four finish will be the expectation.

Keeping hold of their head coach Marcelino was a huge coup for Valencia this summer

Key man: Goncalo Guedes

There's no doubt that Guedes possesses the potential to be a big hitter in La Liga. Since joining Valencia from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, he has shown glimpses of a world class player but has not performed on a consistent basis.

You can't help but think that this could be the season he finally announces himself as a top player in the league.

There will be less pressure on him to score goals regularly following Gomez's arrival and he is expected to be given a new licence of freedom in an attacking role behind the main striker, which he could really flourish in.

Goncalo Guedes has shown glimpses of class but has not performed on a consistent basis

Villarreal

Head coach: Javier Calleja

Transfers in: Ruben Pena (Eibar, £7.2m), Raul Albiol (Napoli, £4.5m), Moi Gomez (Sporting Gijon, £1.2m), Alberto Moreno (Liverpool, free), Andre Zambo Anguissa (Fulham, loan), Enric Franquesa (Villarreal B, promotion), Xavi Quintilla (Villarreal B, promotion), Simon Moreno (Villarreal B, promotion)

Transfers out: Pablo Fornals (West Ham, £24m), Nicola Sansone (Bologna, £6.75m), Roberto Soriano (Bologna, 6.75m), Denis Cheryshev (Valencia, £5.4m), Ruben Semedo (£4m, Olympiacos), Victor Ruiz (Besiktas, £2.25m), Javi Fuego (Sporting Gijon, free), Juan Ibiza (UD Almeria, free), Alvaro Gonzalez (Marseille, loan), Simon Moreno (UD Almeria, loan), Miguelon (SD Huesca, loan), Enric Franquesa (CD Mirandes, loan), Jaume Costa (Valencia, loan), Alfonso Pedraza (Real Betis, loan), Daniel Raba (SD Huesca, loan)

Last season: 14th

Given the talent in the squad, there can be no arguments that last season fell way below expectations.

Although it could have been much worse with Villarreal staring relegation in the face at one point. A strong finish to the season saw them finish comfortably in 14th in the end.

It will be tall ask for them to better that this time around after losing key players such as Pablo Fornals and Denis Cheryshev in the summer window but it would be foolish to label them as mid-table languishers just yet.

They have some highly-rated prospects in Samuel Chukwueze and Santiago Caseres and will have genuine ambitions to crack the top 10.

Key man: Santi Cazorla

You've seen all the videos on social media, he may be 34-years-old and only recently recovered from an injury that kept him out of action for two years, but Cazorla still has plenty to offer.

He pulled the strings in midfield last season and has retained all the flair and technical skills that made him one of the best exports the Premier League has seen.

He even earned a recall to the Spain squad for his performances last season. Cazorla has that rare ability to pull a big moment out of the bag when needed and with another tough season expected, he will have a significant role to play.

Santi Cazorla is Villarreal's maestro in midfield while Samuel Chukwueze could be important

LA LIGA BETTING ODDS

La Liga winner

Barcelona – 4/9

Real Madrid – 7/4

Atletico Madrid – 12/1

Valencia – 100//1

Sevilla – 150/1

La Liga relegated

Mallorca – 5/7

Granada CF – 5/4

Valladolid – 7/5

Osasuna – 9/5

Alaves – 2/1

Levante – 3/1

La Liga top goalscorer

Lionel Messi: 4/6

Eden Hazard: 9/1

Luis Suarez: 10/1

Antoine Griezmann: 14/1

Karim Benzema: 16/1

*Odds provided by SportNation.bet

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