La Liga returns: Five things to look out for as the 2018-19 Spanish season kicks off

La Liga returns this weekend. The action gets underway on Friday evening with Girona at home to Valladolid in the first match, with Betis against Levante straight after that.

Champions Barcelona host Alaves on Saturday night at Camp Nou, with Real Madrid at home to Getafe on Sunday and Atletico away at Valencia on Monday night as the first round of matches is stretched over four full days.

Standard Sport takes a look at some of the top stories and points of interest as La Liga readies itself for another spectacular season…

Barca and Messi want Champions League & Liga double

Lionel Messi is Barcelona captain following the departure of Andres Iniesta, and the Argentine attacker told the Camp Nou crowd on Sunday that they hope to bring back the Champions League this season after seeing rivals Real Madrid win the continental competition for the past three years in a row.

“This year we are going to give everything we possibly can to bring that special and desired trophy back to Camp Nou,” he told fans on the pitch ahead of the Gamper Trophy win over Boca Juniors on Wednesday.

With Messi set to take a break from Argentina duty over the coming months, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is preparing himself for another big campaign with Barcelona and last season’s champions are the favourites with the bookmakers once again as they aim to win an eighth title in 11 years.

“Of course we want to win the Champions League,” coach Ernesto Valverde said on Friday. “But we know the path to winning the Champions League is winning La Liga. We are prioritising it all.”

How will Real Madrid cope without Cristiano Ronaldo?

For Real Madrid, it is already looking like it could be a complicated campaign. After claiming a third straight Champions League crown in May, the club have seen both coach Zinedine Zidane and star player Cristiano Ronaldo leave the club.

Julen Lopetegui has come in for the Frenchman, but replacing Ronaldo’s goals will be difficult. The Portuguese scored 450 times in 438 games over the past nine years at a rate of 50 per season and with just two weeks left in the summer window, Real look unlikely to make a statement signing.

Gareth Bale will be given additional protagonism, but the Welsh winger has been troubled by injuries during his time in Spain. Meanwhile, there is still no back-up for centre-forward Karim Benzema and scoring goals could be a problem for Madrid in 2018-19.

“Reinventing the team without Ronaldo is an exciting challenge,” Lopetegui said during the summer. After the 4-2 Uefa Super Cup defeat to Atletico on Wednesday, though, the former Spain coach is already under pressure to find solutions.

Real Madrid 2-4 Atletico Madrid (AET) | Super Cup highlights

Can Atletico challenge for the title?

Atletico Madrid won La Liga under Diego Simeone in 2013-14 and although they have not come close to repeating that feat since, this coming campaign could be different.

Simeone’s side were excellent in the second half of last season following the return of striker Diego Costa from Chelsea, while they were boosted by Antoine Griezmann’s decision to stay at the club this summer amid interest from Barcelona.

Rodri, Thomas Lemar and Gelson Martins are all exciting acquisitions and having beaten city rivals Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, Atleti look capable of challenging the big two in La Liga this term.

“This will give us strength and we have to celebrate,” Simeone said on Wednesday. “But from tomorrow, we will think about what lies ahead.” New season, same philosophy for Simeone and Atletico.

Keep an eye on Valencia, Sevilla and Betis

Valencia finished fourth last season and Marcelino’s men are in line for another strong season, perhaps even as outsiders to challenge for the title.

Bringing back Goncalo Guedes from Paris Saint-Germain after the Portugal attacker impressed on loan last term will be key if they can strike a deal, while Denis Cheryshev, Kevin Gameiro and Michy Batshuayi all look like shrewd signings.

For their part, Sevilla narrowly lost out to Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa last Sunday and the Andalusians should be a force under new coach Pablo Machin, although it may take time for the players to fully adapt to the 3-4-3 he used so successfully at Girona last season.

And their city rivals Betis will be well worth watching again after playing some delightful football on their way to a sixth-place finish in 2017-18. Quique Setien’s side, led by the evergreen 37-year-old Joaquin in midfield, are a joy to behold. Be sure to watch them this season!

North American venture meeting plenty of opposition

News broke on Thursday that there will be a La Liga game played in the United States for each of the next 15 seasons after the competition announced a joint venture with sports and entertainment group Relevent.

The proposal aims to make the sport even more popular in North America and La Liga will look to take either Real Madrid or Barcelona to the US for the fixture in question.

However, that has sparked concerns over the future of the competition and also possible fitness and fatigue issues for players in an already-packed calendar.

“Footballers cannot be used as currency for business that only benefits third parties,” AFE (Association of Spanish Footballers) president David Aganzo said in an official statement released later on Thursday in opposition to the new proposals.