Friday 21 August 2015 13:50, UK
Will Barcelona be victorious again? How will Rafael Benitez fit Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo together? Will Atletico rise again?
As we approach the start of what has been touted as the most competitive La Liga season ever, we asked our Spanish experts Guillem Balague, Graham Hunter and Terry Gibson to give their predictions for the new campaign...
You can catch the opening game of the La Liga season Malaga v Sevilla streamed on skysports.com from 7.25pm, as well as behind the red button on Sky Sports 5.
Guillem Balague
Top four: 1. Barcelona 2. Atletico Madrid 3. Real Madrid 4. Sevilla
Top scorer: Lionel Messi
Surprise package: If they start the season well, Espanyol could fight for fourth Champions league place. I hope my rose-tinted glasses are not blurring my vision.
Signing of the summer: Real Madrid renewing Sergio Ramos' contract. Honourable mentions to Mateo Kovacic for Real and Marco Asensio for Espanyol.
Copa del Rey winners: Athletic Bilbao
Balague's season preview: I'm fascinated to follow closely how Cristiano Ronaldo would accept the new role given to Gareth Bale. The business model at the club forces the manager to give more prominence to the Welsh player and place him as a 10 when it is a position that requires different attributes that Bale has.
Will Ronaldo be quiet as he gets less of the ball either from the left flank or as a nine? At the end, the manager will be blamed but the club philosophy would be really at fault in my eyes.
There are lots of ifs at Barcelona. If they can be strong defending and effective upfront, if rotations work, if they are still hungry, if they look after the details, and if they get their minds right, then Barcelona are still going to be the team to beat.
Graham Hunter
Top four: I believe that Barcelona are too competitive, too complete, too talented not to win this, so 1. Barcelona 2. Atletico Madrid 3. Real Madrid 4. Sevilla
Top scorer: Lionel Messi
Surprise package: Atleti. They are closer to title contenders than is being suggested right now. Otherwise, it will be interesting to see how good a player Real Madrid's young starlet Marco Asensio really is. Massive star of the future.
Signing of the summer: Pound for pound best is Jonathas at David Moyes' Real Sociedad. Outright best is Jackson Martinez at Atletico Madrid.
Copa del Rey winners: Athletic Bilbao
Hunter's season preview: This should be the season when even those who refuse to see how competitive La Liga is get proof they cannot ignore. Barcelona have a massive challenge to emulate not just their treble success but the enormous level of daily intensity they put into training and learning under Luis Enrique.
Rafa Benitez will introduce something similar to Real Madrid at their Valdebebas training HQ. Either you learn, apply his orders or you're out - irrespective of name and reputation. That should be to their general benefit, but what kind of pupils will he have in Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Marcelo and Sergio Ramos? We'll see. Madrid are in transition, with their journey clear but their destination less so.
That means that the improved strength of Atletico, Athletic, Villarreal, Valencia, Sevilla and perhaps Real Sociedad makes the fight for the top four places [indeed the top seven or eight places] really ferocious. Every single game will be worth watching, every single game will carry importance for relegation or European places. One of the most ferocious La Liga campaigns awaits us.
Terry Gibson
Top four: 1. Atletico Madrid 2. Barcelona. 3. Real Madrid 4. Sevilla
Top scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo
Surprise package: Eibar. After a relegation reprieve they have gone all out and transformed their squad with some excellent signings, especially goalkeeper Asier Riesgo and striker Borja Baston, who is on loan from Atletico and has been prolific the last two seasons in Segunda. I expect them to be top half this season which will be a huge improvement, but it's a shame Gaizka Garitano didn't stay.
Signing of the summer: Samu Garcia from Malaga to Villarreal at €8m. Good value, good player, the right age and will fit in well with the philosophy of Villarreal and manager Marcelino.
Copa del Rey winners: Real Madrid
Gibson's season preview: I'm looking forward to seeing the new attacking vibrancy at Atletico, with younger, faster players also applying themselves to the demanded work ethic from Diego Simeone. Last season they lacked pace in attack, which for a team that is compact and looks to move up the pitch quickly was a problem. This season that won't be.
I'm concerned that the Barca squad appears to be little bit thin this season. Of course there is no Xavi and now Pedro has departed to Chelsea, a huge loss for Barca who have to wait until January to play the possible replacements in Turan and Vidal. Their starting team is still the strongest in La Liga but big drop in quality regarding the replacements.
For Rafa Benitez the task is relatively straightforward! Real have to start winning big games and he has to create a balance. A lack of a genuine framework to fall back on against top teams in La Liga and Europe was Carlo Ancelotti's downfall. They won only four points against the other three sides in the top four last season.
For the first time, Sky Sports will show more than 300 live games from La Liga, with a comprehensive Spanish football offering across its platforms.
