With the World Cup over, all of Europe’s major leagues are gearing up to restart the 2022-23 season. In Spain, LaLiga will be back on Thursday (matches, replays, highlights on ESPN/ESPN+) and, as often is the case, Barcelona and Real Madrid will be battling for the top spot.
It’s been six weeks since LaLiga was in action, and you may be a little rusty on where things stand. Who are chasing Barca and Real for those coveted Champions League spots? Are perennial contenders Atletico Madrid and Sevilla in trouble? Which players are looking to shine and which clubs are staring at relegation?
As your home for all things LaLiga, ESPN has you covered. Here’s what to keep an eye before the games commence once more.
Can Barcelona fulfill burning desire to win LaLiga?
When LaLiga resumes this week, it will do so with Barcelona sitting top of the table. A 2-1 comeback win against Osasuna in November ensured they spent the World Cup two points clear of Real Madrid. There is then a nine-point gap to third-placed Real Sociedad which means, following brief disturbances from Atletico Madrid in recent years, this season will once again be a Clasico shootout for the title.
Madrid won a LaLiga/Champions League double last season and, on most metrics, are perhaps still slightly ahead of Barca, as their 3-1 win at the Bernabeu showed in October. But Barca have a need and a desire to win the league this season which they will hope to channel to push them over the line.
The Catalans have not won the title since 2019, their longest run without topping LaLiga since 2004. Two of the past three seasons have ended without a trophy — they won the Copa del Rey in 2020-21 — and if they had opted to rebuild on a base of youth, another trophyless season could have been forgiven if not completely accepted. However, after some financial juggling allowed signings totalling over €150 million last summer, there is a need to justify that spending with trophies. With the Champions League gone — Barca dropped into the Europa League after finishing third in their group — that brings LaLiga into focus.
In interviews with Barca TV over the Christmas period, coach Xavi Hernandez and president Joan Laporta both spoke in those terms. “LaLiga is the absolute priority,” Laporta said. Xavi has even spoken about knowing a trophy is needed to keep his job. “Winning LaLiga will bring stability to the club,” he added, which is no small thing given the rollercoaster ride Barca fans have been on since 2020.
With 12 wins from 14 games so far, they are in a good place ahead of the restart. Young talent is mixed with experience, and Robert Lewandowski‘s goals — 13 in 14 league games so far — should be enough to blow away most opposition, although the Poland striker will serve a three-game ban when action resumes with the Catalan derby against Espanyol on Dec. 31. — Marsden
With that in mind, the 10 LaLiga-based Argentina players — three each from Sevilla and Atletico and two each from Villarreal and Real Betis — may need a couple of weeks to ease themselves back into club football if they ever make it back from partying in Buenos Aires.
In general, though, speaking to sources at several Spanish clubs, they don’t expect immediate consequences. In fact, they predict the combination of the break for some, the World Cup for others and the feel of a fresh start to lead to high-level matches. However, they do see potential ramifications later in the season — be that injuries, fatigue or a dip in form — as the effects of a World Cup and a compressed campaign catch up with some clubs who are fighting on multiple fronts. — Marsden
The relegation battle
Take a look at the LaLiga table, and there’s no doubt which team is up against it: With 14 games played, Elche are rock-bottom with four points and no wins. They’ve got the worst defence in LaLiga, with 31 goals conceded, and the second-worst attack.
Even more worryingly, they picked up just one point from their past four games before the break, all winnable fixtures against bottom-half rivals: Espanyol, Getafe, Real Valladolid and Girona. Pablo Machin — their third full-time coach this season — failed in his past three LaLiga jobs at Sevilla, Espanyol and Alaves, and his appointment inspires little confidence of conjuring what would be a historic escape from the drop.
Elsewhere in the bottom three, Cadiz can draw confidence from some eye-catching recent friendly results which have seen them beat Manchester United 4-2 and Roma 3-0. Celta Vigo, just a point above Cadiz and Sevilla, have a new manager in Carlos Carvalhal after sacking Eduardo Coudet, and will be hoping that the evergreen talent of talisman Iago Aspas — as well as youngster Gabri Veiga — helps them find a way out of trouble.
That leaves Espanyol and Getafe, who are one and three points off relegation, respectively. Diego Martinez is a highly rated coach, but his Espanyol revolution hasn’t quite taken off. Forward Joselu‘s goals — seven in LaLiga so far — might be enough to keep them safe. Getafe were many people’s (including this writer’s) tips to push for Europe, but instead find themselves in a relegation scrap. And further up the table, you wouldn’t rule out Real Valladolid (currently 12th), Girona (13th) or Almeria (14th) getting caught up in it either. — Kirkland
Can Sampaoli save Sevilla from relegation?
The most remarkable story in Spain so far this season features Sevilla. This time last year, they were the biggest threat to Real Madrid’s title hopes. They tailed off in the end, though, and eventually finished fourth, below Barca and Atletico, too. That dip proved a sign of things to come this season.
A difficult start led to the dismissal of Julen Lopetegui. The charismatic Argentine Jorge Sampaoli returned for a second spell at the Sanchez Pizjuan, but results have not improved. After 14 games, Sevilla have just 11 points and reside in the bottom three. Only Cadiz (also 11 points) and Elche (four points) are below them.
Since returning to the top flight in 2001, Sevilla have never ended outside the top 10 in LaLiga. They have finished in the top four in four of the past six seasons, including each of the past three campaigns. Surely, to use that old cliche, they are too good to go down?
In theory, yes. Their squad boasts three World Cup-winning Argentines, including Gonzalo Montiel, who scored the winning penalty in the final against France, and Moroccan stars Yassine Bounou and Youssef En-Nesyri. There is also bags of experience in Ivan Rakitic and Jesus Navas.
However, there are increasing signs of a team crisis, with the club terminating Isco‘s contract this month after the midfielder fell out with members of staff. He had only joined from Real Madrid in the summer.
Sampaoli has a massive job on his hands. A trip to Celta Vigo on Dec. 30 is far from the easiest restart. — Marsden
Players to watch
If you were the best player — Lionel Messi aside — at the World Cup, there’s no reason you can’t come home and be the best player in LaLiga, is there? Griezmann’s start to the season was disrupted by the row between Atletico and former club Barca that led to him being benched game after the game, but he’s still contributed five goals and will be the undisputed creative fulcrum of the team if Felix does indeed depart.
At Barcelona, the jury is still out on whether Ansu Fati will become the player he looked destined to be before his long-term injuries. It would be great news for club, country and LaLiga itself if he could make a consistent impact.
Real Madrid will want Valverde to get back to the form that made him Europe’s most exciting goal-scoring midfielder in September and October, while Marco Asensio is playing for a new contract with his deal due to expire in June.
