Few tacticians have ever managed football cycles better than Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti. Los Blancos begin the 2024/24 Liga Santander campaign as outright favourites to retain Spain top flight title after the Santiago Bernabeu hierarchy pulled off three major coups during the summer.
Kylian Mbappe Lottin’s long awaited move from Paris Saint Germain came to fruition on a free transfer while his astronomical wages will be funded by the exit of three big earning over thirties – Nacho Fernandez 34, Toni Kroos 34 and Joselu Mato 34. Combined age? 102.
Mbappe hasn’t had much of a preseason following his Euro 2024 exertions with France but he, together with another marquee signing, Brazilian wonderkid Endrick, are earmarked for some game time when Ancelotti’s Uefa Champions League winners face off with Gian Piero Gasperini’s Europa League titlists Atalanta of Bergamo on Wednesday, August 14.
They must then prepare for Sunday’s visit to Real Mallorca, a trip that usually extends Los Blancos even in the best of times.
Naysayers are raising hullabaloo over the fact Mbappe and Vinicius Junior like to attack opponents from the same part of the pitch. That’s nonsense. Mbappe will simply take over spaces previously occupied by Mato.
News that the Saudi pro league are willing to pay Real Madrid €1billion for Vini’s services (and pay the player €1m per day in wages) may be an offer that’s simply too good to be rejected. Expected the offer to come for Rodrygo Goes because Vinicius Junior has been the face of Real Madrid for the last two seasons.
Barcelona are bookmakers second favourites but they will be pushed hard by Atletico Madrid. New Camp Nou supremo Hans Deiter Flick’s biggest acquisition is Euro 2024 winner Dani Olmo who has arrived for €55m from RB Leipzig. The former Bayern Munich and Germany boss has otherwise been restricted to the contingent that excelled for Girona on loan last season.
Pablo Torre, Pau Victor, Marc Casado and Eric Garcia all looked the part as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1 and drew 2-2 with both Manchester City and AC Milan in preseason. But Flick is still without the services of influential midfield pair Pablo Martin Gavira ‘Gavi’ and Frankie de Jong whereas Pedro Gonzalez ‘Pedri’ is touch and go for Saturday’s game at Valencia.
Atletico Madrid have displayed genuine ambition by recruiting Euro 2024 winning defender Robin Le Normand from Real Sociedad, Conor Gallagher from Chelsea and £81m World Cup winning striker Julian Alvarez from Manchester City. The thinking at the Wanda Metropolitano is that Alvarez is an improvement on Spain skipper Alvaro Morata who has left for AC Milan in Serie A.
The 2024/25 Liga Santander season commences on Thursday, August 15 at the San Mames where Ernesto Valderde’s Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao host a Getafe side reeling from the loss of striking pair Enes Unal and Mason Greenwood. The entire city of Bilbao is happy to keep winger Nico Williams Jr following his Euro 2024 heroics.
Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis host last season’s high flyers Girona on the same night but Estadio Montilivi coach Michel Sanchez, who masterminded the Catalan club’s meteoric rise has a very difficult act to follow.
Girona have lost last season’s top scorer Artem Dovbyk to AS Roma whereas Aleix Garcia (Bayer Leverkusen), Pau Victor, Eric Garcia, Pablo Torre (all Barcelona), Yan Cuoto (Borussia Dortmund) and Savinho (Manchester City) have all left.
WEDNESDAY SUPER CUP
Real Madrid v Atalanta
THURSDAY
Athletic Bilbao v Getafe,
Real Betis v Girona
FRIDAY
Celta Vigo v Alaves,
Las Palmas v Sevilla
SATURDAY
Osasuna v Leganes,
Valencia v Barcelona
SUNDAY
Real Sociedad v Rayo Vallecano,
Real Mallorca v Real Madrid
MONDAY
Real Valladolid v Espanyol,
Villarreal v Atletico Madrid
