MADRID (AP) — The Spanish league begins with the top teams arriving with different expectations.
Defending champion Barcelona wants to keep its momentum and show it will be the team to beat again in Spain. Real Madrid is aiming to reset after a lackluster last season and with the arrival of coach Xabi Alonso. Atletico Madrid hopes a revamped squad will help keep pace with its rivals.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming season:
Barcelona’s momentum
Barcelona is coming off one of its best seasons in years, having won the league, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. It also went deep in the Champions League, reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2019.
In its second year under coach Hansi Flick, the Catalan club will try to add to its success from last season by boosting its squad with English forward Marcus Rashford, who will be teaming up with Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski in an attacking front that was one of the best in Europe last season. It led the scoring charts both in the Spanish league – with more than 100 goals – and in the Champions League.
Leaving the team are veteran defender Iñigo Martínez, who has signed with Saudi club Al-Nassr, and Ansu Fati, who went on loan with Monaco after not playing much last season. The club also added former Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García.
Barcelona will make its open its season at Mallorca on Saturday.
Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid
Madrid is coming off a disappointing season by its high standards, losing the Spanish league title to Barcelona and failing to reach the final in the Club World Cup and the Champions League. It also lost all four “clasico” matches it played against its Catalan rival.
It all led to a coaching change, with Carlo Ancelotti taking over the Brazil job and former player Alonso arriving as widely expected.
The coach couldn’t do much to help Madrid at the Club World Cup, with the team losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
The attack will again be led by Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, but the defense – which struggled last season because of a series of injuries -- was boosted by the signing of young Spain central defender Dean Huijsen and right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is joining English countryman Jude Bellingham.
Luka Modric left to join AC Milan after more than a decade with the Spanish club. Lucas Vazquez also departed, and there were still doubts about whether Rodrygo would return.
Madrid’s first match is at home against Osasuna on Aug. 19.
Revamped Atletico
Atletico Madrid had great expectations last season, but it couldn’t make a run for the Spanish league title – finishing behind Barcelona and Madrid -- and again was eliminated by the city rival in the Champions League.
Coach Diego Simeone shook up the squad in the offseason, with the departures of players such as Ángel Correa, Rodrigo de Paul, Axel Witsel, Rodrigo Riquelme and César Azpilicueta. Among those arriving are Álex Baena, Johnny Cardoso, Thiago Almada, Giacomo Raspadori, Matteo Ruggeri, Marc Pubill and Dávid Hancko.
The team will still be led up front by Antoine Griezmann and Julián Alvarez.
Atletico kicks off at Espanyol on Sunday.
Other clubs
The teams that made good runs last season and will try to stay near the top again include Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal and Real Betis. Levante, Elche and Oviedo were the teams promoted this season, replacing demoted Leganes, Las Palmas and Valladolid.
Injuries
Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the teams that won’t be at full strength to begin the season. The Catalan club starts without veteran goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen because of surgery for lower back problems. The goalkeeper was at odds with the club about his recovery time. He was provisionally stripped of his captaincy for refusing to sign a medical report about the injury, but he and the club eventually reached an agreement that restored his role as captain.
Veteran striker Robert Lewandowski also wasn't expected to play early on because of a muscle issue.
Madrid won’t have Bellingham for the first few rounds after undergoing surgery to address a recurrent dislocation of his left shoulder.
Real Betis playmaker Isco is expected to miss the first few months of the season after fracturing his leg in a friendly against Malaga.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
