Barcelona: Will Pep Pip To Jose To La Liga Title?
Last season, ''La Blaugrana'' romped to the Spanish title thanks to another clean sweep of the two El Clasico derby showdowns against arch-rivals Real Madrid:1-0 in Camp Nou, 2-0 at the Bernabeu.
This season, the club has already swept aside Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup, courtesy of an exquisite 4-0 second-leg victory, to add yet another trophy to the football museum's bulging cabinet.
The signing of feisty Argentinian holding midfielder Javier Mascherano from Liverpool in a €22 million deal and the loan of under-performing Swedish striker and record signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to AC Milan are seen to be the final pieces in a jigsaw puzzle which will once again prove impossible to break down.
Expect Leo Messi to run amok, David Villa to fill his boots and Bojan Krkic to have breakthrough season.
Last season: 1st
Manager: Pep Guardiola
Key Player: Leo Messi
Prediction: 1st
Real Madrid: Can Mourinho Finally Dethrone Barcelona?
Last season, the fate of the La Liga trophy was ultimately decided by El Clasico.
Two victories for Barcelona both at home and in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu saw the Catalans finish on 99 points, three points ahead of Real Madrid.
This year, Real has a new manager - possibly the most gifted and tactically astute in the world at the moment. However, they not only have a lot of catching up to do to create the same confidence, team spirit and flowing football that Barcelona achieve on a weekly basis, but they also have to do it with only three top-quality forwards: Gonzalo Higuain, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
They should, nevertheless, have enough goals in the squad to cruise into second place, while Florentino Perez will hope that Mourinho can repeat his extraordinary Champions League success with Porto.
Last Season: 2nd
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Key Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Prediction: 2nd
Valencia: Will Team Continue To Win The Second League?
This season will be an exciting and nerve-wracking one at the Estadio Mestalla: upcoming coach Unai Emery can pair Spanish international with promising Algerian signing Sofiane Feghoulu in midfield, a potentially lethal duo who could provide plenty of ammunition for in-form David Villa replacement Roberto Soldado.
Add to the mix talented midfield trio David Albelda, Ever Banega and Manuel Fernandes and there is a very good team on paper. That was the case last year, and will be the case this year. In fact, ''Los Che'' started the season on a high with a comprehensive 3-1 win at Malaga, with veteran winger Joaquin scoring two.
This year will see Valencia re-affirm their position as La Liga's nearest rival to Barca or Real - but any shot at breaking up that tussle is still a long way off!
Last season: 3rd
Manager: Unai Emery
Key Player: Roberto Soldado
Prediction: 3rd
Atletico Madrid: So Near Yet So Far?
After last year's memorable Europa League victory and this year's impressive European Super Cup victory over Internazionale, you could be forgiven for thinking that surely this is Madrid's strongest team.
However, despite these successes in cup competitions, it is the bread-and-butter La Liga where Atletico continue to labour; last season the team finished a lowly 9th.
This season, led by the super-talented strike duo of maned Uruguayan Diego Forlan and Diego Maradona's son-in-law Sergio ''Kun'' Aguero - the youngest player ever to start a game in the Argentinian league at an astounding 15 years and 35 days old - the team should make giant leaps.
Last season: 9th
Manager: Quique Sanchez Flores
Key Player: Diego Forlan
Prediction: 4th
Sevilla:What To Expect Of The League's Most Unpredictable Team?
Last season was a disappointing one for Sevilla, despite a respectable 4th-placed finish and victory in the Copa Del Rey.
For of all of the teams eager to challenge the duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid, it is only really they who have the players and resources.
This season, even more disappointment may follow. Having led the first leg of the 2010 Spanish Supercup by 3-1 against Barcelona, they crumbled to a 4-0 loss at Camp Nou.
Despite managing to keep hold of exciting World Cup winning winger Jesus Navas, who is bound to join Real Madrid soon, the team's strikers are not what they once were and there are still unsettling reports that Luis Fabiano that may be a Tottenham Hotspur player before the transfer window shuts.Last season: 4th
Manager: Antonio Alvarez
Key Player: Jesus Navas
Prediction: 5th
