Top-flight Spanish football returns on Friday, with Girona welcoming Rayo Vallecano in the 2025-26 La Liga opener, before Villarreal and Real Oviedo lock horns later in the evening.
Saturday will see the reigning champions Barcelona take to the field, facing an away fixture with Mallorca, but Real Madrid, who were in Club World Cup action over the summer, do not play until Tuesday at home to Osasuna.
Real Madrid have the incredibly difficult task of wrestling the La Liga title away from Barcelona, and it is set to be another fascinating battle for the championship.
However, there are major stories across the division, with Atletico Madrid hoping to get closer to the top two this season, while Real Oviedo are back in the top flight for the first time in 24 years.
Real Oviedo were promoted back to La Liga alongside Levante and Elche, and all three will be determined to avoid dropping straight back into the Segunda Division for the 2026-27 campaign.
Here, Sports Mole previews the upcoming La Liga campaign, including a prediction of what the final table could look like.
The 2025-26 La Liga title favourites: Will Barcelona or Real Madrid win it?
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe in action on April 13, 2025
Atletico Madrid will be expecting to get closer to Barcelona and Real Madrid next season considering that they ended the 2024-25 season some 12 points off the summit.
Diego Simeone's side have been very busy in the transfer window, with Alex Baena their biggest arrival in terms of a transfer fee, and we are expecting Atletico to be closer to the top in the new season, but they may have to again settle for third due to the strength of the two biggest clubs in Spain.
Barcelona's aim for the transfer window was clear - sign a goalkeeper and a wide forward, and that has been achieved, with Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford arriving; the Catalan side scored 102 times in La Liga last term, 24 more than Real Madrid, and their strength in the final third of the field is incredible.
Hansi Flick's side conceded more La Liga goals (39) than Real Madrid (38) last term, but their strength going forward is enormous, and that could again carry them to the title; Lamine Yamal is a year older and a year more experienced, and that is so frightening for opposition defences considering what he brings to the table.
Real Madrid simply had to improve their defensive unit this summer, and they have brought in three defenders - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras - while Franco Mastantuono is being tipped to make an immediate impact in the final third of the field despite his age; he turns 18 on Friday.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior will also carry the fight in the final third of the field, but Real Madrid look a midfielder short of being La Liga title favourites, and while it should be very close, Barcelona appear to have more across the board, unless Real Madrid do something special late in the transfer window.
Real Madrid's overall performance level last season was actually quite low; they won plenty of matches due to their incredible talent, but new head coach Xabi Alonso needs to find a system that suits the players, and he has to do it quickly, as Barcelona could be out of sight if Los Blancos fail to get off to a positive start.
The fight for Europe in La Liga in 2025-26
Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams pictured on March 13, 2025
Eight La Liga teams qualified for Europe last season, with Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal joining Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico in the Champions League, while Real Betis and Celta Vigo are in the 2025-26 Europa League league phase.
Rayo Vallecano finished eighth, but that proved to be enough for a Conference League playoff spot due to the fact that Barcelona won the Copa del Rey.
As it stands, there are six European spots on offer in La Liga for 2025-26, and it is expected that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico will finish as the top three, as they are the three outstanding teams at this level of football.
Athletic Bilbao, who have kept star man Nico Williams, could again battle Villarreal for fourth, while Real Betis will also expect to be in and around the top six come the end of the campaign.
Real Sociedad should improve, with the Basque outfit finishing 11th last term, while Mallorca are a team capable of pushing for the top six.
Valencia's name alone is not enough for them to be in that argument unless there is a huge improvement this season, while it will be fascinating to see how Sevilla perform in 2025-26 considering their recent underachievements.
Who could be relegated from La Liga in 2025-26?
Real Oviedo's Santi Cazorla in action on May 20, 2024 [IMAGO]
The three clubs that were promoted from the Segunda Division last season will naturally be the three favourites to drop straight back down to the second tier for the 2026-27 campaign.
Alaves and Girona both had tough campaigns in 2024-25 and could be in trouble, but Sevilla should improve, and it would be a shock to see them down towards the relegation zone once again.
Levante lost seven league games on their way to winning last season's Segunda Division title, while Elche and Oviedo were both beaten nine times, and the jump up in class will be huge this term.
Which notable signings have been made by La Liga clubs?
Marcus Rashford signing for Barcelona on July 23, 2025
It will be fascinating to see how Rashford performs at Barcelona this season, and it would not be a surprise if the on-loan Man United attacker contributed heavily for the Catalan giants.
As mentioned, Baena is also one to watch for Atletico, with the 23-year-old superb for Villarreal last term, while Mastantuono is one of the best young talents in world football, and he could star for Real Madrid in 2025-26.
Outside of the obvious, Mallorca have signed Pablo Torre from Barcelona, and the talented attacker could turn out to be a very important player for the club, as he is a class act.
Girona's business has been eye-catching, with Axel Witsel, Thomas Lemar and Vitor Reis moving to the Catalan outfit, who should be much improved this season following a disappointing 2024-25.
Who could finish as top scorer in La Liga in 2025-26?
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe on May 11, 2025
Mbappe had an outstanding 2024-25 campaign for Real Madrid, scoring 31 times in La Liga, and it would not be a surprise to see the forward at the top of the chart once again in 2025-26.
For obvious reasons, Mbappe is the favourite, and it remains to be seen whether Robert Lewandowski, who scored 27 times last season, can play the amount of matches that he will need to be a genuine challenger for the Frenchman.
Ayoze Perez scored 19 times for Villarreal in La Liga last season, and he is also a candidate, but it would be a surprise to see Barcelona's Raphinha put up the type of numbers that he managed in 2024-25.
Real Madrid's Vinicius, Atletico's Julian Alvarez and Osasuna's Ante Budimir are also worth a mention, while Salomon Rondon is back in La Liga with Real Oviedo, and the 35-year-old has an impressive goalscoring record throughout his career.
Predicted 2025-26 La Liga table
1. Barcelona (C)
2. Real Madrid
3. Atletico Madrid
4. Athletic Bilbao
5. Villarreal
6. Real Betis
7. Real Sociedad
8. Celta Vigo
9. Mallorca
10. Sevilla
11. Valencia
12. Osasuna
13. Rayo Vallecano
14. Girona
15. Espanyol
16. Getafe
17. Alaves
18. Levante (R)
19. Elche (R)
20. Real Oviedo (R)
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