theScore's comprehensive predictions for the 2015-16 La Liga season
With the new La Liga season finally upon us, theScore has called upon a pair of footy editors to predict which clubs and players will have a season to remember, and which others will be left with nothing but the cold, lonely feeling of disappointment.
Title Winners
Armen Bedakian: Real Madrid. Any time Barcelona gets too comfortable and starts talking about winning all the trophies in the world, Real Madrid sneaks in and reminds them that La Liga isn't such an easy title to win. Barcelona's ambitions will get the better of them, eventually, while Real Madrid waltzes to the top of the table and takes another La Liga crown.
Carlo Campo: Barcelona. Transfer bans, be damned. Although Atletico Madrid could potentially threaten the two-team race between the Catalan club and Real Madrid, this season should be yet another where the attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar overwhelms backlines week after week.
Champions League Qualification
Bedakian: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Sevilla. While Valencia, Villarreal, and Athletic Bilbao are all competitors, Sevilla is a tournament team, winning the last two UEFA Europa League titles. It makes Sevilla a team with lots of winning precedent and chemistry, and one to watch for a Champions League spot at the end of this season.
Campo: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid will have no trouble securing Champions League qualification, while Villarreal will edge out Athletic Bilbao for the play-off spot. These aren't exactly shocking picks, but then again, La Liga isn't exactly a league for shock.
Relegated Clubs
Bedakian: Eibar, of course, since they are lucky to even be in La Liga this season after a technicality kept them up. Las Palmas is in uncharted territory and will likely head back down at the end of 2015-16. Finally, Getafe, if for no reason other than to finally be punished for putting the Burger King guy on the inside of its shirts in 2009 (also poor performances in general).
Campo: Eibar, who is only in La Liga this season because of Elche's financial incompetence, will be relegated along with Granada and Getafe. In other words, the three newly promoted clubs - Real Betis, Sporting de Gijon, Las Palmas, will all survive in their return to the top flight of Spanish football.
PFA Player of the Year
Bedakian: Cristiano Ronaldo. Need I say more?
Campo: Messi. Need I say more?
Best Signing of the Season
Bedakian: Roberto Soldado. English media likes to make a joke of players that, for many reasons, sometimes don't work out at a club. Soldado was berated endlessly by the English press during his time at Tottenham and while some of their reasons may be sound, he's still a proven goal scorer in La Liga. If he finds that form again, Villarreal just picked up a player who can score 20 goals a season.
Campo: Jackson Martinez. If Atleti is to unexpectedly repeat its success from 2013-14, the club needs the Colombian forward to replicate his scoring rate from FC Porto, Chiapas, and Independiente Medellin. His move to one of Europe's top five leagues feels long overdue and Atleti should count its blessings to have a player of his quality.
Most Excited About...
Bedakian: ...watching Valencia striker Paco Alcacer develop into a top striker in La Liga. The 21-year-old forward has scored 14 goals in each of his last two seasons with Los Che and with Alvaro Negredo on the outs and with Rodrigo and Sofiane Feghouli in support, Paco has all the tools needed to thrive in the 2015-16 season.
Campo: ...seeing if Martinez can compete with Messi and Ronaldo for the Pichichi. The last time the planet's supposed top two players didn't finish as La Liga's top two scorers was in 2009-10, when Gonzalo Higuain tallied one more goal than Ronaldo. It would be a breath of fresh air if Martinez can do something similar.