There is no easy route to the title in La Liga. Any aspiring contender must face the other 19 teams in the league home and away over nine months of tough competition. However, the fixture list can help or hinder – and current champions Barcelona have been handed what looks like a more straightforward calendar than that of fierce rivals Real Madrid.
Barca kick off the Primera Division at home to Betis, before a trip to Athletic Bilbao in the second round of matches and then two promoted teams: Alaves at Camp Nou and Leganes away. The first elite rival then comes in the fifth round of La Liga with the visit of Atletico Madrid. Neverthless, Luis Enrique has won all of his games at home to Diego Simeone’s side since his arrival as coach in the summer of 2014.
The Catalans face local enemies Espanyol in the last match of 2016 and again in the 35th round of the championship in what could be a tough test at Cornella in late April. Meanwhile, Barca meet Madrid in El Clasico at the beginning of December at Camp Nou and then on April 23 at the Santiago Bernabeu in a game that could have a bearing on the title.
Madrid’s month of April is something of a nightmare. Zidane’s side are up against Atletico, Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla (albeit all at home) in April as La Liga reaches its business end and may well have to use their squad to the full in the penultimate month of the season, with Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals also scheduled to take place during that time.
Los Blancos kick off the season with a tough test as they travel to Real Sociedad, with Cristiano Ronaldo likely to miss that match as he recovers from the knee ligament injury he suffered in the final of Euro 2016 recently.
Ronaldo has enjoyed a positive summer, winning the Champions League with Real Madrid before adding the European Championship crown with Portugal. But he could miss several weeks of the new season and Madrid may have to cope without him for their opening matches. After the game at Anoeta, Zidane’s side face Celta Vigo and Osasuna at home, Espanyol away and Villarreal at the Bernabeu in their fifth fixture.
Tougher tests then come with a visit to the Vicente Caleron for the first Madrid derby of the season in the 12th round of matches, the Clasico at Camp Nou two rounds after that, plus trips to Valencia and Sevilla either side of the New Year.
How Zidane’s side cope with that tough period and, particularly, with their difficult month of April could have a big bearing on where the title ends up at the end of next season. But before a ball has been kicked, the fixture list looks to give Barcelona and Lionel Messi the edge over their fierce rivals.
Whatever happens, however, after only a point separated the two teams in 2015-16 it is set to be another fascinating season in La Liga.
