Will the 2021/22 La Liga Season Be a Good Old-Fashioned Shootout Between Barca and Real Madrid?
For any football team with ambitions of success, coming out of the summer transfer window stronger than you went into it is vital.
It’s the sort of thing that the recruitment world calls ‘upskilling’ your workforce and the early signs indicate that both Barcelona and Real Madrid have done exactly that ahead of a crucial La Liga campaign.
The Spanish giants were humbled by Atletico Madrid last term, a side with a happy knack of winning games even when playing far from their best.
Atleti should not even be close to their more distinguished rivals given the financial clout they have, and even though rumours persist about Barcelona’s parlous financial state they, and Real, have conducted some serious business already this summer.
Con el compromiso y la pasión de siempre, ahora #Barça 🔵 🔴 Visca el Barça!! pic.twitter.com/HlIoSzhSRq
— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) May 31, 2021
Ronald Koeman has looked to fortify his position at Camp Nou by bringing in some heavy hitters. Sergio Aguero needs no introduction to English football fans, but it’s hard to underestimate just how good Memphis Depay was last season for Lyon in Ligue 1. Depay amassed a staggering 20 goals and 12 assists, which clearly evidences the Dutchman’s brilliance.
With no significant outgoings as yet, and aided by Lionel Messi’s new deal, Koeman has added even more firepower to his squad. However, there’s no sign yet of defensive reinforcements, the Catalonian’s Achilles heel in 2020/21, and so fans eagerly await the introduction of prospective defenders.
Real, meanwhile, will have to overcome the loss of a club legend. Love him or hate him, it’s hard to contest how crucial a player Sergio Ramos has been for the Galacticos.
However, his best days are now behind him, and replacing their former captain with David Alaba – a significant upgrade – is telling of Real’s ambition of knocking their Madrid rivals off their pedestal.
There’s time for more movements to be made, of course, but right now the likes of Gareth Bale, Martin Odegaard, Luka Jovic, and Dani Ceballos could all feature at the Bernabeu this term unless they head for pastures new. That’s a considerable strengthening of Real’s squad.
Making It Count
All of these developments are very interesting for punters, who will be eyeing the outright winner market in the La Liga betting with interest.
Real’s off-season improvements are the most significant, arguably, lest we forget the CV of their new head coach, Carlo Ancelotti. It’s true that Everton hardly set the world alight under the Italian, but it’s important to remember that this is a manager who has won league titles in four of Europe’s ‘big five’ competitions, plus the Champions League three times.
La Liga remains the only major trophy missing from his cabinet. Therefore, it’ll be intriguing to see if he can right that wrong this term.
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So while price should be your primary concern when betting on La Liga, it’s worth considering the bigger picture of your overall betting experience. Some operators, as reviewed by McLauchlan of Bonusfinder UK, offer sports and casino platforms that will reward you handsomely with their promotions and user experience.
🧢👀 @MrAncelotti
👈 Pintus pic.twitter.com/OxjgOaqEna— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 14, 2021
Odds comparison sites show that you can access odds as wide-ranging as 13/8 to 7/4 on Real Madrid to reassert their dominance in La Liga, therefore doing your homework could ensure that backing the Galacticos is a profitable move this summer.
The only question is whether a Messi-inspired Barcelona will beat them to the title.