There isn’t long to go until the new LaLiga EA Sports season is up and running, with the stars of the competition all ready and raring to go from Matchday 1, on the weekend of August 11th. From two last graduates of the Golden Boy award to regular Ballon d’Or candidates, there are so many world-class stars in Spain’s top tier and they’ll once again conjure up moments of magic once the ball gets rolling.
Star quality across the LaLiga title contenders
Spain’s top division boasts three quite evenly matched title contenders in Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, and this is down to the incredible star quality at the disposal of Xavi Hernandez, Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone.
It’s Barcelona who are the reigning Spanish champions and they were able to top the table last term thanks to the contributions of several of their world-class players. Up front they had the goals of Robert Lewandowski, as the Polish striker, one of the very best centre-forwards of the 21st century, hit the ground running in his first Spanish season and finished the campaign with 23 goals and the Pichichi Trophy as the division’s top scorer. At the other end, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was magnificent as he accumulated 26 clear sheets and won the Zamora Trophy.
Of course, there were key contributors in between too. Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde proved they are some of the best defenders in the world right now, while Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi took the midfield by the scruff of the neck in almost every game, something they should also be able to do in 2023/24 following the arrival of İlkay Gundogan from Manchester City.
Real Madrid also boast star quality throughout the spine of their team, starting with Thibaut Courtois, the current holder of the Yashin Trophy and a shot-stopper who produces an out-of-this-world acrobatic save seemingly every week. Ahead of him is Eder Militao, a player Ancelotti has labelled the best centre-back in the world, while the midfield is packed with superstars in the form of Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and new arrival Jude Bellingham, who was named the 2022-23 Bundesliga Player of the Season.
Up front, Real Madrid boast the unique talent that is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian has long been the best dribbler in football, but he has added goals and assists to his game over the past two seasons, reaching double figures for both goals and assists in the 2022-23 LaLiga campaign. He only just turned 23, but could very soon follow in the footsteps of teammate Luka Modric by winning a Ballon d’Or.
Across the city, Atletico Madrid have a Ballon d’Or contender of their own in Antoine Griezmann. In the view of various experts, 2022-23 was the Frenchman’s greatest season yet, which is saying something. He was arguably the best player in both the FIFA World Cup and LaLiga, producing 15 goals and 17 assists in the Spanish first division as Atletico finished the season in terrific form. With Los Colchoneros also boasting the likes of Rodrigo de Paul, Joao Felix and Jan Oblak in their squad, the sky is the limit for this team.
Quality players spread throughout the competition
It’s not just at the three main title contenders that you’ll find superstar players, though. Spain has eight teams participating in UEFA competitions this year, and they all boast incredible talents throughout their squads.
Sevilla showed that on their way to winning last year’s Europa League, with Bono and Youssef En-Nesyri following up their terrific World Cup performances with Morocco by winning this piece of silverware, while Lucas Ocampos, Nemanja Gudelj and Marcos Acuna were all outstanding too.
At Real Sociedad, the Basque side are proud to have one of the very best midfielders in the competition in the form of Martin Zubimendi. Although he was highly sought-after this transfer window, the 24-year-old is staying put at the Reale Arena, where he’ll continue to form a dominant duo with Mikel Merino.
Villarreal, Real Betis and Osasuna are all involved in European competition this year as well and they too have some star power to delight their fanbases. For example, Real Betis supporters are able to enjoy the displays of Nabil Fekir and Guido Rodríguez week in week out, while Villarreal have Yeremy Pino and Gerard Moreno among their ranks and Osasuna are explosive with Ante Budimir and Chimy Avila leading the line.
There are rising stars too across LaLiga, those players who already impressed last season despite being so young and of whom even bigger things are now expected in the new campaign. That is the case with Arnau Martinez, the 20-year-old Girona full-back who played so well last term than many had him as the best right-back in the competition.
It’s a similar story with Nico Williams at Athletic Club, after the 21-year-old had his best season so far by scoring six goals and providing five assists as he played in attack alongside his brother Inaki Williams. Meanwhile, Gabri Veiga at Celta Vigo is one of the most in-demand young playmakers in world football, after the 21-year-old almost single-handedly pulled the Galician side away from the threat of relegation, scoring 11 goals, including a memorable brace on the final day.
Every club has a hero to look to
Even at the clubs that haven’t been mentioned so far, there are stars who play the role of superheroes for their fanbases week in week out. For Valencia, that man is the captain Jose Gaya, the loyal left-back who consistently delivers and who brings the know-how that compensates for the inexperience that Los Che possess in their very young squad.
Throughout the history of football, the strikers have taken the glory and that remains the case at several LaLiga clubs, where the centre-forward’s shirt is the most popular in the club store. At Almería, Luis Suarez has become one of the most popular men around after scoring the goals that kept the club up last term, while Vedat Muriqi is becoming something of a club legend at Mallorca for the way he leads the islanders’ line. Getafe CF fans similarly adore Enes Unal, the Turkey international who’ll hope to be back as soon as possible from a long-term knee injury.
At Cadiz CF, it’s goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma who was the most important player last season, making a total of 131 saves, the third-most in the competition. That on-field performance, along with the Argentine’s passion, have made him a hero in the southern city.
Another player who has achieved true celebrity status in the neighbourhood around his club’s stadium is Isi Palazon of Rayo Vallecano. The daring winger has long been a fan favourite for his bold style of play, and he enjoyed his best ever statistical season in 2022-23, with nine goals and five assists.
Logically, at the newly promoted clubs it’s the heroes of last season who remain the most popular players heading into this term. Myrto Uzuni, the top scorer in Segunda last term with his 23 goals for champions Granada, is the star for the Andalusians, while captain Jonathan Viera remains the main man at UD Las Palmas after securing what was his second promotion with his hometown team. Meanwhile, winger Luis Rioja has become the attacking leader at Deportivo Alaves.
From the local heroes to the Ballon d’Or contenders, the stars of LaLiga will be in action again very soon, looking to entertain and to pick up the three points each week.
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