It’s the beginning of a brand new period for considered one of Europe’s prime soccer leagues. La Liga in Spain kicks off its first season with out Lionel Messi since 2003. However the celebrity’s departure and the wage finances challenges dealing with giants Barcelona and Actual Madrid arguably arrange one of the crucial compelling La Liga seasons in current historical past.

Within the 17 seasons that Messi (Barcelona) and later Cristiano Ronaldo (Actual Madrid) starred in La Liga, their groups claimed 15 of the titles. The opposite two went to Atletico Madrid, together with final yr’s championship when Atletico took benefit of stumbles by the perennial favorites to complete atop the league standings.

Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Actual Madrid will as soon as once more be the favorites within the 2021-2022 season, however the subsequent tier of golf equipment might be dreaming of benefiting from the air of change sweeping over La Liga and hope to do sufficient to make a problem for the title. The race to keep away from relegation (backside three groups go right down to second division) and to qualify for European tournaments ought to show simply as intriguing because the battle on the prime.

WATCH: Each La Liga match in English and Spanish on ESPN+

When does the La Liga season begin?

The 2021-2022 La Liga season kicked off with the primary spherical of matches starting on Friday, Aug. 13. The weekend sees all 20 groups in motion between Friday and Monday.

It’s the primary of 38 matchdays that might be performed over the subsequent 9 months, with the thirty eighth and ultimate spherical of matches falling on Sunday, Might 22, 2022.

Atletico Madrid didn’t have a straightforward opening to its title protection, touring to face final yr’s eighth-place workforce, Celta Vigo and rising with the slim 2-1 win. In a promising begin, Barcelona dominated fifth-place finishers Actual Sociedad in a 4-2 house win. Each groups matched the beginning of Actual Madrid, which gained 4-1 the day earlier than on the highway towards a Deportivo Alaves workforce that has prompted it issues prior to now.

The opening match on Friday, Aug. 13 featured six-time La Liga winners Valencia CF defeating plucky Getafe 1-0 regardless of happening a person two minutes into the season. New Valencia supervisor Jose Bordalas obtained his first win towards the workforce he led for the previous 5 seasons, guiding Getafe to promotion from the second division after which ending in La Liga’s prime 10 in three of the previous 4 seasons.

Friday, Aug. 13

Saturday, Aug. 14

Sunday, Aug. 15

Monday, Aug. 16

Methods to watch La Liga in USA

All 380 matches of the 2021-2022 La Liga season might be streamed in English and Spanish on ESPN+, kicking off the primary of eight years of unique protection within the USA. Choose matches may even be aired on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

• Dates: Aug. 13, 2021 – Might 22, 2022
• Matches: Complete of 380 La Liga matches in 2021-2022
• Streaming: ESPN+ (all matches in English & Spanish)
• TV Channels: ABC, ESPN (choose matches)
• Spanish-language TV: ESPN Deportes (choose matches)

La Liga competitors format

Every workforce performs the opposite 19 golf equipment in La Liga house and away, amounting to 38 matches. Groups declare three factors for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss.

The La Liga standings are based mostly on the factors complete accrued over the course of the 38-game season. Relying on the place a membership finishes within the standings, that workforce can both win the title, earn a berth to considered one of three elite European membership tournaments, or maybe endure relegation within the case of the underside three groups.

* = pending ultimate variety of berths assigned by European governing physique, UEFA

If groups are tied on factors within the standings, there are two units of tiebreakers which can be used relying on what number of golf equipment are deadlocked:

La Liga standings tiebreakers involving two golf equipment:

1. Superior aim distinction in league matches performed between each groups
2. Superior aim distinction throughout all league matches
3. Most targets scored throughout all league matches
4. Honest play level complete in keeping with disciplinary standings
5. Match to be performed on impartial area (if mandatory)

La Liga standings tiebreakers involving three or extra golf equipment:

1. Superior level complete in all matches between the golf equipment which can be tied
2. Superior aim distinction in all matches between the golf equipment which can be tied
3. Superior aim distinction throughout all league matches
4. Most targets scored throughout all league matches
5. Honest play level complete in keeping with disciplinary standings

Which groups have gained La Liga?

There have been 90 La Liga seasons performed because the first in 1929. Perennial powers Actual Madrid (34) and Barcelona (26) have claimed a staggering 60 of these titles between them.

Solely seven different golf equipment have ever laid their palms on the league trophy. Atletico Madrid, the defending La Liga champions, have 11 league championships to their title. Athletic Bilbao (8), Valencia (6) and Actual Sociedad (2) are the one different groups with a number of titles.

Which workforce will win La Liga 2021-2022?

U.S. sportsbooks and historical past say it will likely be both Actual Madrid, Atletico Madrid or Barcelona. No shock there, however the order of the favorites raises an eyebrow: The defending champs, Atletico Madrid, aren’t being given the advantage of the doubt regardless of strengthening the roster over the offseason. Sevilla, Actual Sociedad and Villarreal are subsequent in keeping with distant hopes of probably difficult.

The chances are all over on the subject of the opposite 14 golf equipment, however does it actually matter? None of them is deemed an element within the title race based mostly on these futures.