Barcelona’s turn to win La Liga in season 2024/25
In recent years, Spain’s so-called ‘Big Two’ have had a habit of taking turns winning La Liga and then enduring a poor campaign the following season. The 2024/25 season seems to be Barcelona’s turn to win the Spanish title after Real Madrid dominated last season in the Spanish top flight.
Barcelona are brilliant under Hansi Flick
The appointment of former Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick as Blaugrana boss had the potential to go both ways. However, the former Germany boss has come into the Catalan club and continued to build on the foundations set by former boss Xavi.
Flick inherited a talented young squad of players and was able to add Spanish international attacking midfielder Dani Olmo to the mix this summer. Olmo scored twice in Sunday’s 3-1 home win over Espanyol in the derby.
The game was virtually over and done in the first half an hour, as Barcelona brushed their neighbours aside, despite arguably the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal both enjoying quieter days.
The fact that Olmo stepped up to score a brace showed that they have a depth to their attack beyond the usual starting front three.
In truth, the Catalan giants produced a poor second-half display against Los Periquitos as they took their foot off the gas. Espanyol grew in confidence, although there was always a feeling that Barcelona could have moved up a gear if they had to.
Flick is a head coach who is into fine details and will no doubt make sure the players know that they can’t rest on their laurels after the tepid second-half performance.
Kylian Mbappe has not found his feet in Madrid
As the recent 4-0 home defeat against Barcelona in El Clasico, Real Madrid have not been at their best this season. The signing of French international superstar Kylian Mbappe was designed to help cement Carlo Ancelotti’s team’s place as the top dog in the Spanish game.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 14 appearances for Los Blancos, which is not a terrible record, although three of his goals for the men from the Spanish capital have been penalty kicks.
Although, he has a decent scoring record, many of the Real Madrid persuasion believe that Mbappe has underdelivered so far for the reigning Spanish champions.
He hasn’t quite entirely clicked with his new attacking teammates, such as Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. His display in the recent El Clasico was highly questionable, especially as he was caught offside eight times during the encounter.
Barcelona has a solid offside trap, but for a top player to be caught offside on so many occasions in such a big game is poor. Mbappe is the sort of player who was brought in to make a difference in those big games—a big-time player for a massive game.
Maybe it would be unfair to judge him on just that game, but his all-around demeanour may be slightly concerning. He doesn’t look like the player who has starred for PSG and France in recent years.
He was a big fish in a relatively small pond at PSG once the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar left the Parisian club. He should be the biggest fish at Real Madrid, considering that he is supposed to be one of the world’s best players.
Maybe Mbappe just needs time to settle into his new surroundings, as he has played football in his native country for the whole of his career until his summer switch to Los Blancos.
There have been players in past who have struggled to impress at first with Real Madrid, only to improve later in their careers. One of the biggest examples of that was the Croatian international Luka Modric.
The midfielder was named in the worst summer signings of the season by a Spanish sports publication after his first campaign with the club. However, he worked hard to improve and became a club stalwart in the centre of the pitch. He even picked up the 2018 Ballon d’Or.
It would be silly to write off the forward so early in his Real Madrid career. There has to be more to come from the French superstar in the Spanish capital.
It is early in the season, but the signs are ominous
Barcelona moved nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga this weekend. Carlo Ancelotti’s team didn’t play this weekend due to the horrendous situation in Valencia, so they have a game in hand.
Congratulations Barcelona upon winning laliga 2024/2025
— Dani (@danielk_cruz) October 26, 2024
The gap is not unsurmountable as it is early in the campaign. However, if Barcelona continues their recent run of form, they will be highly difficult to stop. The likes of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha have been in red-hot form this season.
They also have a wealth of options in midfield. The emergence of young Marc Casado in the centre of the park has allowed Frenkie de Jong and Gavi time to fully recover from injury issues.
We have seen this sort of situation before in La Liga. If Barcelona establishes a big lead at the top of the table, Real Madrid seems almost to abandon their La Liga campaign and focus all their energy on the Champions League.
From the outside looking in, it’s almost as if everybody connected with the capital club just accepts it and moves on with supporting their team in European football’s elite competition and almost ignores their Liga campaign.
Nobody will be writing their title defence off just yet, but it just seems that this season may be Barcelona’s time to shine in La Liga and that Ancelotti’s team’s best hope of a big trophy may well be in the Champions League.