Spanish Primera Liga 2012-13

By Sakib.

So, a brand new season of La Liga is upon us and promises to thrill yet again. This league never fails to amaze us with its quality of football. While tough economic conditions in Spain mean the clubs can't spend lavishly, they are still producing brilliant new players and making shrewd signings on loan. Many of the best talents of La Liga have moved to other leagues this year, but plenty of talents still remain. Here we look at all the 20 teams that'll contest one of the best leagues in the world.

                                                    

Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho's boys notched up 100 points last season and were clearly the deserving champions. Even the gaffer has admitted it'll be a tough act to follow.

Only two new arrivals (one of them on loan) suggest the manager is pretty happy with what he has at his disposal. Luka Modric will add quality to the midfield, and maybe take some load off from Xabi Alonso.

Michael Essien's loan move from Chelsea looks to be a shrewd one on paper. Michael Essien may look like he is injured forever, but he is only 28 and would have been at his peak had it not been for injuries. Under his old boss Mou, he might as well reach his top form once again and that would be beneficial for Real.

Can they maintain the hunger, drive and passion of last season? Only time will tell. But this is a squad with brilliance in every position and more than capable of winning the title again.

Barcelona

Life after Pep begins for the Catalans. Will Tito Vilanova prove to be as competent as his predecessor? He has inherited a brilliant team and will look to continue the same way as before.

Alex Song & Jordi Alba have arrived. Jordi Alba's arrival from Valencia was one of the bargains of the summer.  The only Achilles heel of this team looks to be the centre back position. Age is fast catching up with captain Carles Puyol and at times Pique looks lost without his senior centre back partner.  

David Villa is back from a long term injury, Pedro is back on form. Messi, Iniesta, Xavi are fit and firing. The team will be hungry to regain their lost crown. An epic title race is on the cards.

However, a lack of strength in depth, because of a thin squad, may prove costly for the Catalans – just like it did last season.

  

Atletico Madrid

Diego 'El Cholo' Simeone & Radamel 'El Tigre' Falcao - two men who have completely turned around Atleti's performance over the last year. They are now the Europa League, UEFA Super Cup holders; playing some brilliant football.

A compact squad, coupled with the prudent leadership of Simeone & Falcao’s ability to score whenever he wants has allowed 'Los Colchoneros' to dream again.

All hopes of a top 3 finish will depend on Falcao staying fit and scoring goals. Can they finish in top 3? With the quality they have, at the moment, and Falcao firing on all cylinders (a hattrick each in the last 2 games), they have a strong chance to finish 3^rd. Consistency, however, is needed.

Players to watch out for: Oliver Torres, Adrian & Arda Turan

Valencia

Spain's third best team for the last three years. They keep losing their best player every year and this year was no different. Left-back Jordi Alba has left for Barcelona. But as always, Valencia have made some shrewd (but cheap) signings. Players like Fernando Gago, Portuguese right-back Joao Pereira, Paraguayan Striker Nelson Valdes, Aly Cisokho will definitely strengthen this team.

Valencia fans are notoriously difficult to impress, just ask Unai Emery. The man led them to 3 consecutive 3^rd place finishes, but that still didn’t please the Valencia fans. One must wonder how Valencia fans think their team could do better in a league which have 2 of the strongest teams in the World.

New manager Mauricio Pellegrino's task isn't an enviable one.

Prediction- 4th place                

Malaga

After the tremendous highs of last season when Malaga finished 4th and qualified for Champions League, the Andalusians have been hit by crushing reality.

Their Qatari owner Al Thani has stopped investing in the team and is not even paying the wages properly. This has led to mass departures from the team which includes their most priced asset, Santi Cazorla, and leading goal scorer of last season, Salomon Rondon.

Even amidst the doom and gloom, they have started the season rather well. Two new arrivals came on the transfer deadline day; Javier Saviola and Roque Santa Cruz. They won't set the world on fire but will provide much needed experience in front of goal. 

Still, a repeat of last season's heroics looks very unlikely. Manager Pellegrini will be happy with a Europa League place.

Player to watch out for: Isco Alarcon & Juanmi.

Athletic Club Bilbao

Bielsa's Athletic took Europa League by storm last season playing some brilliant entertaining football. Although they failed in the final hurdles in both Europa League and Copa Del Rey, the team gave its passionate fans plenty to cheer about.

What a difference a summer makes! Their talismanic striker Fernando Llorente has declined to sign a new contract, Javi Martinez has gone to Bayern Munich. Suddenly, the team looks pretty vulnerable.

As they sign only Basque players, it's pretty difficult for Atheltic to find players of very high quality on a regular basis. There was a talk of bringing in Benat Exteberria from Betis which didn't materialise. It could, however, happen as Athletic have been allowed to buy players till September 29 as Bayern Munich paid the full release clause of Javi Martinez and Athletic could do nothing but see their player go off their hands, abnd this they have been handed another month to bring in a replacement.

The squad is small but has plenty of talent to compete. The likes of Oscar De Marcos, Iker Muniain, Susaeta, Aurtenetxe et al will have to take more responsibilities now. Can Bielsa thrill us with his team's 'Gung-ho' football again? We hope so, but the signs, so far, haven’t looked good.

Sevilla

Porous at the back, far too inconsistent up front – that's Sevilla under Michel. Early signs are that the trend will continue. Mid table mediocrity awaits for this Andalusian giant.

The fact that they have retained all their best players like Alvaro Negredo, Ivan Rakitic, Jesus Navas will give them hope. Club legend Frederic Kanoute has left for China which will create a huge gap in the team.

But there is one undiscovered pearl in this team – Geoffrey Kondogbia: watch out for him, he is some talent.

Real Betis

Sevilla's feisty Andalusian neighbours and biggest rivals.

The Seville Derby is a pretty big occasion down in South Spain. Betis under Pepe Mel are a very entertaining outfit and have a strong team. Star man is definitely Benat Extebarria, who has been called up to Spain squad this summer and rightly so, is a brilliant deep lying playmaker who can weave magic against any defense Arsenal's promising striker Joel Campbell has arrived on loan as well.

However, Benat may be bought by Athletic and that would weaken the team considerably.

Levante

This team, on paper, shouldn't really be anywhere near the top of the league. A small squad mainly made up of free agents and old players.  Yet they are confounding every one with their solid, no nonsense football. Last season they were sixth and have qualified for Europe for the first time. They'll struggle with the hectic schedule of EL and their league form might suffer this season.

Main striker Arouna Kone is off to Wigan, so the goals might dry up as well.

However, this is Levante and after what they did last season, anything great they do won’t be of any surprise.

Getafe

The curious case of Getafe – their stadium Alfonso Perez Coliseum remains empty all the year round. No one really wants to see them in top flight, but here they are in Primera ; for the 8th successive season.

Luis Garcia Plaza is regarded as one of the most promising young managers of Spain and he has built a side fit for war. Occasional upsets against the big boys – they have already beaten city rivals Real Madrid on match day 2 – pretty consistent home form mean they are placed comfortably in mid table every year.

More of the same this season.

Player to watch out for: Abdelaziz Barrada                           

Deportivo La Coruna

One of Spain's biggest clubs is back in top flight. They won the Segunda Division last season and actually have a strong squad. Strong enough to avoid relegation comfortably, at least.

Plenty of Portuguese players have been brought on loan. The ever green Manuel Pablo &  midfield maestro Juan Carlos Valeron are still in the team. Highly rated Portuguese striker Nelson Oliveira is one of the players who can thrill.

A trip to Riazor – the holy stadium in which the backheel of God happened – won't be an easy one for other teams and that is certain.

convict

Celta De Vigo

Depor's biggest rivals Celta are also back to the big stage. So we can look forward to 2 highly charged Galician derbies in La Liga this season!

bestow Clarify

Striker Iago Aspas has to score a hatful of goals by himself to give Celta any chances of survival. The squad, however, is pretty weak . Some notable inclusions have been the promising goal keeper from Sevilla Javi Varas, Danish midfielder Krohn-Dehli , Arsenal's Park ChuYoung.

Even with the useful additions, Celta are favourites to get relegated this season.

Espanyol

These are tough times for the second biggest club in Catalonia. They have a shiny new stadium Cornella El Prat , but the fans are losing interest in a declining team. They had a disastrous second half of last season and their two best performers Coutinho and Weiss have left.

However, they have also strengthen their squad by signing players like striker Christian Stuani, a proven goal-scorer in lower leagues and does bang in a few at the top tier, experienced Portuguese winger Simao and a solid young holding midfielder in Wakaso Mubarak.

It will be fun to watch the Catalan derby this season.

Real Sociedad

'La Real' as they are known - had a pretty stress free season last time. They have retained Carlos Vela and the very highly rated youngster Griezman. With a solid team Real Sociedad will look to stay out of trouble and maybe push for a European place.

Player to watch out for: Ruben Pardo ( the new Xabi Alonso?) & long-shots’ lord Inigo Martinez.

Rayo Vallecano

A small club of Madrid with a giant heart. A difficult season awaits them this year. They have lost their talisman Michu , Raul Tamudo , Diego Costa. Well one thing they won't lack is the support. Should just about save themselves from the drop.

Player to watch out for : Leo Baptistao

                    

Granada

Not getting relegated will be the prime target for them this season. Their new manager Juan Antonio Anquela is one of the most highly respected managers in Spanish football. Many of their players come on loan from Udinese and this year has been no different.

However, the squad looks strong enough to avoid relegation as they bought the likes of Nicke Bille Nielsen, a decent poacher who can score about 10-15 goals a season, a very talented Mohammed Abu on loan and decent center-back in Rodri.

Player to watch out for: Guilherme Siqueira 

  

Osasuna

A trip to Pamplona is one of the most unpleasant experiences for traveling teams in La Liga. Osasuna and their boisterous home fans are once again ready to unleash hell on the teams.

Although their best player last season Raul Garcia is off to Atletico, they will be pretty confident of finishing mid table. And shrewd signings like Anthony Annan & Joseba Llorente will help them do so.

Real Mallorca

Joaquin Caparros is working wonders with a frail looking team. They don't have much money and so need to sell their best players every season. Centre back pairing of Ivan Ramis and Chico are the main players who have left.

They had a great transfer window bringing players like Giovanni Dos Santos, who will bring much needed creativity to the team and look to ruffle a few feathers in La Primera, a no-nonsense center-back Geromel and Javier Arizmendi to help them achieve a respectable mid-table position.

Real Zaragoza

Pulled off the mother of all escapes last season.

Very unlikely that lightening will strike twice. They have a very poor squad further depleted by the loss of Lafita . In Roberto they have one of the best shot stoppers in the world and he'll need to be at his best to keep their goal and dignity intact. One of my picks to get relegated.

Real Valladolid

The third team to come up from Segunda. Their star man is their manager Miroslav Dukic who was a possible candidate to replace Unai Emery in Valencia . The Serbian has built a very competent team who play an eye catching brand of football. Will it be enough to survive the rigors of top flight? Difficult but possible

Player to watch out for: Oscar Gonzales

Follow Sakib on Twitter!