Barcelona striker Luis Suarez predicts a tight title race in La Liga this season.
It is still early in soccer seasons around the world, and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez is already predicting a tight title race in Spain’s La Liga.
“The league is more competitive than other years and I think it will be exciting and very even all the way. Our rivals along with us have dropped points,” Suarez said, via Sky Sports.
“It is going to be a championship where no one knows what the results are going to be. The fact that we have five teams in the Champions League, I think, for the first time shows the situation.
“We know how strong the other sides are and we need to keep believing in ourselves. We are aware that we have made mistakes, which are for a reason, but it is the same team that won three titles.”
A tight La Liga title race isn’t particularly surprising, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have all contested for the league crown in recent years.
What might make this season a bit different is the presence of other teams early on in the season at the top of the title. Neither of those three teams are currently atop the table, that spot belongs to Villareal with 16 points. Celta Vigo is one point behind them.
With superstar Lionel Messi sidelined till November with a knee injury, Barcelona is in danger of falling behind heading into the final month of 2015 in the title race though they face a favorable schedule over the stretch.
That could have Barcelona playing from behind, but Suarez said he feels responsible to fill Messi’s void.
“With Leo everything is much easier, but without him I must try and make things easy too,” Suarez said in a preview of an interview with Catalan TV3 show “Hat trick Barca.” “Each one must take responsibility for their work, and do it as well as possible. Nobody is going to replace him, as he is irreplaceable.”