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Europe’s top leagues: 5 storylines to watch for this season

By Clemente Lisi

TURIN, ITALY - JULY 31: Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus during a Juventus training session on July 31, 2018 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY - JULY 31: Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus during a Juventus training session on July 31, 2018 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images) /
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BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 20: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou on May 20, 2018 in Barcelona Spain (Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/Soccrates/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 20: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou on May 20, 2018 in Barcelona Spain (Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/Soccrates/Getty Images) /

Lionel Messi’s new rivals

With Ronaldo gone, La Liga won’t be the same. Neither is the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Or the one between the Portuguese phenom and Lionel Messi.

After a disappointing World Cup with Argentina, Messi enters his comfort zone again with Barca once La Liga kicks off on Aug. 17. With a supporting cast that remains strong (even with the departure of Andres Iniesta), Barcelona look to be a contender both for another Liga title as well as the Champions League. With Ronaldo gone, who will fill the void at Real in those epic head-to-head clashes with Barca? There are a few candidates.

While Los Blancos haven’t replaced Ronaldo with a big-money signing, the team is loaded with stars. Gareth Bale, Luka Modric (unless he moves on to Inter Milan this summer) and Marco Asensio are just three of the possibilities at this point. Bale, above all, may be ready to finally become this team’s leader. After the recent World Cup, Modric has become a serious contender to win the Balon d’Or, something that could fuel a rivalry with Messi.

It may also be that Atletico Madrid, Real’s crosstown rival, replace Real in the fight for the league title. In that case, watch out for Antoine Griezmann to replicate his World Cup success. Diego Simeone’s team have been successful in recent years, often punching above their weight. They had a relatively quiet summer, but did bring in Thomas Lemar from Monaco. They could surprise a few this season.

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