La Liga Returns: Mourinho Back at the Bernabeu, Barcelona Chase History

The 2026-27 La Liga season kicks off this weekend with no shortage of storylines, as the Spanish top flight introduces a staggered start to allow extra rest for clubs whose international players went deep into this summer's World Cup. The opening fixture sees Deportivo Alaves host Getafe on Saturday, with neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid in action on the opening day — a novelty for Spanish football.

Champions Barcelona, who had eight players in Spain's World Cup-winning squad, begin their title defence at Elche on Sunday, August 23. Jose Mourinho's first game of his second spell as Real Madrid manager comes away at Espanyol on Saturday, August 22.

Can Barcelona Make It Three in a Row?

Barcelona look in a commanding position having won the last two titles under Hansi Flick, finishing last season 12 points ahead of a Madrid side that ended the campaign in total disarray. However, history offers a cautionary tale: the only team to have won three consecutive La Liga titles in the 21st century were Pep Guardiola's dominant Barcelona side from 2009 to 2011, and it was Mourinho who put an end to that run in his first spell at the Bernabeu.

Barca are still searching for new forwards following Robert Lewandowski's exit, while World Cup final goalscorer Ferran Torres is close to a move to Paris Saint-Germain. New arrivals Anthony Gordon, signed for €80million from Newcastle United, and Karim Ayedemi (€22m from Borussia Dortmund) should get chances to impress. Much may depend on whether World Cup winners including Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Pau Cubarsi — and potentially Rodri, if he joins from Manchester City — can recover quickly enough from their summer exertions.

Mourinho's Second Coming at the Bernabeu

Madrid have added substantially to their squad this summer, spending €240million ($277m) on Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Carlos Espi. Vinicius Junior's contract extension amid interest from Arsenal means they retain plenty of attacking firepower.

Mourinho's return has been remarkably low-key so far — no high-profile presentation, no interviews outside club media. The 63-year-old's previous spell at the Bernabeu was filled with arguments and feuds with referees, journalists, opposition coaches, and even his own players. Few inside or outside the club doubt Mourinho will blow up at some point, most likely when his team suffer an unexpected defeat or fall victim to a controversial refereeing decision.

One must-watch match in the opening weeks is Real Madrid hosting Real Sociedad on Wednesday, August 26 — Mourinho's first game back at the Bernabeu. American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo's Real Sociedad, who won last season's Copa del Rey and boast Spain's World Cup-winning centre-forward Mikel Oyarzabal, should provide an early test. Madrid have not impressed in pre-season, struggling to create chances in a 1-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna, though most of their big names including Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham have yet to feature after returning late from the World Cup.

The Battle for the Top Four

Champions League qualification for a 15th consecutive season under Diego Simeone should not prove too difficult for Atletico Madrid, though the Julian Alvarez saga looms large. Barcelona believe the Argentina striker wants to join them, but Atletico are unwilling to sell for anything close to the €100m that the Camp Nou outfit can currently offer. Boosted by new U.S. financial giant Apollo Sports Capital joining the ownership group, Atletico have invested over €100m on Morten Hjulmand, Lee Kang-in, and Alejandro Grimaldo, with Cristian Romero set to join from Tottenham Hotspur.

Villarreal finished ahead of Atletico in third last year and enter the new season with impressive new coach Inigo Perez. Real Betis also made the Champions League by finishing fifth, meaning Manuel Pellegrini's squad must contend with at least eight extra games. An outside bet to break through are Celta Vigo, who have a host of homegrown players developing under one of their own in coach Claudio Giraldez.

Athletic Club and the Surprise Candidates

Athletic Club stumbled through much of last season, partly due to Nico Williams never reaching full fitness. Their new coach is former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic, continuing the club's tradition of tapping outside coaching talent to harness Basque-born players. Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Unai Simon and defender Aymeric Laporte are joined by young midfielders Mikel Jauregizar and Peio Canales.

Sevilla and Valencia continue to battle financial issues. Sevilla's situation is most precarious, with key players including forward Akor Adams and young right-back Juanlu departing, while their biggest outlay is just €6.5m on Scotland Under-21 striker Robbie Ure. Valencia, meanwhile, have excitement around new 19-year-old Japanese forward Ryunosuke Sato, who joined from FC Tokyo.

Promoted Clubs and Youngsters to Watch

Racing Santander, Deportivo La Coruna, and Malaga all return after long spells away. Deportivo have been the biggest spenders, with goalkeeper Leo Roman from Real Mallorca and 37-year-old striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Marseille among their arrivals. There is romanticism around Sergio Canales returning to Racing, his hometown club, 16 years after first leaving for the Bernabeu.

Among the youngsters, Lamine Yamal is still just 19, and Barca fans will hope he gets enough rest to set him up for a less injury-affected season. Madrid's Thiago Pitarch, also 19, impressed after his February debut but may struggle for minutes. At Barca, 18-year-old striker Hamza Abdelkarim scored a quick-fire double on his first friendly appearance after featuring for Egypt at the World Cup. Real Betis winger Jose Antonio Morante, joint-top scorer in this summer's Under-19 European Championship, could get plenty of opportunities.

Rayo Vallecano's Stadium Saga

There is never a dull moment around Rayo Vallecano. After reaching a first-ever European final last season — narrowly beaten by Crystal Palace — a mid-July audit of Estadio Vallecas found serious security and maintenance issues. Rayo's hierarchy refused permission for government staff to enter and fix the problems, leading to a week-long stand-off. The club's first home game on August 20 against Alaves will be played at Leganes' Estadio Butarque, with no certainty over when Vallecas will be ready to host games again. New coach Benat San Jose faces a huge task, especially with key departures including Pep Chavarria to Chelsea and Nobel Mendy to Hull City.