After weeks and months of waiting, La Liga finally returns this weekend, as Spain's top flight gets underway a week or more after the likes of the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Changes aplenty have gone on in many of the top-flight clubs; Real Madrid have a new manager, Barcelona had their presidential vote and Eibar...well, Eibar managed to both get relegated and remain in La Liga, thanks to Elche and their financial mismanagement.
Before each week during the season, we'll be bringing you our ultimate guide to the league many consider to be the finest and most exciting in world football, looking at all the major talking points, fixtures, individuals to consider and basically anything which could have an impact on the table over the coming days.
Over the opening days, new signings are typically the focus for fans and onlookers alike, and for Atletico Madrid in particular, their impact could be pivotal.
The Colochoneros face the likes of Sevilla and Barcelona in their next games so an opener against newly promoted Las Palmas is perhaps the ideal platform for those tougher fixtures; competitive and full of optimism though the away team will undoubtedly be, quality often tells in Europe's top leagues, and Atleti have that in abundance.
New signings in the shape of Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco have given the offensive half of the team a total face-lift. If they jell with established stars Antoine Griezmann and Koke, Atleti will have lots to be positive about ahead of the new campaign.
Manager Diego Simeone spoke earlier in the summer about the options he has in attack now, via Marca: "We now have different ways we can play using players with different attributes such as speed and directness, although we will stay true to our essence as a solid team. Some young players with promising futures have come in. Here's hoping they enable us to compete internally, which is the best way to compete externally."
Those young players referenced include Angel Correa, who has recovered after heart surgery last year, and Oliver Torres, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at FC Porto last term.
Although the Portuguese club wanted Oliver back for a second year, Simeone made it plain during pre-season that the creative midfielder figured in his plans for 2015/16. Francisco Diaz of AS reported on how manager and player recently had a meeting in which Oliver got assurances about game time and being a part of the squad—he is earmarked as one of those who can replace Arda Turan, who left for Barcelona.
Upcoming starlets and new signings are all well and good, but even more important to Atletico's hopes of success this term was keeping the established first-choice players in place.
Captain Gabi is one such player, who has been present in each of Simeone's seasons in charge. Ahead of the new season he spoke, via the club website, about the challenges the team faces—and their conviction that they can improve.
We are making history. I like that the group is more demanding every day and we are not satisfied with what we have done. Winning a title per season is very good for the club and for our players.
The new [players] are demonstrating a very good level from the beginning. This team has been at a very high pace for several years and we are delighted with them. We have more offensive variations and all of us will gradually pick up the pace.
Even more important was the example made by Diego Godin, named by Simeone as one of two untouchables at the start of summer (according to Marca, in Spanish) and who has since gone on to reject a lucrative move to Manchester City and then sign a new deal with Atleti instead. It is that kind of commitment to the project, as well as to each 90 minutes, which gives the team their strength, resolve and self-belief.
Diego Godin has extended his contract with Atletico Madrid, keeping him with #Atleti until 2019. pic.twitter.com/qOB2Nq6srs
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) August 20, 2015
Matchday 1 Fixtures
Friday
Malaga vs. Sevilla (7:30 p.m.)
Saturday
Espanyol vs. Getafe (5:30 p.m.)
Deportivo La Coruna vs. Real Sociedad (5:30 p.m.)
Atletico Madrid vs. Las Palmas (7:30 p.m.)
Rayo Vallecano vs. Valencia (9:30 p.m.)
Sunday
Athletic Club vs. Barcelona (5:30 p.m.)
Sporting Gijon vs. Real Madrid (7:30 p.m.)
Levante vs. Celta Vigo (9:30 p.m.)
Real Betis vs. Villarreal (9:30 p.m.)
Monday
Granada vs. Eibar (7:30 p.m.)
*all times BST
What to watch out for this week
Part 1: Central Gareth Bale and his "side"-kicks
Real Madrid's fans don't seem terribly impressed by their team's summer transfer activity, judging by a recent poll on Marca where none of their additions made the cut for a first XI survey. Nor, indeed, did Gareth Bale:
Gareth Bale not selected by Real Madrid fans in their XI to start the season. Danilo, Kovacic also left out. #RMA pic.twitter.com/ldNkdNdQi6
— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) August 21, 2015
Notwithstanding new boss Rafa Benitez's opting to side with the supporters, it's entirely probable that Bale will begin the campaign as Real's starting No. 10, playing in support of the main striker right through the middle and looking to get involved in counter-attacks, through passes toward the area and striking chances around the edge of the box.
While Cristiano Ronaldo is an absolute certainty to play from the left—barring tactical switches—it means the right flank will be between Isco or James Rodriguez. The fans want both, Benitez has used both over the summer...but there's only room for one.
In the final pre-season friendly, it was Isco who got the nod against Galatasaray.
Part 2: Barcelona's makeshift back four
Gerard Pique's verbal equivalent of an F-5 scale tornado, directed the way of an assistant referee in the second leg of the Supercopa, means that he'll sit out four domestic games at the start of the campaign through suspension.
With Barcelona already missing Jordi Alba, Douglas, Jeremy Mathieu and Adriano for the match and Aleix Vidal not available until winter, it will mean a hastily shifted-around defensive lineup for Luis Enrique and his men.
The most probable outcome is that Dani Alves, Marc Bartra, Javier Mascherano and Thomas Vermaelen will be strung together, with the Belgian at left-back getting an early opportunity to make up for lost time, having been injured for all of last year. It's hardly the ideal start for Barcelona, especially considering they have conceded nine goals in three competitive matches so far.
Concerns must also be directed at the overall depth of the squad in these early stages, with Pedro's sale and Neymar's illness meaning that Rafinha will likely play in attack—which in turn means no senior midfield backup. Sergi Roberto, Munir and Sandro are the likely first ports of call off the bench now for the titleholders.
Video of the week
Player to watch: Paco Alcacer, Valencia
While Godin turned down the Premier League move, fellow Liga defender Nicolas Otamendi opted to make the switch, joining City from Valencia.
It leaves Los Che with a worryingly big gap to fill defensively ahead of the new season; with Diego Alves injured long-term and Otamendi now gone, two of the pillars who helped them qualify for the Champions League last season are no longer in place.
While they have money now to replace the Argentine defender, it is perhaps to their front line that they will look instead for improvement. Two of Los Che's opening four games are against newly promoted sides, and the others see them face Deportivo La Coruna and, first of all, Rayo Vallecano. None of those teams should seriously threaten Valencia, especially considering they have already started competitive action with a Champions League qualifier.
A good start to the year will have Los Che fans believing the top four for another season is almost a surefire thing—but the truth is they are one of the few top-end sides whose first XI has arguably regressed this summer, not improved.
Sofiane Feghouli and Pablo Piatti are exceptional talents in creating scoring chances, but a relatively lightweight striker zone could cost them unless Paco Alcacer suddenly shows a hitherto unsuspected capacity to net 20 or more goals a season.
"Start fast and buy quick" would be the best advice Valencia could take right now—but Alcacer will be keen to show he can shoulder the burden. Not only will he want to better last season's tally of 11 Liga goals, but he'll also need to play at a higher level to make the Spain squad for Euro 2016.
Beginning the campaign with a handful of goals against likely bottom-half opposition is the best start he could hope for in that regard.
Game of the weekend: Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona
Basque country vs. Catalonia has gone a bit Clasico, playing each other every few days amid lots of goals and fiery challenges. It was Athletic Bilbao who came out on top over two legs in the Spanish Supercopa, lifting their first silverware in three decades, but there is perhaps less pressure at the start of the league season—it's just the first of 38 games, not a do-or-die situation for either.
Even so, Barcelona won't want to start the defence of their title with a loss. Centre-back Bartra spoke, via the club website, on the challenge ahead:
The season is opening at a special time for me, both personally and professionally. I want to keep winning at Barça. We have to reboot, understand what we're up against, and go all out. We have to forget about the past and focus on the present. We play well as a team and we make mistakes as a team as well. We have to improve in all aspects and try to avoid individual errors.
Losing Xavi and Pedro hasn't made us weaker.
I'm going to miss them a lot but teams like Barça lose very good players and get back very good players. We still have a good group of homegrown players. You can't always bring up players who are ready for the first team. But with those who have joined us from other clubs, we'll continue to be unstoppable.
That's fighting talk and admirable sentiments from Bartra, who himself needs to nail down a regular spot this term, but the truth is that as the winners of everything last year, everyone will be out to gun them down this time out.
That starts with Athletic, who will already be full of confidence, having played the champions twice—and avoided defeat both times.
Follow @karlmatchett