La Liga 2026-27 season preview: Predicted standings, top scorer, title favourites, relegation battle

Real Madrid volition beryllium bidding to reclaim the La Liga rubric from Barcelona successful the 2026-27 campaign, and it is shaping up to beryllium a fascinating play successful Spain's apical flight.

The top-four contention volition again beryllium fierce, with Atletico Madrid, Real Betis and Villarreal each successful the argument, astatine slightest up of the campaign, portion newly-promoted Deportivo La Coruna, Malaga and Racing de Santander volition beryllium aiming to debar contiguous relegation.

Here, Sports Mole provides a broad preview of the 2026-27 campaign, including predicted standings, apical goalscorer, rubric favourites and the relegation battle.

La Liga 2026-27 play preview: Real Madrid, Barcelona volition again beryllium rubric favourites

It would beryllium a immense astonishment if the La Liga rubric was won by a squad different than Real Madrid oregon Barcelona; Atletico would beryllium the closest challengers successful the eyes of many, but it is hard to ideate Diego Simeone's broadside finishing astatine the apical of the heap successful the coming season.

Barcelona person boosted their squad with the signings of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, portion the Catalan outfit are present the dense favourites to motion Rodri from Manchester City; Robert Lewandowski has left, but Hansi Flick's broadside person a definite Lamine Yamal successful their ranks, and determination is expected to beryllium much transportation concern earlier the extremity of the window.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, person added Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Carlos Espi and Yan Diomande to their squad.

Los Blancos finished 8 points disconnected Barcelona past season, but determination were truthful galore issues astatine Bernabeu, which the instrumentality of caput manager Jose Mourinho should lick - astatine slightest that is the plan; Jude Bellingham was not firing connected each cylinders past play but disconnected the backmost of an fantabulous 2026 World Cup, helium should beryllium successful a bully place.

News of Vinicius Junior's declaration renewal is besides immense for Real Madrid, portion Diomande volition boost an onslaught that besides includes a definite Kylian Mbappe.

It could beryllium 1 of the closest rubric races successful past successful 2026-27, with Barcelona and Real Madrid some having fantabulous chances of winning the championship, but the latter's transportation concern has frankincense acold been stronger, and that could spot them decorativeness astatine the apical of the pile.

La Liga 2026-27 play preview: Mbappe, Yamal among the candidates for the apical scorer award

Unsurprisingly, Mbappe volition commencement the play arsenic the steadfast favourite to decorativeness arsenic the apical goalscorer erstwhile again, having posted unthinkable numbers since his accomplishment astatine Bernabeu.

There person been question marks surrounding whether Mbappe has improved Real Madrid arsenic a squad since his arrival, but the guardant has been La Liga's apical goalscorer successful each of his 2 campaigns since arriving successful the Spanish capital.

Mbappe struck 31 league goals successful 2024-25 and past 25 past term, and helium volition beryllium the red-hot favourite to marque it 3 successful a enactment successful the coming campaign.

Yamal managed 16 La Liga goals past word and could besides beryllium successful the argument, but the runner-up from past season, Vedat Muriqi, has moved connected to Fenerbahce; Mallorca were really relegated successful 2025-26, making his numbers adjacent much incredible.

Osasuna's Ante Budimir is simply a reliable goalscorer astatine this level and is an outsider, portion Real Madrid's Vinicius, Barcelona's Raphinha and Ferran Torres, and Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez could besides perchance beryllium successful the argument.

Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal had an fantabulous World Cup for Spain, meanwhile, and helium is besides worthy a notation erstwhile it comes to this peculiar category, but it is incredibly hard to look past Mbappe providing that the Frenchman stays acceptable for the full season.

La Liga 2026-27 play preview: Deportivo, Malaga, Racing Santander facing contiguous returns to Segunda Division

The contention to debar relegation from La Liga past play was a fascinating one, and determination were incredibly lone 5 points separating Girona successful 19th from Real Sociedad successful 10th.

Osasuna and Levante, who finished 17th and 16th respectively, finished level connected points (42) with Mallorca successful 18th, and it could beryllium a akin communicative this season.

Racing Santander won the 2025-26 Segunda Division to unafraid an automatic instrumentality to La Liga, portion Deportivo were second, 5 points disconnected the summit.

Malaga came done the playoffs, and each 3 volition beryllium battling to stay successful La Liga, but it could beryllium pugnacious for the trio considering the measurement up successful prime that volition occur.

Alongside Osasuna and Levante, Alaves and Elche could beryllium successful for investigating campaigns, portion adjacent the likes of Espanyol, Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano cannot beryllium ruled retired of the conflict fixed the unpredictable quality of the division.

In Chupe, Malaga person a guardant who scored an awesome 24 goals successful the Segunda Division past season, portion Racing Santander's Andres Martin was 3rd successful the database with 23.

The measurement up into La Liga is simply a immense one, though, and determination could beryllium automatic returns to the 2nd tier for the 3 promoted clubs successful 2026-27.

La Liga 2026-27 play preview: Real Betis could conflict Atletico for third

Real Betis are a squad to ticker this season; Manuel Pellegrini's broadside finished 5th successful La Liga past season, and they precocious showed their people with an fantabulous pre-season triumph implicit Premier League champions Arsenal.

Third cannot beryllium ruled retired for Real Betis this term, but Atletico volition people beryllium the favourites for that position; Villarreal are different squad to watch, having really claimed 3rd past term, 3 points up of fourth-placed Atletico and 12 wide of Real Betis successful fifth.

As it stands, the apical 4 spots volition beryllium Champions League ones, with 5th securing qualification for the league signifier of the Europa League; sixth is simply a Conference League playoff circular spot, but that is taxable to alteration arsenic the run develops.

Real Madrid and Barcelona could decorativeness archetypal and 2nd respectively, with Atletico 3rd and Real Betis successful fourth; Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao whitethorn past implicit the European spots.

Celta Vigo cannot beryllium ruled out, portion Real Sociedad should besides amended aft finishing 10th past term, but they volition again beryllium relying connected Oyarzabal to find the backmost of the net.

La Liga 2026-27 play preview: Predicted standings

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