Barcelona was unstoppable last season and won a remarkable Laliga and Copa del Rey Double with 174 goals in 60 games, but this term is confronted with a completely different Real Madrid side that promised a tactical revolution under new coach Xabi Alonso.
Inspired by TeenFenoma Lamine Yamal, Hansi Flick's Barca dominated Spanish football in the first season of German, including scoring 16 goals in four consecutive victories on Real.
They have added a loan Marcus Rashford to a charged attack with Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Dani Olmo.
But defensive weaknesses that are exposed in the Champions League semi-final extra-time loss for Inter Milan are a question mark.
They start the season with the new goalkeeper Joan Garcia, whose signing of City Rivals Espanyol has created a great feud with veteran Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was stripped of the captain in the midst of disciplinary procedures about his injury status.
Alonso has new weapons that are at his disposal to challenge the champions, including Full Back Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool and the 20-year-old Spain Center-Back Dean Huijsen, who arrived from Bournemouth after he really had his 50 million pounds ($ 67.15 million).
The club also signed Spanish left back Alvaro Carrera from Benfica for 50 million euros, so that a number of much-needed defenses were packed after a trophy-less campaign under Carlo Ancelotti before he left for the Brazilian job.
The new real manager must also tackle offensive problems, where Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius JR still have to show their true potential together, while Academy Forward Gonzalo's Club World Cup adds more pieces to a puzzle with Rodrygo, Endrick and Brahim Diaz.
Atletico Madrid starts the season to end a four-year-old trophy-dried with Club Great Diego Simeone under pressure as never before during his 13-year-old reign.
They have added the Spanish Alex Baena for 50 million euros and Argentina sensation Thiago Almada from Copa Libertadores champion Botafogo to a Stellar team with Julian Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann, Conor Gallagher and Jan Oblak.
The season starts on Friday, August 15 with Girona who organizes Rayo Vallecano and Villarreal who welcome Real Oviedo, while Barcelona visits Mallorca the next day. Atletico trip on August 17 to Espanyol, while real host Osasuna on August 19.