The La Liga season started last weekend, during a competition day that was spread over five days of the week, and gave the fans and media a first look at all 20 sides. A noticeable shift was the number of young players in action for the Big Two.
Los Blancos has signed young this year, with Trent Alexander-Arnold (26) the oldest of their additions with Dean Huijsen (20), Alvaro Carreras (22) and Franco Mastantuono who all come in, while veterans Lucas Vazquez (33) and Luka Modric (39) have been moved. In the meantime, Barcelona has a young basis, but has added Joan Garcia (24) and Marcus Rashford (27).
Barcelona had the latest average of all starting XI in La Liga during the opening weekend, according to Diario ALS, at 23.8 years old. Los Blancos was the next most useful with their average age at 25.6 years, while four of the top five of last season arranged in the top five, with only Sevilla who breeds Villarreal and Atletico Madrid. Athletic Club, which finished fourth last year, had the sixth oldest team.
It is somewhat remarkable that the Clasico duo, and indeed Atletico Madrid in the fifth, some of the younger teams in La Liga were in the field. There is an argument that this is a sign of young talent that is often poached from the rest of La Liga, while Real Madrid has certainly shown a shift to youth with their recruitment.
In the meantime, Rayo Vallecano (29.7 years old), Osasuna (29.3 years), RCD Mallorca and Real Betis (28.9 years) were the oldest four sides in the division during the opening week. Interesting enough, all four last season were in European position, with Betis (6th) and Rayo (8th), Die Osasuna (9th) and RCD Mallorca (10th). In the case of Los Rojillo, who were only beaten on the last European place on the last day of the season, Alessio Lisci sent the second oldest side against the Second-Jonge in Real Madrid, and almost succeeded in the Santiago Bernabeu.