18.08. (Sun) 21:00 Real - Betis

The Italian’s mission to bring La Liga back to the Santiago Bernabeu starts with a home clash on Sunday

Last season Real Madrid saw the league crown stolen from their grasp by Barcelona.

Defeat to Atetico Madrid in the Copa del Rey final saw them finish the campaign without a major trophy and 15 points behind their fierce rivals in La Liga and they will need to demonstrate significant improvement under new coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian, who led Paris Saint-Germain to their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years last term, has already made his mark on the squad with a host of new signings.

The former Chelsea boss acted quickly to bring in Isco from Malaga, while fellow midfielder Asier Illarramendi - who is a doubt for the Betis game through injury - has also been drafted in from Real Sociedad, both for sizeable fees.

Cristiano Ronaldo is certain to be part of Ancelotti’s starting line-up on Sunday, but a number of first-team regulars are doubtful, including Xabi Alonso, Raphael Varane, Fabio Coentrao and Pepe.

Betis enjoyed their best league finish in six years when they placed seventh last term, earning a spot in the Europa League play-off round.

Pepe Mel does not have the same resources at his disposal to strengthen in the same way as his Madrid counterpart, but the Betis boss has still brought in 13 new recruits.

Most have arrived on free transfers, but Mel did dip into the club’s coffers to lure Getafe midfielder Xavi Torres.

However, the departure of Benat Etxebarria from Athletic Bilbao will have come as a significant blow to their hopes of building on last season’s achievements.

And Betis’ chances of getting a positive result at the Santiago Bernabeu have been lessened by the absence of Ruben Castro - who scored 18 Liga goals last season - with a hamstring injury.

18.08. (Sun) 21:00 Paris Saint Germain - Ajaccio

Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to pick up their first win of the new Ligue 1 campaign when they host Ajaccio on Sunday.

The champions' defence of their title - which they regained last term after a 19-year drought - did not get off to a flying start as they were held to a 1-1 at Montpellier last Friday.

But PSG boss Laurent Blanc will hope that home advantage will give them the edge over Fabrizio Ravanelli's Ajaccio, who were beaten by Saint-Etienne in their opening game of the season.

The visitors will be without midfielder Benjamin Andre after the 23-year-old was sent off in stoppage time at the Stade Francois Coty last week, but Blanc has concerns of his own.

Seven PSG players represented their countries in mid-week friendlies and they will need to be assessed ahead of the game, with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, captain Thiago Silva and Argentina international Ezequiel Lavezzi facing fitness tests.

New signing Edinson Cavani - who arrived from Napoli for a fee of around €64million last month - is also set to feature for his home debut, with Blanc confirming his availabilty prior to the match.

"Certainly. But the question is will he start?" he said when asked if the Uruguay international is in line for selection.

"That is a decision we will take. He is a little bit behind with his preparation and has had some fitness problems."

Ajaccio's major close-season recruit, midfielder Benoit Pedretti, is sure to be among Ravanelli's starting XI as they look for a repeat of last season's encounter at the Parc des Princes, when they held PSG to a 0-0 draw. 

18.08. (Sun) 21:00 Juventus - Lazio

Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente are in line to make their competitive debuts for Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana against Lazio.

Antonio Conte's side are the current holders of the curtain-raiser and won their second consecutive Serie A title by nine points last season, finishing six places ahead of Sunday's opponents.

While they may have finished last in the recent International Champions Cup, ending the competition without a win, Conte believes his side are ready for action at the Stadio Olimpico.

"It has been an intense pre-season so far, but it has certainly been excellent," he said.

"We've worked very hard for 10 days, with double training sessions, and we are pleased with having achieved our target."

The former Juve midfielder has a fully fit 27-man squad to choose from for the clash, with Andrea Barzagli set to be involved despite missing Italy's 2-1 defeat to Argentina on Wednesday due to an Achilles problem.

"We're also very happy from the point of view that we haven't suffered any injuries and we're keeping our fingers crossed that continues," Conte added.

Lazio's Coppa Italia win over city rivals Roma in May ensured they will face the champions on Sunday, with Vladimir Petkovic's side having rounded off their pre-season with a 1-0 win over Premier League newcomers Crystal Palace.

The former Samsunspor boss believes his team will go into the match as underdogs but is confident they can come out on top.

"Finals are not made to play well in - just to win," he told Lazio Style Radio .

"Juve again this year will be the absolute favourites in Serie A - they have more quality and the best players.

"But, in single games, we are not afraid of anybody and we can play well against everybody. We have made progress, we have been working in this direction."

Lazio, who get their league campaign started on August 25 against Udinese, have seen striker Louis Saha retire during the close-season while captain Stefano Mauri was banned for six months due to his part in a match-fixing scandal.

However, they have been boosted by the addition of midfielders Lucas Biglia and Felipe Anderson from Anderlecht and Santos respectively, while they have retained in-demand duo Hernanes and Antonio Candreva despite plenty of speculation regarding their futures.

Petkovic, who saw his side draw away at the Juventus Stadium last season before losing at home in the reverse fixture, added: "The squad has been completed and we can make a good impression."

Lazio have not won the competition since 2000 when they beat Inter 4-3, although they have been runners-up twice since then.

Juventus will hope for a similar result to last year's final, when they overcame Napoli 4-2.

18.08. (Sun) 19:00 Barcelona - Levante

Lionel Messi remains a serious injury doubt as Barcelona get their La Liga title defence under way at home to Levante on Sunday.

The 26-year-old sustained a minor thigh strain during the Spanish champions' pre-season tour of the Far East - an injury that kept him out of Argentina's 2-1 win over Italy in Rome on Wednesday.

Messi has undergone rehabilitation training with Barcelona's medical personnel in a bid to be fit for selection in Gerardo Martino's first competitive fixture in charge.

But with a hectic schedule in the next two weeks, which includes a two-leg Supercopa de Espana final with Atletico Madrid on August 21 and 28, Martino may decide to rest his star player.

Manchester United target Cesc Fabregas is also doubtful after he sprained his ankle in the club's 3-1 pre-season victory over a Malaysia XI on August 10.

Nevertheless, history is on the side of Martino - who took over from Tito Vilanova last month - as six of Barcelona's eight previous managers have tasted success in their first league match, with only Pep Guardiola losing in a 1-0 defeat away to Numancia in 2008.

And the new boss could hand a competitive debut to Brazil international Neymar, who signed from Santos in May in a move worth around £50million.

Levante have never won at the Camp Nou, but they were unlucky in their last visit when a late Fabregas goal consigned them to a 1-0 defeat on April 20.

After a sixth-placed finish and subsequent UEFA Europa League qualification in 2011-12, Levante slipped to 11th last time around.

In a bid to improve on that performance, the club brought in Joaquin Caparros to replace former manager Juan Ignacio Martinez.

And Caparros has been busy in the transfer window so far, bringing in the likes of forward David Barral from Orduspor, midfielder Jordi Xumetra from Elche and goalkeeper Javi Jimenez from Murcia.

However, the new manager may not be able to call on ther services of Ruben Garcia and Papakouli Diop at the Camp Nou, as both are struggling for fitness.

18.08. (Sun) 17:30 Borussia D. - Eint. Braunschweig

Jurgen Klopp's men thrashed Augsburg 4-0 last week and will be hoping to continue their flying start to the season in their Signal Iduna Park opener

Jurgen Klopp's side have won all three of their competitive fixtures this season, following up a 4-2 German Super Cup triumph over Bayern Munich with a 3-0 success against Wilhelmshaven in the DFB-Pokal and a 4-0 Bundesliga victory over Augsburg.

New signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the star of the show against Augsburg, announcing his arrival with a hat-trick in the one-sided affair.

The 24-year-old Gabon international, who joined from Saint-Etienne, produced an outstanding individual performance that impressed his fans and team-mates alike as he became just the sixth player to score three goals on his Bundesliga debut.

"He scored three but what impressed me most of all was his defensive work, his work rate," Turkish midfielder Nuri Sahin said.

Aubameyang's partnership with want-away Pole Robert Lewandowski was crucial in the win.

Dortmund have stood firm in the close-season despite Lewandowski's desire to leave, and their stance could pay dividends this campaign.

He scored and provided one assist in the big win, and Eintracht Braunschweig will have their hands full against the 24-year-old.

One player who will not feature for Klopp's men is midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who is set to miss a fortnight after straining his spine in Germany's 3-3 friendly draw against Paraguay on Wednesday.

Dortmund will enter the match as firm favourites after newly promoted Eintracht Braunschweig slumped to a 1-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen last week.

Torsten Lieberknecht's side were valiant in that fixture, but saw their return to the top flight after a 28-year absence spoiled by a late Zlatko Junuzovic goal.

Braunschweig have an inexperienced Bundesliga squad and have not been helped by the injury sustained by Congo striker Dominick Kumbela.

Kumbela was the top scorer in the second tier last term with 19 goals, firing his side to promotion, but has been sidelined since undergoing a thigh operation in May.

Midfielder Marco Caligiuri joined in the close-season from Mainz to give them experience, while Canada international Simeon Jackson moved from Norwich City to sign with the club.

He could cause Dortmund problems with his pace but the 2012-13 Champions League finalists carry an even greater attacking threat.

18.08. (Sun) 14:30 Crystal Palace - Tottenham

Crystal Palace's first Premier League match in eight years sees them face a tough test against Tottenham at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Palace – who won promotion from the Championship via the play-off final last term – will battle history in their bid to avoid relegation this season.

Indeed, the club have featured in four Premier League seasons but have been relegated on each occasion.

Ian Holloway has made several additions to his squad, with striker Dwight Gayle, who arrived from Peterborough United for a fee in the region of £4.5 million, the headline arrival.

Midfielders Jose Campana - formerly of Sevilla - and Stephen Dobbie - signed from Brighton and Hove Albion - have also signed on, as has ex-Arsenal forward Marouane Chamakh, while Holloway raided former club Blackpool to sign Elliot Grandin and extend Kevin Phillips's stay for another year.

Defender Florian Marange also completed a switch to Selhurst Park on the eve of the new campaign, penning a one-year deal to bring to an end his long association with Ligue 1 outift Bordeaux.

Phillips, who scored the only goal in Palace's 1-0 play-off final win over Watford while on loan last season, is now 40, meaning that the burden of responsibility to lead the line week in, week out will likely fall to Gayle, Chamakh and Glenn Murray.

Murray scored 30 Championship goals last term but suffered a serious knee injury in the play-offs and is not expected to feature until the second half of the season.

Joining Murray on the sidelines is winger Yannick Bolasie (hamstring) while midfielder Jonathan Parr is a doubt due to an ankle problem.

Conversely, Tottenham have significantly strengthened this summer but they will be without Wales winger Gareth Bale, who is still suffering from a foot injury.

Bale – who has been the subject of a world record bid from Real Madrid – is keen to quit Tottenham and move to the Spanish capital.

Striker Roberto Soldado has joined from Valencia for £25.9 million, winger Nacer Chadli was recruited from Twente, while midfield pair Paulinho and Etienne Capoue arrived from Corinthians and Toulouse respectively, and could all play a part.

Heading the list of departures are attacker Clint Dempsey, who moved to Seattle Sounders, defender Steven Caulker, to Cardiff, and midfielder Tom Huddlestone, to Hull City, but Spurs will still feel confident of achieving a top-four finish.

Soldado scored 30 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions for Valencia last season and arrives at White Hart Lane with a big reputation.

Apart from Bale, Tottenham's only other significant injury worry is Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen (ankle).

The two sides have met just three times since the turn of the century, with the most recent fixture ending in a 3-0 win for Palace in January 2005.