21.08. (Wed) 23:00 Atletico Madrid - Barcelona

Barcelona will look to continue their blistering form when they take on Atletico Madrid in Wednesday's first leg of the Supercopa de Espana.

Gerardo Martino's reign at Camp Nou got under way in stunning fashion on Sunday as Barca thrashed Levante 7-0.

Lionel Messi showed no sign of the hamstring injury that had hampered his pre-season, scoring twice, and will hope to add to his career tally of 20 goals against Atleti, having netted more against them than any other club.

Cesc Fabregas also returned from an ankle injury to star against Levante, although Martino is still without experienced defender Carles Puyol (knee), while young attacker Cristian Tello (hamstring) remains a doubt.

Atletico started their season with an impressive 3-1 win away to Sevilla as Diego Costa netted a double.

The Brazilian rejected advances from Liverpool to sign a new deal at the Vicente Calderon in the close-season and will hope to replace the goals previously scored by Radamel Falcao for Atleti, after the Colombian's move to Monaco.

All eyes, however, will be on David Villa, who will be taking on

Despite a strong start to the season, however, Atletico manager Diego Simeone was not so enthused.

The former Argentina midfielder believes Barca and Real Madrid are too strong for any Liga sides to catch, which makes the Spanish top flight a "boring" competition.

When asked if his side could compete domestically this term, Simeone firmly said: "No, absolutely no. Madrid and Barcelona play in a different league.

"This is a boring championship for the rest of the supporters who can only aspire to be third or fourth.

"We'll have to wait for a different distribution of television money because now the league is only of two."

21.08. (Wed) 20:45 Fenerbahce - Arsenal

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger goes into Wednesday's Champions League clash with Fenerbahce under unprecedented pressure.

The Frenchman has won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups with the London club since his arrival in 1996, but has seen his standing diminish over the course of eight trophyless years.

Recent failures in the transfer market, which have seen several high-profile targets missed and only 20-year-old forward Yaya Sanogo arrive, have also served to compound fans' frustrations.

The situation came to a head on Saturday as Arsenal suffered an embarrassing 3-1 opening-day defeat to an Aston Villa side who spent much of last season battling against relegation from the English top flight.

And so there is little doubt that Wenger needs a win when his team make the daunting trip to Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in the first leg of their play-off encounter against Fenerbahce.

Unlike their next opponents, the Turkish side have been busy in the market of late, bringing in the likes of Emmanuel Emenike, Michal Kadlec and Bruno Alves during the close-season period.

However, that did not prevent them from allowing a two-goal lead to slip in the final 13 minutes of their first 2013-14 league fixture against Konyaspor as they slumped to a 3-2 defeat.

Manager Ersun Yanal will at least be buoyed by the fact that the visitors face a number of injury worries as well as morale issues following their humbling by Villa.

Thomas Vermaelen (back), Mikel Arteta (hamstring), Nacho Monreal (back) and long-term absentee Abou Diaby (knee) all missed that fixture, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee), Bacary Sagna (neck) and Kieran Gibbs (head) picked up their injuries during the match.

By contrast, Fenerbahce could welcome back Gonul Gokhan following his recovery from surgery, though they will still be without Erten Ersu (knee).

The Super Lig outfit do know, however, that they could yet be thrown out of the Champions League even if they win their tie against Arsenal, as they await a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding accusations from Uefa of match-fixing.

The teams last met in the group stages of this competition in the 2008-09 season, and shared a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium after Arsenal had ran out 5-2 winners in Turkey.

21.08. (Wed) 20:45 Chelsea - Aston Villa

Aston Villa travel to Chelsea on Wednesday full of confidence, and desperate to atone for last season's 8-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge.

Paul Lambert's side go into the game having secured the shock of the Premier League's opening day, winning 3-1 away to Arsenal, but face the team who inflicted their heaviest defeat of last season.

Chelsea will also be in confident mood ahead of their second game at home in four days. They brushed aside new boys Hull City on Sunday in Jose Mourinho's Premier League return and will be hoping to do the same with Villa.
The fixture was originally scheduled for August 31, but was moved due to Chelsea's involvement in the Uefa Super Cup a day earlier.

Villa have taken a win and a draw from two of their last four visits to Stamford Bridge, however the two defeats have been heavy - 8-0 and 7-1 - and they have not recorded a cleansheet at the ground since 1998.

The pair's head-to-head league record is exactly even with each having recorded 50 wins and Villa captain Ron Vlaar believes his side can spring a surprise and make up for last season's embarrassment.

"If you can win at the Emirates, of course it is a great start. We want to do it again on Wednesday now," Vlaar said. "We all know what happened last year, so we want to put that to rest.

"We learnt a lot and we still have to learn a lot, but mentally we became a stronger team.

"But it is the start of the season and nobody really knows a lot about each other."

Mourinho only lost once to Villa during his first spell in charge, in the penultimate Premier League game of his first tenure, and his return to England got off to the perfect start with the victory over Steve Bruce's side.

The Portuguese coach has an almost fully fit squad to choose from, with David Luiz a doubt having also missed Sunday's triumph and Nathaniel Chalobah having picked up a knock while representing England Under-21s a week ago.

Nathan Baker is the only new injury concern for Paul Lambert, the central defender limped out of the Arsenal victory with an ankle injury that leaves him a doubt for Wednesday.

Yacouba Sylla, Chris Herd and Charles N'Zogbia all missed the opening day and are unlikely to feature at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea v Aston Villa / Barclays Premier League Opta Facts – August 21

Aston Villa suffered their biggest ever defeat in the Barclays Premier League on their last visit to Stamford Bridge (8-0).Chelsea have won each of their last three Barclays Premier League clashes with Aston Villa, scoring 14 goals.
The Villains have won just one of their last 11 league visits to the Stamford Bridge, losing seven (D3).
Chelsea's all-time leading scorer Frank Lampard has scored 13 times against Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League; more than against any other side.
Christian Benteke scored and was then sent off in the last meeting between the two teams. Villa striker Benteke is the leading goalscorer in the Barclays Premier League in 2013 so far (16 goals).
Aston Villa have lost three and won none of their last four Premier League matches on Wednesdays.
Branislav Ivanovic has bagged three goals in the Barclays Premier League against Aston Villa; more than against any other side.
Only against Tottenham (77) have Chelsea scored more goals in the Barclays Premier League than against Aston Villa (66).
Jose Mourinho has won none of his last four Premier League matches against Aston Villa (D3 L1).
Fernando Torres has scored four goals in his last for Barclays Premier League starts against Aston Villa.

20.08. (Tue) 17:00 Shakhtyor Karagandy - Celtic

Celtic's quest to qualify for the group stages of Europe's elite club competition for a second successive season leads them to unfamiliar territory on Tuesday when they face Shakhter Karagandy at the Astana Arena in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.

Neil Lennon's side, who are facing opposition from Kazakhstan for the first time, will be confident of successfully negotiating their final qualification obstacle and secure a highly sought-after berth in the group stages along side Europe's elite.

The Bhoys can take a big step towards earning a place in Thursday week's draw if they can maintain their unbeaten start to the season in the Kazakh capital but will face a stern test as their opponents aim to make history of their own.

After shocking Bate Borisov in the second qualifying round, Viktor Kumkov's men then eased past Albanian title holders KS Skenderbeu to book a date with the Bhoys and are just two games away from becoming the first club from the eastern European country to reach the Champions League group stages.

While the hosts will be able to draw on additional encouragement from a five-match unbeaten home run in Europe for the visit of their superior opponents, Celtic have the wherewithal and experience to safely negotiate the tricky ties that the qualification process throws up.

The 1967 European Cup winners have competed in the group stages seven times previously and will be eager to repeat last year's memorable campaign, which saw them reach the knock-out stages before eventually losing 5-0 on aggregate to Juventus.

However, they have had mixed fortunes in the qualifying stages in recent years and will be desperate to avoid falling at the final hurdle for the third time in four years.

The SPL champions headed straight from Pittodrie to Aberdeen Airport following Saturday's Scottish Premiership encounter with the Dons but Lennon insists that they have taken every precaution to ensure their Champions League ambitions are not ruined by travel weariness.

"It's difficult," he told reporters. "It's a six- or seven-hour flight and we arrive very early in the morning. Sunday will be important in terms of rest and recovery, getting up to speed with the time difference and getting enough nutrition and fluids into the players, so that they are not dehydrated, and also acclimatising to the weather."

Unlike their opponents, Shakhter will have no worries about fatigue or weariness ahead of the game. The Kazakh champions rested their entire team but still enjoyed a morale-boosting victory over the second-top team in the league.

Coach Viktor Kumykov admitted: "We decided to divide our squad into two groups because we have a lot of games coming up. So the players who will meet Celtic were all rested."

Meanwhile, the Shakhter boss has banned his players from speaking ahead of the game with the Scottish champions, explaining: "I would prefer if my players didn't talk to the media before playing this game. It would only serve as a distraction and could be used against them."

Their latest result gives Shakhter hope of retaining their league title and they are now in third place, three points behind leaders Aktobe.

First-choice goalkeeper Mokin, top-scorer Sergei Khizhnichenko, who were both part of the national side that defeated Georgia earlierin August, and Lithuania international Gediminas Vicius all watched from the stands at the weekend ahead of Tuesday's first leg. Also left out were captain Andrei Finonchenko and Colombia-born Roger Canas.

Meanwhile, the Hoops boss expects most of his injured players to declare themselves fit for the first leg with strikers Amido Balde and Anthony Stokes both nursing calf strains and wingers James Forrest and Derk Boerrigter struggling with ankle knocks.
Dutch centre-half Virgil van Dijk has an ongoing foot problem although he made a substitute appearance in the win over Aberdeen while Australian midfielder Tom Rogic is also expected to be fit despite ankle ligament problems.

19.08. (Mon) 21:00 Manchester City - Newcastle Utd

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini will hope history repeats itself when he makes his Premier League debut against Newcastle.

The Chilean replaced Roberto Mancini as City boss back in June and he could hardly have asked for a better first competitive fixture if recent history is anything by which to go.

Monday's hosts have not lost against Newcastle in the top flight since September 2005 - when a Michael Owen goal handed the Tyneside club a 1-0 win at St James's Park.

Their chances of extending that record are also boosted by the fact that the Magpies head to the Etihad Stadium have never enjoyed victory on the ground.

For Pellegrini, the clash represents the first true test of his reign in charge of City and he will be hoping to build on an encouraging pre-season that included victory in the Asia Trophy.

However, Newcastle are unlikely to give any quarter - although manager Alan Pardew's selection plans have been hampered by the club's early-season injury list.

Newcastle will be without new signing Loic Remy (calf), while Ryan Taylor (knee) has been ruled out for almost the entirety of the 2013-14 campaign.

And, while Jonas Gutierrez (calf) could return, an injury to Davide Santon (hip) means that Pardew is toying with the idea of handing 21-year-old left-back Paul Dummett a daunting debut.

"Davide has a problem and I think he's doubtful for the game," Pardew told reporters. "I gave [Mark] Noble, [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain and [Jonjo] Shelvey debuts at 16 so I have no problem with age.

"In terms of where [Dummett] is at and the pre-season he has had, he has put himself in real contention, but Man City away would be a tough call for him having not made his debut for us yet.

"You're either ready or you're not and throwing into the deep end sometimes works but up against him would be [Jesus] Navas, who, in my opinion, is probably the best signing of the summer. He's a little bit special.

"That's something we'll think about but, going forward, I'd expect him to make 10 first-team starts this season."

Even without considering his vastly deeper squad, by contrast Pellegrini has few injury worries ahead of City's opener.

Matija Nastasic is likely to be replaced by Joleon Lescott in defence having suffered an ankle injury but the 59-year-old has an otherwise fully fit squad from which to choose.

That means that close-season arrivals Alvaro Negredo, Navas, Fernandinho and Stevan Jovetic could all be handed Premier League debuts.

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.

The weekend’s La Liga previews, 2013/14 – round 1

Saturday 17th August

Real Sociedad v Getafe
After an unlikely 4th placed finish last season, Real Sociedad (5/6) lost their coach, Montanier, to Rennes and best midfielder to Real Madrid- who paid Illamendi's buyout clause. Hardly ideal, but the club messed their now former French coach about with regards to a new contract - and a buyout clause, well, what could they do.

Anyway, while La Real still have the players to make a top 6 finish, it remains to be seen how their small squad will cope with the demands of Champions League football. Last time they qualified for UEFA's flagship tournament, in 2003, not very well was the answer.

Little to set the pulse racing with summer changes at Getafe (19/5), but they do seem to well against Real Sociedad - drawing at San Sebastian last season and winning at the Alfonso Perez - and I'm going to see if they can get a draw or better this weekend.

Worth a punt: Getafe + 1 goal (19/20)


Valladolid v Athletic Bilbao
Coach Djukic has left Valladolid to join Valencia, while Bielsa has parted with Athletic Bilbao, replaced by Ernesto Valverde - who was at Valencia last season.
Merry go round aside, what does alll of this mean? My guess: Valladolid (17/20) will struggle, while Athletic (17/10) will prosper in the league without European competition to tire their limited squad out.

Given that the midfielder is good in the tackle and an excellent free kick taker who should weigh in with 7-10 goals this season, the addition of Benat from Betis should prove to be a very good move for Athletic. All in all, I think that Athletic will finish in the top 6 and maybe the top 4.
As for today's game, well, Athletic drew 2-2 here last season, so if I think they are now stronger and that the home team has weakened, Athletic draw no bet is surely worth a punt.

Recommendation: Athletic - draw no bet (19/20)


Valencia v Malaga
Valencia's coaching changes are catalogued in the preview above, while I'm sure you all know that Pellegrini has left Malaga for Man City - replaced by former Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster. As for player changes, Soldado has left, replaced by Helder Postiga in a cut price deal, while Isco, Toulalan and Demichelis have all left the Anchovies for a more consistent pay packet and better chance of winning trophies.

While Jonas was more consistent last season than he was in 2011/12, the inevitable loss of Soldado makes you wonder who'll score the goals for Los Che in 2013/14.
Positga's signing is better than nothing, but I'd prefer to assess Valencia (6/10) and their new forward in my own viewing before placing a bet on them.

Former Che player Djukic has achieved good pre-season results and I forecast a home win against Malaga (5/1) - who Valencia defeated 5-1 here last season - but the 4/5 that was available a few weeks ago is now 6/10 and too low for me to recommend, I think.
If you fancy it, we have a headline offer of Postiga to score and Valencia to win at 6/4. Otherwise, you can always bet in-play.

Sunday 18th August

Barcelona v Levante
Most importantly, our best wishes to Tito Vilanova from all at William Hill - we hope he has a speedy recovery and encounters no further problems with his illness.
Now, of course, former Newell's Old Boys coach Gerardo Martino - a man who played attacking football in a safety first league - is the new Barcelona (1/10) coach.
In other news, Thiago, Villa and Abidal have left the club, with Neymar coming in from Santos on a record club deal.

I should expect the young Brazilian will spend a lot of time on the ground while he adapts to Spanish football, but he is an exciting talent and should be a joy to watch long term.
As for today's game, well, it's unlikely that Levante (20/1) will win but very plausible that we'll have witnessed two goals before half time. I'm certainly willing to bet that repeating this tactic over the course of a season will pay off.
Sadly, the price has lessened somewhat (was 5/6), but you can always chance waiting out a couple of minutes in-play for a better price if you wish.

Recommendation: Over 1.5 first half goals (4/6)


Real Madrid v Real Betis
Mourinho out, the more reserved, more controllable and better behaved Ancelotti in. On the playing side at Real Madrid (1/6), notably, Higuain and Albiol have left, with Isco and Illamendi coming in.
Real, apparently, will focus on youth long term. We'll see how they get on with that, but the news signings are a step in that direction - as is bringing back Carvajal from Leverkusen (for more than they sold him for, naturally) and calling up forwards Jese and Morata from the B team, Castilla.

Along with loanees Campbell and Pavon, Benat has left Betis (16/1). Verdu is their only notable signing, joining from Espanyol. Betis, I think, will struggle to come anywhere close to repeating last season's 6th placed finish if their European campaign lasts beyond the group stages.

In conclusion, Betis have scored in their last three visits to the Bernabeu and last six games against Real Madrid, but it's only 6/4 for both to score and Real to defeat Betis so I've chosen a different bet.
Indeed, like Barcelona games, I expect this bet will win a lot more than it'll lose over the course of the season.

Recommendations: Over 1.5 first half goals (4/5)


Osasuna v Granada
Traditionally hard to beat on home soil, you'd expect Osasuna (23/20) to defeat Granada in Pamplona. However, low scoring Osasuna sold their best striker, Sola, to Athletic Bilbao and, as such, it's hard to see who'll score their goals this season.
Granada (5/2) have employed Riki and Piti - both adept at scoring goals with the former having netted thirteen for Deportivo last season and the latter eighteen for Rayo Vallecano. Also, Granada defeated Osasuna home and away in 2012/13.
Well, you'd fancy under 2.5 goals here, but it's the first week and I'm having a small punt on an upset instead.

Worth a punt: Granada (5/2)


Sevilla v Atletico Madrid
As I expect you all know, Negredo, Navas and Medel have all left Sevilla, while Falcao parted company with Atletico Madrid to join the uber-rich Monaco.
Atletico (17/10), for whom Diego Costa shone for in 2012/13, often in Falcao's absence, have made the impressive signings of David Villa and Leo Baptistao, along with securing the services of former Malaga defender Martin Demichelis.

All in all, while Sevilla have brought in forwards Gameiro and Bacca to complement on-loan winger Marin, they've lost their best striker, winger and midfielder - and given the quality of the departed and likelihood that the new Sevilla attackers will need time to gel, coupled with the fact that Atletico won here last season, my opinion is that Simeone and his charges will get at least a draw here, probably all three points.

Recommendation: Atletico - draw no bet (4/5)

Monday 19th August

Rayo Vallecano v Elche
Along with star player Leo Baptistao, nearly all of Rayo Vallecano's (13/10) midfielders and forwards have left, making them hard to judge at present.
Elche (23/10), Segunda champions in 2012/13, have brought in a few players with top flight experience, but still look likely candidates for immediate relegation.

With Rayo pretty strong on home soil last season, I feel I have to recommend a home win against a promoted team at a fair 13/10 price, but be warned that this is largely a different Rayo team that we're dealing with.

Recommendation: Rayo (13/10)


Almeria v Villarreal
Whilst I have nothing against Almeria (17/10), it's nice to see the Yellow Submarines of Villarreal back in the top flight. Of course, nearly all of the players you will remember from a couple of years ago have left, but they look capable of avoiding an immediate return to Segunda football.

The Segunda's top scorer, Charles, has left Almeria and that gives Villarreal (17/10) the advantage, but its promoted team v promoted team and a hard call in the ninety minute market.
My temptation is to opt for both teams to score because it let me down in the Segunda last season, but with Charles now a Celta player, it loses a little credibility.

In conclusion, a 1-1 draw is my guess (priced at 11/2), but given that the last five clashes between these two have finished 1-0, 1-0, 1-1, 0-0 and 2-0, under 2.5 goals looks like the bet.
However, the price about the unders and has been backed in and I'll leave it alone, but it does look like the best bet if you don't know what to pick.

Recommendation: Under 2.5 goals (8/13)


Celta v Espanyol
Surviving on the last day of the season, Celta (13/10) have now turned to Luis Enrique to advance their ambition and stabilise the club. Despite losing star forward Aspas to Liverpool and the Premier League, the former Roma and Barcelona B coach has acted swiftly by bringing in a plethora of Barca B players, either on permanent or loan deals.

Whether this just makes Celta a really good Segunda team or propels them up the Primera table remains to be seen, but against an Espanyol (21/10) side that has lost their best attacker, Verdu, and doesn't travel well, we've got to give the new Celta the nod on home soil.

Recommendation: Celta (13/10)

Insajderi Prognoziraju - Spain, Primera Division - 1. kolo / Nebojša Miličić (Real M)

Insajderi Prognoziraju - Netherlands, Eredivisie - 3. kolo / Nebojša Gudelj (Breda)