La Liga (Spanish League) Prediction Thread 2025/26

[Chilwell]

Is crazy to thing Arbeloa is doing much better than Xabi Alonso this only show how bad persons and ego persons are the players of the Real Madrid they dont want a coach who said how to do things like always and they only want a coach who doesnt take big decissions they clearly made Xabi fall. For that i dont want to see them winning.

I don't see any reason here why you should be saying this because there are opportunities ahead for Xavi which I believe for one day Real Madrid will see his potential, take a look at Jose Mourinho, he has coach so many teams, 2 times and the first time he was there, he was seen as a bad person but after he left they don't have any option rather than to call him back because of what he have as a person to improve the club. If I'm to agree with all what you have said it means that real Madrid should continue losing just because they did not get along with Xavi, xavi is a good coach and I am so confident for him that he will definitely find a better place for himself.

[giorgione]

It cannot be denied that Barcelona currently lacks a good center back, so their defense which is not very solid always backfires which is very dangerous for Barcelona,  especially when playing against big teams. So because of that, Barcelona currently clearly needs a good center back who can be trusted to guard Barcelona's defense. So right now I also don't know for sure which player will actually be bought by Barcelona,  but currently the news that Bastoni will be bought by Barcelona is indeed being widely discussed.

I also don't know for sure whether Bastoni will be suitable to play for Barcelona or not, but if I see him playing at Inter, he is indeed a pretty good defender. So maybe Barcelona can bring him in, and that's not a problem in my opinion. But if the price is too expensive, it is clearly not ideal for Barcelona's finances. So right now Barcelona must be able to negotiate well, so they don't pay too much to buy Bastoni.

Barcelona are in fact taking steps to acquire a good central defender, although i don't know if central defender is his role but Alessandro Bastoni is an excellent footballer, even if he is a bit dirty and incorrect, but sometimes a defender has to be otherwise otherwise he cannot be called such and cannot play that role.

[Hyphen(-)]

Ancelotti has confirmed Raphinha felt a muscle injury during the game with Brazil.

Barcelona fans don't need injuries at this moment. Eventually, Raphinha is experince a tough time right now. He was injured while playing for Brazil yesterday. Raphinaha is going to be out for 4 weeks.

Unfortunately, he will miss a few games for Barcelona, most especially against Atletico Madrid.

This is a bad bed that come at a very wrong time because Barcelona needed every player at this moment because they are in the very tight situation when they cannot afford to drop any point because of how the league is very competitive and Real Madrid is in a good shape to compete for the Laliga title; while Rafinha is an important player in Barcelona squad; therefore, Hensi Flick will have to find way to cover for this because they can’t afford to lose any match including in the Champions League and we know how Atletico Madrid used to play against Barcelona on a regular basis.

Barcelona’s next four games will include there games against Atletico Madrid which is a very difficult fixture for them based on how close the matches are and I am not sure if Barcelona can win these three games on a regular basis without injures and now that Rafinha is injured, I dint think they can comfortably win two games.

[Just Say]

Ancelotti has confirmed Raphinha felt a muscle injury during the game with Brazil.

Barcelona fans don't need injuries at this moment. Eventually, Raphinha is experince a tough time right now. He was injured while playing for Brazil yesterday. Raphinaha is going to be out for 4 weeks.

Unfortunately, he will miss a few games for Barcelona, most especially against Atletico Madrid.

Actually I noticed that Rafinha was injured during the France vs. Brazil game, however it is true that at the moment, if the Brazilian player is out for four weeks, it could have a somewhat negative impact for Barcelona. You may know that Barcelona have already played 29 rounds and they now have nine matches in hand, so Barcelona should have been more careful from now on but everyone saw one of their best attacking players was injured during the game against France. It can be said without a doubt that Barcelona could be weakened in the absence of this player in the La Liga match against Atletico Madrid and the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, therefore at this stage we think this team needs to find a way to fill this void.

[whiteblue]

On the other hand, this proves that there is a serious problem with the team's performance, it must be said that one of the main causes of their defeats lies in their fragile defence. If Real Betis continue to perform like this, it is entirely possible that their position will be taken by a team below them, with Celta being the strongest contender.

they are trying to recover but i understand that the desire they are putting in is fundamental, the advantage that Barcelona have for example is largely recoverable and if they start pushing they can do it, regarding Atletico Madrid i don't think there are many problems for them to win.

Who says Atletico Madrid really won't make trouble for Barcelona? Don't forget that Diego Simeone is also not a coach who can be underestimated easily, he knows enough to keep up with Barcelona so maybe the story will be like when dealing with Real Madrid yesterday, I hope you don't look at Atletico Madrid here because I think Atletico Madrid also has the feasibility with its squad to beat Barcelona, especially when several players are injured and can disrupt what is in the Barcelona team structure.
With Betis I don't have much to say but they do make me feel that they will be a little bit better against a much worse Espanyol, otherwise that place would have been taken by Celta.

[Mrbluntzy]

Ancelotti has confirmed Raphinha felt a muscle injury during the game with Brazil.

Barcelona fans don't need injuries at this moment. Eventually, Raphinha is experince a tough time right now. He was injured while playing for Brazil yesterday. Raphinaha is going to be out for 4 weeks.

Unfortunately, he will miss a few games for Barcelona, most especially against Atletico Madrid.

Raphinha is a basic player that will win games, he just have to become consistent just like Vinicius Jr. This is no longer the time to pick up an injury. Injuries makes a player to become incompetent and not 100 guaranteed. Carlo Ancelotti will make crucial decisions that will help his side perform effectively in the world cup. This was merely friendly game and we watch how Brazil perform against France, common this is not what we expect them to do in the upcoming world cup.

[Richbased]

Actually I noticed that Rafinha was injured during the France vs. Brazil game, however it is true that at the moment, if the Brazilian player is out for four weeks, it could have a somewhat negative impact for Barcelona. You may know that in La Liga, each team will now have the opportunity to play nine matches, so Barcelona should have been more careful from now on but one of their best attacking players was injured during the game against France. It can be said without a doubt that Barcelona could be weakened in the Atletico Madrid match and in this Clasico match due to the absence of this player, therefore at this stage we think this team needs to find a way to fill this void.

I hate it when a prominent player gets injured while on international duties or while playing some not too important competitions. Raphinha is a major player is the Barcelona squad and his absence will affect the composure of the team so if he is out in 4 weeks, it will definitely be a big problem for Barcelona because this is actually a time when they need their major players to be fit enough in order to withstand the hurdle ahead of them. It's a sad news for Barcelona and i wonder how they will be able to cope in his absence. They have two important matches which includes both Madrid teams so they needed a news that will motivate them rather than weaken the player's mentality. Just an ordinary international friendly match is now about to demoralize the Barcelona team as a result of Raphinha's injury.

[jakdanyel]

Raphinha is a basic player that will win games, he just have to become consistent just like Vinicius Jr. This is no longer the time to pick up an injury. Injuries makes a player to become incompetent and not 100 guaranteed. Carlo Ancelotti will make crucial decisions that will help his side perform effectively in the world cup. This was merely friendly game and we watch how Brazil perform against France, common this is not what we expect them to do in the upcoming world cup.

Let's not say Raphinha is a basic player. He isn't an average player like in the past. Hansi Flick has turned him into a star at Barcelona.    He could have even got a Ballon d'Or last season...

His total G/A statistics are the same as Vinicius Junior's this season by the way. In terms of consistency they are similar to me lately. So his absence will be very important for Barcelona.

[verdinio]

Their performance and hard work are quite strong for them and that is why they are quite famous. Every player has some or the other ability in him but Ronaldo and Messi have some different struggle experiences and that is why anyone can buy them for any high amount and in return they can give a good profit as Ronaldo has given a lot of profit to Saudi. If other players also try well and play hard then they can also improve their physical health and can count themselves among the strong players. Players like them play well for some time but they do not strengthen themselves and work hard due to which they are not able to make the performance like them and there is no special place for them in the future. Although we can see the performance of new players in a new way but now these two players will also leave football soon and we will see players like them.

in fact every player certainly has his own peculiarity and characteristic, i think that there will no longer be players like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps in another 20 years we will be able to see and admire players at this level, for now we can only be lucky to have seen them play.

[EarnOnVictor]

On the other hand, this proves that there is a serious problem with the team's performance, it must be said that one of the main causes of their defeats lies in their fragile defence. If Real Betis continue to perform like this, it is entirely possible that their position will be taken by a team below them, with Celta being the strongest contender.

they are trying to recover but i understand that the desire they are putting in is fundamental, the advantage that Barcelona have for example is largely recoverable and if they start pushing they can do it, regarding Atletico Madrid i don't think there are many problems for them to win.

Who says Atletico Madrid really won't make trouble for Barcelona? Don't forget that Diego Simeone is also not a coach who can be underestimated easily, he knows enough to keep up with Barcelona so maybe the story will be like when dealing with Real Madrid yesterday, I hope you don't look at Atletico Madrid here because I think Atletico Madrid also has the feasibility with its squad to beat Barcelona, especially when several players are injured and can disrupt what is in the Barcelona team structure.

I'm with you 100%. Although Barcelona may still beat Atletico Madrid, the win will not be a "walkover." The club will give Barcelona a fierce fight worthy of a strong opponent, and if Barcelona underestimates them, that will be a blow to their face, as Atletico Madrid is a strong club too, even though Barcelona is better. Their last match with Real should hint at what they could do if they are serious, and I am sure they will try better when faced with Barcelona, especially when the game is held at Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

[cande86]

I can't agree with you at all. Madrid have been  struggling since last season. Their performance has been inconsistent. It was not possible for Alonso to improve very quickly. Also, Alonso must have wanted to achieve long-term success. Like he did with leverkusen. He took a long time to build the Leverkusen squad. And in the end he brought the Bundesliga title to leverkusen.

Arbeloa successful with madrid ? I do not know if you watch Madrid's matches. They may be able to get points in the matches, even qualified for the quarter-finals of the champions league. But I am not satisfied with their  performance at all. Madrid is the strongest squad in La Liga. But their overall performance  is still quite weak. Madrid has dominated and won  very few matches since arbeloa took charge.

Real Madrid is in difficulty, but let's not say that it's not something new, honestly they should have stopped the crisis some time before, but they didn't, they realized that at the moment they have some problems that they are trying to fix, but when they then start to challenge very strong teams they will be in big trouble.

[BitBakerr1]

Ancelotti has confirmed Raphinha felt a muscle injury during the game with Brazil.

Barcelona fans don't need injuries at this moment. Eventually, Raphinha is experince a tough time right now. He was injured while playing for Brazil yesterday. Raphinaha is going to be out for 4 weeks.

Unfortunately, he will miss a few games for Barcelona, most especially against Atletico Madrid.

and according to what I’m hearing, they say he will be out throughout the season if this happen Barcelona would be really affected. This is one of the reasons why coaches fear to let their players go to international friendly matches or their country matches because they can be faced with injury, and if the player is an important player in the club, this injury will affect the club right now because his very important in Barcelona , and if they are not careful, it may affect them lifting the La Liga title and also going far in Champion League  or reaching the final. Some of my friends who are in Barcelona, were very angry hearing this news and those that are in Real Madrid are very happy hearing this news. I pray he gets well soon.

[IceLincoln]

I agree that Xabi should have stayed, but i also think he didn’t really have any authority, and on top of that the results were pretty bad. Arbeloa kinda reminds me of Di Matteo when he replaced Villas Boas at Chelsea in 2011/12 , and we all know he ended up winning the UCL.So who knows, maybe Arbeloa could do something similar :)Klopp coming back as a coach would be nice too, i honestly kind of miss his style of football

The horse is seen in a long run, it is premature to judge Arbeola and already maintain that he is better than Alonso.
Real Madrid is a very peculiar team, the management is not at all simple, imagine having a stable with thoroughbred horses, they are all too agitated and if they do not have a good tamer every horse does its own thing, damaging the riding stables.
Real Madrid I see it that way, they have a very powerful "heart" but the management must be careful.

The players are perhaps among the best in the world in terms of individual quality, but they lack cohesive skills. Perhaps this is what creates a need for a good manager. I believe that with a good manager, Real Madrid could become an invincible team. Because, despite many criticisms, their defensive players are actually very good. They only have a noticeable deficiency in a central defender; otherwise, they need a playmaker in midfield. If they make good transfers to these two positions, Real Madrid could become an unbeatable team.

Aside from lacking a playmaker, a creative midfielder and a stable right back, Real Madrid team is and has always been an impeccable squad. They have what it takes to compete for any title but sometimes the player egos and wants are their downfall. Carlo Ancelloti excelled at Madrid because he had the control of the dressing room and allowed the players to play in their respective styles.
Their major problems has always been Man Management.

[el kaka22]

What did you expected from a dude who has been brought as interim replacement? I mean Arbeloa wasn't "hired", he wasn't seen as making the team better, he was just there to takeover when Xabi was fired, that's it. Not like they want to keep hm either, next season they will have a different manager and we all know it already, even on day one we knew that Arbeloa is a temporary solution to their problem. Like not that he was given a few years contract or anything like that.

So do not expect much from him, if the team loses everything then it's not his problem, he was never ready to win stuff with them anyways, he is not that good, and wasn't good when he got the job neither. His entire job is to make sure they can finish without a big blow out or issue.

[Alpha Marine]

Barcelona fans don't need injuries at this moment. Eventually, Raphinha is experince a tough time right now. He was injured while playing for Brazil yesterday. Raphinaha is going to be out for 4 weeks.

Unfortunately, he will miss a few games for Barcelona, most especially against Atletico Madrid.

Without Raphinha Barcelona will really struggle. He is very vital to their team. He presses a lot and understands the way the team plays very well. The whole pressure structure of Barcelona starts from him. Without Raphinha, It's going to very difficult for Barcelona to win all three matches against Atletico. No body in the team presses as much as he does. The only replacement for his position is Rashford and he is not good at pressing, neither is he as clinical as Raphinha. Barcelona will also struggle to score goals without Raphinha because he is the most clinical player in the attack right now. Lewandoski and Ferran are not clinical. Yamal may be the most dangerous and most creative player in the attack, but he is not as clinical as Raphinha. For them to survive this crucial period without Raphinha, they will all need to be at the top of their game in every match.

[Taricoins]

It cannot be denied that Barcelona currently lacks a good center back, so their defense which is not very solid always backfires which is very dangerous for Barcelona,  especially when playing against big teams. So because of that, Barcelona currently clearly needs a good center back who can be trusted to guard Barcelona's defense. So right now I also don't know for sure which player will actually be bought by Barcelona,  but currently the news that Bastoni will be bought by Barcelona is indeed being widely discussed.

I also don't know for sure whether Bastoni will be suitable to play for Barcelona or not, but if I see him playing at Inter, he is indeed a pretty good defender. So maybe Barcelona can bring him in, and that's not a problem in my opinion. But if the price is too expensive, it is clearly not ideal for Barcelona's finances. So right now Barcelona must be able to negotiate well, so they don't pay too much to buy Bastoni.

Barcelona are in fact taking steps to acquire a good central defender, although i don't know if central defender is his role but Alessandro Bastoni is an excellent footballer, even if he is a bit dirty and incorrect, but sometimes a defender has to be otherwise otherwise he cannot be called such and cannot play that role.

I don't understand what you mean by dirty and incorrect lol, but one thing that's making the management and the whole fan base horny to get Bastoni is the bulk of experience he has to offer as a 27 year old CB who has played in virtually all th big stages, there are other options but Bastoni is this the most preferable because of said experience.

[Abu-Naim]

What did you expected from a dude who has been brought as interim replacement? I mean Arbeloa wasn't "hired", he wasn't seen as making the team better, he was just there to takeover when Xabi was fired, that's it. Not like they want to keep hm either, next season they will have a different manager and we all know it already, even on day one we knew that Arbeloa is a temporary solution to their problem. Like not that he was given a few years contract or anything like that.

So do not expect much from him, if the team loses everything then it's not his problem, he was never ready to win stuff with them anyways, he is not that good, and wasn't good when he got the job neither. His entire job is to make sure they can finish without a big blow out or issue.

He is even trying his best based on how I thought his performance will and based in his experience. I don’t know if he has coached any big team before, he is just a legend of the Real Madrid and is here to act as an interim manager before they appoint another manager, but still I know the management are expecting him to win trophies for the team even if it will be a single trophy because they still have chance to win trophies this season which include the Champions League and the Laliga.

Now that Rafinha of Barcelona will be out for at least four weeks, if Real Madrid can take their chances to win all their respective matches, I am expecting Barcelona to drop some points in their next games before Rafinha will come back from injury because he is a key player in their squad and have a great impact in Barcelona’s success.

[ndutndut]

Ancelotti has confirmed Raphinha felt a muscle injury during the game with Brazil.

Barcelona fans don't need injuries at this moment. Eventually, Raphinha is experince a tough time right now. He was injured while playing for Brazil yesterday. Raphinaha is going to be out for 4 weeks.

Unfortunately, he will miss a few games for Barcelona, most especially against Atletico Madrid.

This is certainly a major blow for Barcelona. This is what every coach fears during the international break a player returning to his club with an injury. I also saw Rapihan overexerting himself even though he had stated he felt uncomfortable before the match, but he still pushed himself. This was a very poor decision especially considering it was only a friendly.

Raphinha has now returned to Barcelona to begin examinations on the injury. Given the estimated recovery time of four weeks this is certainly a very long time potentially missing not only the UCL quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid but also the semifinal if Barcelona manages to beat Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals as well as several important La Liga matches.

[Dzwaafu11]

Raphinha is a basic player that will win games, he just have to become consistent just like Vinicius Jr. This is no longer the time to pick up an injury. Injuries makes a player to become incompetent and not 100 guaranteed. Carlo Ancelotti will make crucial decisions that will help his side perform effectively in the world cup. This was merely friendly game and we watch how Brazil perform against France, common this is not what we expect them to do in the upcoming world cup.

Injuries is unavoidable I’m still repeating this, a player can not avoid injuries, although I understand that Raphinha is one of the key players in the Barcelona squad, it’s going to actual bad time for Barcelona if the Injury actually take time before get recovered.

because this isn’t the right time for this injuries. So I believe they will do the needful to make sure the team player is strong enough to continue doing his wonders, many of this key players doesn’t really need this injuries they are actually main players in their squad.

so I believe they will be very careful and apart of from been key players there is also pain in this injury, so they won’t make any mistake that will lead to their injury.

[katanic97]

I agree that Xabi should have stayed, but i also think he didn’t really have any authority, and on top of that the results were pretty bad. Arbeloa kinda reminds me of Di Matteo when he replaced Villas Boas at Chelsea in 2011/12 , and we all know he ended up winning the UCL.So who knows, maybe Arbeloa could do something similar :)Klopp coming back as a coach would be nice too, i honestly kind of miss his style of football

The horse is seen in a long run, it is premature to judge Arbeola and already maintain that he is better than Alonso.
Real Madrid is a very peculiar team, the management is not at all simple, imagine having a stable with thoroughbred horses, they are all too agitated and if they do not have a good tamer every horse does its own thing, damaging the riding stables.
Real Madrid I see it that way, they have a very powerful "heart" but the management must be careful.

Good comparison, i gotta admit, you reminded me of a famous writer from my country But yeah, you're definitely right. I'd really like Arbeloa to succeed because he was basically thrown into the "fire" , a team like that requires deep analysis and the coach has to be very careful. They've got really good players and right now they're actually in form. They showed that against Man City, we all saw it. I think they need to work a bit on their behavior on and off the pitch. It kinda feels like discipline is the issue there. Once that gets sorted, i believe we'll be watching the Real Madrid from Zidane's era again