Can Real Madrid be overthrown by Barcelona under Hansi Flick?

Logic would suggest that Real Madrid, the reigning Spanish and European champions, will take some stopping this season, especially with a squad strengthened by the addition of the player many consider to be the finest in the world.  

According to the most recent football betting odds, they are the overwhelming favorites to win La Liga once more. It would be difficult for even the most devoted Barcelona or Atletico Madrid fans to argue that Los Blancos don't have the finest team in Spain.  

However, recent results indicate that it would be premature to dismiss this season as another championship parade for Carlo Ancelotti's team, who finished 10 points ahead of their closest competitors the previous season. 

Real Madrid hasn't successfully defended a league title in sixteen years. The current optimism that they will break the wait only serves to remind us of the start of the 2022–2023 season, when they were similarly only off winning the main two medals but ended up finishing far behind Xavi's Barcelona in second place.  

The claim that Kylian Mbappe can only help this team is also called into question by the generally regarded failure of their Galactico era in the early 2000s and several other more recent blockbuster arrivals. 

A great launch for Flick 

Barcelona is riding high following a perfect start under new manager Hansi Flick as we enter the season's first international break. When Flick watched his team lose 3-0 at home to Monaco in their final preseason match just three weeks ago, he could never have imagined the situation they find themselves in now, with an unexpected four-point lead over the Madrid clubs.  

The possibility of a delayed start to the Flick era seems plausible, if not likely, given the accumulating ailments and the now-common registration problems that prevented him from playing for Barca's lone significant summer acquisition. 

Last but not least, despite falling behind Valencia at Mestalla on the first weekend, Barca persevered to win their first three games 2-1 before destroying Real Valladolid 7-0 on Saturday. 

The possible course of this title race  

A far more thrilling La Liga title fight this season is anticipated given Barcelona's strong start, some positive signs at Atletico Madrid after a hectic summer, and some early teething issues for Real Madrid under Mbappe.  

Even though it's still very early, some important games that are coming up should help us get a better sense of how good each of the three teams that are anticipated to compete is.  

Barcelona's hardest test to date comes when they return from the international break: a trip to Girona, their Catalan rivals, who beat them twice the previous season. In their next game, Real Madrid will travel to the Reale Arena to play Real Sociedad. 

Before the end of September, Barca will also have a Madrid derby at the Estadio Metropolitano and a challenging trip to unbeaten Villarreal.  

They should still be level with Real Madrid going into the October El Clasico, which is already starting to take shape as one of the most anticipated encounters in many years, barring an improbable collapse from Flick's team over the next few weeks.  

In the long run, a lot will depend on how well Mbappe integrates and how the required tactical adjustments work at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they are also attempting to find a way to cover a large midfield void left by Toni Kroos.  

Nonetheless, Ancelotti and his team will be quietly optimistic that their opponents will face numerous challenges in the future, especially in light of the Champions League's recently extended schedule, which also begins play later this month. Real Madrid shown last season that their team is more than capable of persevering on two fronts and stepping up when it counts most, even though they do appear to be lacking in cover in central defense once more. It is far less likely that Flick actually has enough instruments available to achieve the same.  

Right now, the best way to characterize the atmosphere in Barcelona is probably cautious optimism. Even though it's just the beginning, it has been incredibly positive and offers a tantalizing preview of what could happen at the top of the Spanish top flight this season.