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Who will threaten Real Madrid's reign in Spain? - Feature
Madrid - Will anyone be able to end Real Madrid's reign in Spain?This is the crucial question ahead of the new Spanish season.
Real do not yet look like potential European champions, even though they might still sign young strikers Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Diego Capel this week. 
Even so, it will be difficult to end their domestic domination.
In truth, this is one of the most workmanlike Real teams in recent years, a side built on sweat and determination rather than imagination and creativity.
The whites will be as solid as always in defence, thanks to the likes of experienced Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Christoph Metzelder, Fabio Cannavaro and Gabriel Heinze. 
Their midfield, however, still looks rather flat and ponderous, despite the signing of Rafael Van der Vaart from SV Hamburg.
Knee injury victim Wesley Sneijder, out for around three months, will be sorely missed.
So too will be Robinho, on the point of being sold to Chelsea.
Without Robinho, Real's only proper winger - and only source of adventure and originality - will be the ever injury-prone Arjen Robben.
And Real have few backup strikers of genuine quality to fall back on when - rather than if - veterans Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Raul Gonzalez get injured.
Bernd Schuster's team might be short on quality and depth, but it is certainly not short of fighting spirit, as Sunday's heroic nine-man Supercup defeat of Valencia confirmed.
Who are the candidates to challenge the white domination?
The obvious candidate, of course, is Barcelona. 
Barca seem to be finally emerging from a traumatic two-year crisis. At least this is what their millions of fans want to believe. 
Club president Joan Laporta appears to have survived his summer crisis intact, though his credit with the fans is extremely limited now.
His gamble on the inexperienced Josep Guardiola as replacement for coach Frank Rijkaard could turn out to be a master-stroke.
Guardiola, just 37, has made a solid start, as evidenced by the brushing aside of Wisla Kracow in the Champions League qualifiers. He has strengthened the defence by signing several youngsters and has decided to keep the in-form Samuel Eto'o at the club.
Barca will surely be more spectacular than Real - especially when Eto'o links up with youngsters Lionel Messi and Bojan Krkic - but will they be able to grind out results as dourly as the whites?
The key to Barca's resurgence will be their away form rather than their Camp Nou performances. Ronaldinho and company won just a handful of away games in the last two seasons.
On paper, Villarreal look as if they could also threaten Real's domination.
However, it should be borne in mind that the "Yellow Submarine" has still not won a single trophy in their modest history, despite all their thoughtful signings, and they could well be held back by a lack of ambition.
Atletico Madrid, who finished fourth last season, again do not appear to have the quality nor depth to sustain a proper title challenge.
Their objective, once again, will be to secure a top-four finish.
The same could be said of Valencia, whose defensive defects were on painful display in Madrid on Sunday. Unai Emery has taken over a massive, expensive, ill-balanced and ageing squad.
In addition, the political situation at Mestalla is still tense and unstable, with an ongoing battle for control and an expensive new stadium demanding attention and cash.
Even so, any team boasting the likes of David Villa, David Silva and Joaquin Sanchez needs to be taken seriously, whatever its defensive shortcomings.
Another team to keep in mind is Sevilla.
Sevilla finished in disappointing fifth place last season, but this was due to the flight of coach Juande Ramos, to the demands of the Champions League - and also to the tragic death of left-back Antonio Puerta.
As usual, Sevilla have made some low-budget but thoughtful signings, and have - so far at least - managed to hold on to exciting forwards Capel, Jesus Navas, Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano. |
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Post time 27-8-2008 08:00 AM
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