Who are the dark horses in the La Liga title race this season?

The 2024/25 La Liga season will officially begin in less than four weeks, with Athletic Bilbao hosting Getafe in the first game on August 15th.

Current champions, Real Madrid, will begin their title defence three days later with a visit to Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, where they take on Mallorca. 

Carlo Ancelotti's side cruised to their 36th La Liga title last term in style, reclaiming the title from their rivals Barcelona with a ten-point lead at the top.

Los Blancos look primed to defend their title again this season and increase their lead over Barca even further. While their rivals struggle in the transfer market, Ancelotti's side have continued to strengthen.  

Last season, they won the title without a prolific striker. But they have now added Kylian Mbappe and Endrick to the mix, making the team even more dangerous and ready to defend their crown in Spain and Europe.

Meanwhile, after steaming to the title in the 2022/23 season, Barcelona fell short last season, thanks to uncertainty in the dugout, as Xavi Hernandez and the club kept trading words publicly about the likely direction of the team.

However, things seem to have returned to a good normal for Barca, with former Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick now in charge. The German is a celebrated title winner and will look to bring his experience to Camp Nou as Barcelona tries to wrestle the title off Real Madrid. 

The Blaugrana begin their La Liga season on August 17th with a visit to Valencia, a match which we consider one of the best La Liga tickets to buy in August. 

That said, although Barcelona didn't win the title last season, their overall performance wasn't their worst in recent history. The Catalan club won 85 points last season, the third most they have won in their last six seasons. 

So, with a few players returning from loan and injury this season and the likely addition of Spanish winger Nico Williams from Athletic Club, Flick's side looks like they have the necessary tools to challenge Real Madrid for the title.

Both clubs, who have won 63 out of the 93 La Liga titles–a whopping 68% of the total league titles in Spain–are one of the major reasons we buy La Liga tickets.

But apart from Real Madrid and Barcelona, which other team has the potential to win the title next season?

This article looks at the dark horses of the 2024/25 La Liga season.

Atletico Madrid 

Last season was one of Atletico Madrid's worst in recent La Liga campaigns. They finished in fourth position, 19 points worse than champions Real Madrid.

Diego Simeone's side lost ten games and won half of their total games last season (19 wins out of 38 games) on their way to recording 76 points. 

The last time they lost ten or more games in a season was in the 2011/12 season when they finished fifth in the league. That season and the 2021/22 season were the only times they conceded above 40 league goals in any of their last 13 seasons.

However, towards the end of the season, Atletico proved that they may have found their groove back. Simeone's side won five of their last six league games (L1), with four of those wins accompanied by a clean sheet. Yet, given their inactivity in the transfer market, there is still a fear that the Spanish giants will fall apart this season.

Los Rojiblancos have lost striker Alvaro Morata to AC Milan, and there is little movement in terms of incomings. Real Sociedad defender Robin Le Normand is rumoured to be on his way to the Wanda Metropolitano, though, while Chelsea's Conor Gallager is also being name-checked for a move.

That said, should Diego Simeone's side get their transfer targets, they are the club most likely to challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid for the La Liga title. They have eleven league titles to their name and are the only side not named Barca or Real Madrid since Valencia under Rafa Benitez in 2004 to win the title.

You can get Atletico Madrid tickets here on Seatsnet, the biggest ticketing website. 

Athletic Club 

Athletic Bilbao may have finished outside La Liga's top four last season, but they enjoyed a remarkable 2023/24 season.

The Basque club won the Copa del Rey title–their first trophy in 40 years–beating Mallorca 4-2 on penalties. But they finished in fifth position, 27 points shy of Real Madrid.

Nevertheless, they had the second-best defence in La Liga last season, with the 37 goals they conceded only bettered by Real Madrid, who conceded 26 league goals. 

Ernesto Valverde's side was also the only Spanish team not named Real Madrid that won a trophy last season. 

So, despite the likelihood of losing one of their key players, Nico Williams, to Barcelona, Bilbao will go into the new season in inspired form. We predict that Athletic Bilbao tickets will be on hot sale, and if they get it right in the transfer market by signing Aymeric Laporte from Al Nassr, as rumoured, they could finally end their wait for a La Liga title next season.

Girona

Girona's 2023/24 season was nothing short of a miracle. The little-known La Liga club rose from obscurity to finish inside the top three last season.

The little club from Catalonia have spent much of their 93-year history bouncing between Spain's second, third, and fourth-division leagues. They were promoted to La Liga after the 2021/22 season playoffs and exceeded expectations last season to finish in their place. 

Even with a stadium whose capacity falls just under 15,000 and only playing their fourth-ever season in Spain's first division, Girona were in the title conversation for most of last season. They beat Barcelona home and away, scoring 85 goals in La Liga, more than every other team except Real Madrid, who scored 87 goals. Their aggressive and entertaining style made Girona tickets one of last season's most sought-after tickets.

In three seasons, Michel Sanchez's side has proven that they won't rest on their previous achievements, going from promotion to a tenth-place finish to a third-place finish. 

Their next step in the progression could be to win something, and the La Liga title may not be out of reach, even though they have lost some of their key players from last season.

Villarreal 

Villarreal may have finished eighth in La Liga last season, but the Yellow Submarines may be the surprise package of the 2024/25 season.

Marcelino's side ended last season as the fifth most in-form side, with a return of 18 points and just two losses in their last ten games.

Villarreal is among the few La Liga sides active during the summer transfer window. The arrivals of Willy Kambwala, Pape Gueye, Sergi Cardona, and Adria Altimira have improved their squads.

However, their only chance of beating Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race depends on how much they improve at home, where they lost seven times last season. 

Nevertheless, they have the advantage of not playing in Europe next season. So if they can harness the power of rest and refreshment like Girona did last season, they could mount a title charge and make Villarreal tickets something fans will be desperate to buy.

Conclusion

Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated the Spanish La Liga in the 21st century, winning all but three of the available league titles since the turn of the century.

They do not look like they are giving up their grip on power in Spain, with both clubs strengthening their teams and pulling them further away from the rest.

But as Girona proved last season and Atletico Madrid have also shown, with the right coaching, shrewd signings and a supportive fan base, any club could trouble the duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

That said, we tip Atletico Madrid, Girona, Villarreal, and Athletic Bilbao to tip the balance in the coming season.