La Liga Betting: Barcelona have it all to do to catch up with Robinho's Real

European Leagues / Alsy / 16 July 2008 / Leave a Comment

Morgan in the Driving Seat - Having predicted Real Madrid's La Liga win last season, Allsy is sticking with Robinho and co again this year. The stability at the Bernabeu will overcome the wholesale changes at the Noucamp, he tells us...

First things first... I'm having a little gloat. I predicted that Real Madrid would earn a record-breaking 31st League and they did. It wasn't because they had a better team or coach than arch-rivals Barcelona; it was because the Catalan giants were a ticking time-bomb of inflated egos and simmering tension.

Frank Rijkaard's team produced sublime football when winning Champions League and La Liga titles in 2006 but after scaling the heights of club football (and realising the biggest European dream of all) they hit the self-destruct button. Reaching the pinnacle of the domestic game removed the last excuse for team unity or collective effort and, once removed, all the resentment and divisions simmering under Barcelona's sparkling exterior rose to the surface.

Arch rivals Real Madrid know all about this self-destruct button. In an attempt to break the cycle they got rid of superstar coach Capello (despite a La Liga title) and host of so-called gal√°cticos to boot. Bernd Schuster was brought into usher in a new era of football at Madrid and so far he's been very successful.

It's true that Madrid were by no means faultless last season but, in mitigation, it was a new team and a new manager, overall they bonded well to claim another League title. Schuster brought in young players like Pepe, Drenthe, Sneijder and Metzelder - players full of promise not full of themselves. How the shy and retiring Ronaldo might slot into this band of brothers is another matter but Schuster's plans, if executed correctly, should make Madrid the dominant team in Spain for the next few years.

Barcelona's new coach Pep Guardiola has the un-enviable job of reversing his team's fortunes which means "must finish higher than Madrid". If he had been awarded the job last year he would have had more chance of success but somehow you feel he's playing catch-up this season despite the resources at his disposal.

Moreover, Guardiola's transfer dealings seem a little less coherent in comparison to Schuster's. Madrid are contemplating recalling their on-loan (at Racing Santander) centre half Ezequiel Garay as cover for Cannavaro as well as midfielders Rubén de la Red and Javi Garcia. It means Schuster has plenty of cover through the centre of his midfield and defensive areas but there have been no marquee signings yet because they are not needed.

While Schuster gives his talented young squad time to develop Guardiola is trying to overhaul his. He famously announced that Deco, Ronaldinho and Eto'o were no longer part of his plans and to date only Eto'o remains on the payroll. Guardiola has brought in Daniel Alves, Gerard Piqué, Martín Cáceres and Alexander Hleb (on the verge of signing as I write) but there appears to be more to come.

We know that Zenit's Andrei Arshavin is a target while rumours persist that Barcelona are trying to bring Emmanuel Adebayor or Didier Drogba to the Nou Camp using Samuel Eto'o as a make-weight but Guardiola's best signing to date is not too well known in the Premiership. Seydou Keita was signed from Sevilla and should shore up a chronic weakness in Barca's centre midfield. With so many attacking options the defensive responsibilities of Guardiola's midfield can be summed up in two words: Yaya Toure. Keita is top draw and the cousin of Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko. They have a similar defensive-minded game but Keita passes the ball much better than Momo ever could.

Despite some promising signings, Guardiola only has a two-year contract and is completely untried at this, (or argualbly any), other level. I think the pressure is too great and the task too large for the former Barcelona player so I wouldn't advise backing Barcelona to win La Liga at [2.6].

Madrid and Schuster seem to hold all the right cards. Schuster made an impression first at Getafe and now at Madrid but make no mistake his goal is to build a dynasty. Get on Madrid to win another title at [2.04] ASAP - I predict more woe for Barcelona.