Five reasons why Real Madrid will successfully defend the La Liga title 

#4 More depth

Ceballos' arrival will add some much-needed depth to the side

Real Madrid may have lost three important players in the form of Danilo, James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata, but one gets the impression that their squad has gotten even deeper. While the attack might look a little weak with the departure of Morata and the poor preseason performances of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, the midfield and defence have improved.

In midfield, the Blancos have Dani Ceballos – the best player in the U-21 Euros – and the second-best holding midfielder in La Liga last season, Marcos Llorente. They not only add quality to the team, but also provide the side with more variety.

In defence, the uber-talented Theo Hernandez replaces the perennially-injured Fabio Coentrao as Marcelo’s deputy left-back while the highly-rated Jesus Vallejo takes over from the ageing Pepe. At right-back, it might seem like Danilo’s departure has left a noticeable void, but Achraf Hakimi’s pre-season performances have more than assured that he is ready for a run in the first-team.