Lionel Messi is La Liga's lone tormentor now

When you follow a Spanish team that isn’t Barcelona or Real Madrid, one thing becomes apparent: it’s possible to take these giants on at their own game, but the moment Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo enters the picture, you might as well sign away the three points and hope the scoreline isn’t humiliating.

A look at the records reveals just how absurd those two were. Imagine being a Sevilla supporter and knowing that Messi has scored against your team 31 times in 32 games in all competitions.

Imagine supporting an Atletico Madrid side who are so close to major honours and competing with their city rivals, only to know that Ronaldo had scored against them 22 times in 29 games. These guys are a cheat code that can be activated at a moment’s notice.

There’s no finer example of this than Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last season.

Sevilla had outplayed Barcelona for 60 minutes and deservedly led 2-0. Then Messi was introduced to the game, and the entire mood changed. His very presence on the pitch inspired the Barcelona players to improve their performance, while there was visible fear and apprehension in the Sevilla players.

Barcelona fought back to claim a point, with Messi scoring an 89th-minute equaliser.

There’ll be similar stories to this one up and down the league. Hence, several teams must have breathed a sigh of relief when one of the division’s chief tormentors, Ronaldo, decided to pack his bags and begin anew in Italy.

Make no mistake, Real Madrid are still a formidable force without him. They still have world class players such as Raphael Varane, Marcelo, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Gareth Bale, and could yet invest in even more talent.

Ronaldo starts again in Italy with Juventus

But take Ronaldo away and suddenly they seem a lot less frightening. There’s a feeling that you could catch them on a bad day and not have to worry about him defying causality and earning Madrid a result from nowhere.

That alone will encourage the league, at least when it comes to games against Real Madrid. Many will still find the European Champions unassailable foes, but perhaps we’ll see a few more competitive games than usual.

Meanwhile, Barcelona must be thinking the La Liga title is there’s for the taking again. They, after all, still have their reality-bending wizard.

Every year, Messi shows signs that his powers are on the decline – as if they’re proportionate to the state of his beard.

Yet, we only say that because he no longer scores 50 goals a season. He only managed the 44 goals last season, after all.

There’s no reason to expect anything less from the Argentine. Ronaldo may have constantly pushed him to new heights, but that doesn’t mean we’re about to see a sudden decline in his absence. As far as the league is concerned, playing against Barcelona is business as usual.

With that in mind, the real intrigue of La Liga this season will lie outside of the title race.

It’s unlikely to be two titans of the game going to head-to-head. While Barcelona and Messi tormenting everyone has its own entertainment value, it won’t satisfy those with the craving for competition.

That will be found in the battle for Champions League places. We’ll see how a Ronaldo-less Madrid fare against an improved Atletico, armed with new talent after a rare splurge in the transfer market.

We’ll see if Valencia, returning to what many will feel is their rightful place, can build on their rejuvenation from last season, or if they’ll be pipped to that final fourth spot by a Sevilla hoping for more stability under a new manager.

There’s interest in individual performances as well. Ronaldo’s departure gives an opportunity for other stars to shine and be noticed. The likes of Antoine Griezmann and Gareth Bale could ascend into the position Ronaldo vacated.

Then there’s Messi, the now undisputed best player in La Liga. Say goodbye to all the debates and all the hype of a rivalry that’s spanned the best part of the last decade. This is Messi’s league now, and he might find his exalted station quite lonely this season.