Three reasons why Atletico Madrid can win the 2018/19 LaLiga title 

Real Madrid and Barcelona are not fully settled

The Real Madrid team after losing the Super Cup to Atletico Madrid

Since the turn of the millennium, only two teams have finished above Real Madrid and Barcelona to win Spanish football's most prestigious prize; Atletico Madrid and Valencia CF.

Holding off the challenge of Real and Barca looks an impossible job, especially given the Blaugrana's near-invincible 2017/18 campaign, where they won the league by a staggering fourteen points. Part of the reason why FC Barcelona strolled to victory involved Real Madrid and the dramatic manner in which their title defence unravelled. Los Blanco's poor start meant they were out of last season's title race by the start of 2018 and are still in the process of rebuilding their team.

They are missing the goals and the sheer genius of Cristiano Ronaldo, as Madrid look to adjust to Julen Lopetegui's style of football, moving from an attacking style to a more pragmatic method of play. Los Blanco's failure to lure Eden Hazard away from Chelsea means they do not even have a direct replacement for the 33-year old striker.

FC Barcelona's transfer policy has also been a cause for much debate in recent years. The Spanish giants looked to have signed a replacement for Neymar in Ousmane Dembele, as they secured the French winger for a fee of £135.5 million from Borussia Dortmund. However, the purchase of Brazilian winger Malcom from Bordeaux suddenly puts Dembele's future in doubt. The deadline day sale of Yerry Mina to Everton also raised question marks, given the fact he was only signed in January and should have been a replacement for Gerard Pique.