Top 5 Contenders for next season's Champions League Spots from La Liga

Whilst for many, the English Premier League storms to the title of most exciting football division in the world, it is Spain's La Liga which currently sits atop the UEFA Coefficient rankings, a remarkable 26 points ahead of Germany's Bundesliga in second.

The classification system is determined by how well a nation's football clubs perform in European competition and from such evidence, it can be argued that Spain has the strongest contingent of top football clubs at present.

Consequently, it's becoming harder and harder for clubs to squeeze into those precious Champions League spots season-after-season.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are practically assured to finish in the division's top four but third and fourth really are any club's for the taking. With the aforementioned pair exempt from the analysis, here's a look at five other contenders for the Champions League spots in La Liga this term.

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#5 - Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Club v SK Rapid Wien - UEFA Europa League

With their extraordinarily restrictive transfer approach, Athletic Bilbao are never ones for going scattergun in the transfer window, the advantageous flip-side being that they are also reluctant to ever let talent depart.

Consequently, despite the departure of Ernesto Valverde to Barcelona in May, Bilbao still have a steady, organised and focused squad prepared for the new campaign.

José Ángel Ziganda only makes the transition smoother, having managed the club's youth side since 2011 and possessing a knowledge of the exceptional talent he has at his disposal.

The Basque outfit have kick-started the season in typical Bilbao fashion, having won two and drawn one of their opening three games, yet to concede a goal.

Whilst the likes of Aymeric Laporte promote such stability from the back, it is up-top where a large part of Bilbao's success will be determined this term.

The 2015/16 season was the fifth successive campaign in which veteran Aritz Aduriz finished the club's top goalscorer and with the Spaniard due to turn 37-years-old later this term, Ziganda and co. need to find goals from elsewhere, if not for the remainder of this season, for the long term future.

Fortunately, they have potential world class talent in their ranks in Iñaki Williams and Iker Muniain, both of whom, have shown signs of improvement over the last few weeks, following disappointing seasons last time out.

If Ziganda can orchestrate a set-up in which the two have space to run into, then there's a good chance that Bilbao will be perfectly poised at both ends of the field to prepare for an excellent season.

#4 - Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad stand a good chance of making it

Ordinarily, very little can be deduced from just three football matches but the start made by Eusebio Sacristán's Real Sociedad this season suggests they are geared up to push for Champions League football.

The additions of Adnan Januzaj, 22, and Real Madrid's Diego Llorente, 23, suggest the club are steadily building for the future, but having secured nine points out of a possible nine, defeating Celta Vigo and Villarreal respectively in the process, the squad looks well set up already.

In terms of style, the squad is top-heavy and far more suited to outscoring the opponent, which only emphasises the importance of Inigo Martinez at the back, who was reportedly subject of interest from Barcelona this summer.

Also linked with the Catalan outfit earlier this year, was manager Sacristán who pledged his loyalty to the club and who is too instrumental in the club's improved organisational sense at the back since the departure of David Moyes.

The club will need to pay attention to a weak goal difference of +6 last season, with the majority of defeats and victories settled by a single goal and a total of 53 goals conceded last term suggesting that a weak point could be finishing teams off.

#3 - Sevilla

Manchester City FC v Sevilla FC - UEFA Champions League

Sevilla lost key players in holding midfielder Vicente Iborra and forward Vitolo this summer, but a host of replacements were drafted in, with former Manchester City pair Jesus Navas and Nolito potentially filling the void left by the latter.

Luis Muriel scored 13 goals in all competitions for Sampdoria last campaign and could very well ease the pressure on the club's top scorer from last term, Wissam Ben Yedder.

In addition to the transfer dealings, Sevilla have also seen changes at the very top, with sporting director Monchi bowing out after 17-years in the role and his compadre Oscar Arias taking his place after four years at the club himself.

Meanwhile, the explosive Jorge Sampaoli too parted ways with the Andalusian outfit, opening the door for former Celta Vigo boss Eduardo Berizzo to take the reins.

The changes in personnel at the club may seem plentiful but the transition is likely to be far smoother than many think, with Berizzo's tactical set-up in particular very similar to that of Sampaoli's.

Common ground is evident in the way both like their sides to press and hold possession high up the field, often desiring their defenders to push upfield and involve themselves in the passing game.

With a squad depth superior to most of their other competitors and an incredibly industrious manager at the helm, Sevilla should have no problems qualifying for Europe this term, whether that is the Champions League or not waits to be seen.

#2 - Villarreal

Villarreal, too, are strong contenders

The Yellow Submarine sunk to a new low after losing both opening fixtures to Levante and Real Sociedad without registering a single goal, but a 3-1 victory for Villarreal over Real Betis at the weekend restored hope that the prognosticated, promising season could yet still unfold.

Following the departure of reliable defender Mateo Musacchio to AC Milan at the start of the summer, Villarreal responded positively in the transfer market to bring in the likes of Pablo Fornals, Ruben Semedo and Carlos Bacca on loan among others to add to an already disciplined and sturdy backbone.

Fran Escribá's side has strength through the middle and last season boasted a better backline than both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Roberto Soriano is arguably the focal point to the team's success this campaign, after the 26-year-old Italian scored ten and assisted five in the 2016/17 season and with the likes of Bakambu and Bacca in front of him, Villarreal look as deadly up-top as they are organised at the back.

Their focus will not be on barnstorming victories but on making themselves difficult to beat and it's this resolute attitude which hands them a strong advantage over the rest of the chasing pack.

#1 - Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid are, perhaps, fan favourites to make it to the Champions League

Equalling their bitter city rivals Real, Atletico have picked up five points from their opening trio of fixtures and anything less than third at the end of the campaign will be deemed a failure.

In a summer like no other in terms of transfers, Los Colchoneros were stung by a transfer embargo which rendered them unable to add to an already stellar squad, albeit aside from the sneaky acquisition of Vitolo from Sevilla who is on loan at Las Palmas until January.

The departure of defender Theo Hernandez to Real Madrid was frustrating but the bulk of the Atletico squad remains in tact with Antoine Griezmann still spearheading the attack and Diego Simeone still pulling the strings on the sidelines.

The delayed transition to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium means Atletico are yet to play a home game in the league this term and on their travels fortunes have fluctuated, although the 5-1 demolition of Las Palmas showed a glimpse of the exceptional flair still embedded within the heart of the team.

Add this to a watertight defence, comprised of veteran Diego Godin and promising starlet José Giménez, and it's not far from the perfect blend.

Issues at Barcelona could play into Simeone and Atletico's hands who will too undoubtedly capitalise on the lifting of their embargo in the winter window to strengthen and push on to the end of the campaign.