Atleti the opponents to watch in LaLiga this season

It's that time of the year again. Madrid or Barça? Who is going to be crowned kings of LaLiga come May? After the Catalan club lifted the trophy a matter of months ago, the season is upon us with Ernesto Valverde's men kicking off their campaign at the Camp Nou against Alavés this weekend, while Los Blancos get a similarly comfortable-looking tie to begin the campaign when neighbours Getafe make the short trip to the Bernabéu. But while the world focuses on the two Spanish giants, Atlético Madrid may well be the ones to watch out for in 2018/19. This thinking comes before the UEFA Super Cup final in Tallinn, where Diego Simeone's side ran out 4-2 winners in extra-time against Madrid. Forget being underdogs, Los Rojiblancos will be a real force to be reckoned with across all competitions this season. A poll on Spanish TV channel Gol TV asked which club had the best team this season - Barcelona, Madrid or Atleti. The responses? A whopping 62 per cent believed the Catalans were the favourites, with just 29 per cent favouring Julen Lopetegui's men and only NINE per cent having faith in Atleti. Favouritism? Conditioned? Who knows, but the predictions seem far wide of the mark. Madrid and Barcelona will be there or thereabouts. Barcelona have strengthened, with a move of experienced arrivals and younger players bolstering the Camp Nou squad. Madrid have lost Cristiano and Mateo Kovacic without really strengthening or replacing. Thibaut Courtois has arrived but it remains to be seen if he will be an automatic first choice in replacing Keylor Navas. If you look over to the Wanda Metropolitano, however, you find a squad who could well be challenging on all fronts this season. Not just because of their midweek UEFA Super Cup success, although that in itself will give Simeone's troops the springboard they need before LaLiga kicks-off. Not only beating their fierce rivals, but coming from behind to do it and doing it with star man Antoine Griezmann on the bench for much of it. Atleti have won the summer transfer window, but with quality and quantity, giving their squad a numerical boost to compete on all fronts, with strength-in-depth not seen for a while in the red and white stripes. Players such as Frenchman Thomas Lemar and former Sporting Lisbon man Gelson Martins will add punch to the Rojiblanco attack but will also add competition, keeping everyone on their toes. Atleti will also be boosted by Griezmann committing his long-term future to the club. The uncertainty over his future last season cannot have helped but now they have one of the best players in the world settled, happy and with a World Cup now to his name. Arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, in Jan Oblak, remains, despite his relatively 'low' release clause, and Diego Costa will be much stronger for a pre-season with the club and not having to wait half a season to get going. Atleti's superb summer means they will be a force to be reckoned with this season and both Madrid and Barcelona will be wary of that. But will the public? The Gol TV poll suggests not, and that makes Simeone's men even more dangerous. Let the games begin.