Even if Kylian Mbappe had not completed his long-awaited move to Real Madrid this summer they would still be widely tipped to retain La Liga.
So with the French superstar joining the likes of Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, Madrid seem almost certain to continue dominating Spanish football ahead of rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Mbappe made his Real Madrid debut on Wednesday and started as he means to go on, scoring and lifting the UEFA Super Cup in a 2-0 win over Atalanta.
The big question for coach Carlo Ancelotti is how to fit Mbappe into his plans, although if any coach can manage to keep his stars happy it is the Italian, viewed as the best man-manager in the game.
England international Bellingham may drop back into the midfield role he occupied at Borussia Dortmund after being a key part of the attack for Madrid last season, particularly in the first half of the campaign.
Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler and others will also be looking to make an impact when they get their chances, with Ancelotti showing last season he was happy to rotate in La Liga.
“This problem has ruined my holidays,” joked Ancelotti on Tuesday about his selection dilemma.
“The problem doesn’t exist, because we have many games — last year those who played less still brought a lot to the team.”
Mbappe, 25, has been Madrid’s dream signing for years but finally completed his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer after his Paris Saint-Germain deal came to an end.
With over 80,000 fans attending his presentation in July, Madrid supporters have already forgiven his decisions not to join in previous years and are eagerly awaiting their first sight of him at the new-look Bernabeu.
Madrid start their title defence at Real Mallorca on Sunday before their first home match, against Real Valladolid on August 25.
