Last season, around this time, there was a surprise package in Girona in the top three of LaLiga. However, a year later, the Spanish league has returned to the status quo, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid -- the three giants of Spain -- occupying the top three spots on the table at the end of 2024.

Nevertheless, there were twists and surprises in the league, particularly between the two archrivals -- Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Real Madrid began 2024 in a fashion that could not be associated better with any other team than Los Blancos -- by winning the UEFA Super Cup for a record sixth time after getting things rolling with a 2-0 win over last season's Europa League champions Atalanta.

However, things began to unravel for Real Madrid thereafter. With fresh injuries piling up on the old ones, and their star signing Kylian Mbappe only a shadow of his mesmerising self, Real looked to be grasping for air at least for the first quarter of the season.

Mbappe joined Real on a free transfer from PSG at the start of the 2024-2025 season, ending a transfer saga that rumbled on for years. His arrival created the impression that club president Florentino Perez had assembled another 'Galacticos,' with Mbappe joining a star-studded lineup featuring Brazil's Vinicius Junior and English midfielder Jude Bellingham. 

Despite the fanfare, Real lacked their usual spark as the domestic season unfolded. Meanwhile, their archrivals, Barcelona, soared, despite undergoing a significant leadership change, with Hansi Flick replacing Xavi Hernandez as head coach.

Flick's Barca looked rejuvenated, with a glaring change in tactics that saw them play fast-paced football with a high defensive line, roaring to seven wins on the trot in LaLiga with a 2-1 loss to Monaco in the Champions League appearing as a minor blip till that point.

Barca's winning run in LaLiga was halted by a 4-2 loss at Osasuna in September last year, but Real's concerns about losing the title defence magnified when Flick's men arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu and thrashed Los Blancos 4-0 in October -- with Flick becoming the first Barcelona manager in 29 years to win his maiden Clasico clash by a margin of four or more goals.

The ecstatic and somewhat over-the-top celebrations by Barcelona players after the first Clasico of the season underscored its significance -- the Catalans had ended Real Madrid's 42-game unbeaten run in LaLiga, denying their archrivals the chance to equal their own record of 43-game unbeaten at a stretch between 2017-18.

However, that marked the peak of Flick's men this season so far. They witnessed their form dip rather quickly, with a loss away to Real Sociedad and draws at Celta Vigo and Real Betis before having to swallow the hardest pills of defeats at home against lowly Las Palmas and Leganes.

However, for Barcelona, what must have stung them worse than those unfortunate losses was relinquishing the top spot in LaLiga to Real Madrid. They dropped down to third with 38 points from 19 games, five behind leaders Real Madrid who have played an equal number of matches and seemed to have rediscovered their mojo after a lackluster start to the season.   

But, when it comes to holding a strong position in the league, Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid must feel most secure with the way they have ended 2024. They briefly held the summit of LaLiga before Real Madrid edged ahead last week with a dramatic late comeback victory over Valencia to kick off 2025. Atletico will find confidence in the fact that they accumulated 41 points, just two shy of leaders Real Madrid, with a game in hand. 

Simeone's Atletico underwent significant changes last summer. The arrivals of Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth bolstered their attack, while Conor Gallagher strengthened the midfield, and Robin Le Normand reinforced the defencsse.       

Changes were only made to personnel in the Atletico ranks as Simeone's style of play remained consistent -- solid at the back and clinical upfront. These traits were on full display in Atletico's last LaLiga game, where they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win against Barcelona, courtesy of Sorloth's last-minute stoppage-time goal. Despite Barca dominating possession (63%) and taking 19 shots compared to Atletico's five, Simeone's men walked away victorious, maintaining their status as the league's best defensive unit with just 12 goals conceded so far.

Although Real Madrid opened 2025 with their postponed match against Valencia -- delayed due to severe floods in November -- the full-throttle action in LaLiga is set to resume this week. 

With Real Madrid yet to visit Barca and host Atletico in the league for the reverse fixtures between the three Spanish giants, it is to be seen whether the script of 2025 follows the contrasting pattern of the year before or ends up offering something entirely different. Whatever might be in store, the three-horse race in LaLiga looks poised to go down to the wire.