The Spanish La Liga began last night, but the race for the title will only commence on Sunday. Although Atletico Madrid -- now three years removed from their La Liga triumph -- will play a match today, it is unlikely that they will be able to mount a challenge as they did in that fantastic 2013/14 campaign when they shocked the world by surmounting Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Los Blancos and Blaugrana have traditionally fought it out for their top domestic prize over the past decade and more, courtesy of the revenue-sharing deal that sees the two clubs cop the lion's share from broadcasting rights. Although the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) -- the league's governing body -- have moved towards a more equitable model, their distribution system does not depend on where a team places in the table. Instead, Real and Barca are given almost double of what 'third-ranked' Atletico Madrid earn.

That, combined with their already burgeoning revenues from being two of football's biggest powerhouses, ensures that a fairytale run such as Atletico's is a once-in-a-decade occurrence, if that. It also means that they can buy players from any of their rivals, such as Barcelona did with Dani Alves, and more recently Ivan Rakitic.

However, what has always been considered a two-horse race may be trending more towards the Bundesliga model this year, as Real are expected -- and rightly so -- to run away with the title with Barcelona and Atletico occasionally bothering them.

The Catalan side have stepped down significantly since enjoying their golden years moving into the 2010s. Their midfield has especially taken a considerable step back from the days of Xavi and Andres Iniesta but the biggest blow of all was Neymar leaving the Nou Camp to seek greener pastures in Paris.

Lionel Messi looked a lost figure over the two legs of the Spanish Super Cup. He often dribbled the ball up to Madrid's half and spun on a dime, but when he looked for a surging Iniesta run or sought a Xavi in a pocket of space, there was no one. When he made his own runs after a pass there was no return from a Neymar. Luis Suarez was his best hope, and the Uruguayan will be out for a month with injury, which means this could be the quickest that a La Liga campaign has been decided.

On the other hand, Real have been the most dominant force European football has seen since the turn of the century. Zinedine Zidane, considered a shortstop solution as manager when Rafa Benitez was unceremoniously sacked, has proven his credentials at the very top of world football, in its hottest seat, with seven titles in 19 months.

He has also developed talents like Casemiero, considered the catalyst behind Real's dominance, and brought out the best in Isco. Marco Asensio also found his groove under Zidane, going from an unknown quantity to being rated the best U-21 footballer in the world in the span of a season.

Last season most teams in La Liga found it hard to stop Madrid's 'B team', with Zidane regularly bringing out his second XI to play in the league while his first teamers, including the best player in the world two years running Cristiano Ronaldo, focused on and succeeded in retaining the Champions League title.

The season is long and full of terrors, but even with injuries Real Madrid have the depth to cope with any unfortunate circumstances. But when it comes to Barcelona, they will need Messi to have a superhuman, injury-free season, one that perhaps surpasses all the incredible ones he has had to date, if they are to have a sliver of a chance to stop Real.