Our brainy chums at chickendinner are backing Los Blancos

Once the sangria induced hangovers have cleared and the memory of Luis Aragones’ bumps torment is hazy, Spain’s footballing fraternity will have to stop basking in their Euro 2008 glory and look forward to kicking lumps out of each other in the new La Liga season. Because they care so much, here’s chickendinner’s guide to just about everything that’s going to happen in the sun-drenched nation…

» Real Madrid have secured successive La Liga titles but not since 1990-1994 (Barcelona) have any Primera Liga side managed to retain the championship three years in a row. However, the last time Real Madrid won consecutive league titles, they went on to win five in succession - 1985-1990.

» Celta Vigo finished sixth in 2005/06 and were relegated the very next season. Real Zaragoza ended the 2006/07 season in sixth position and also found themselves relegated a year later. That spells bad news for Racing Santander who were this year’s sixth placed side.

» In four of the past five seasons, the side that finished fourth in La Liga went on to struggle in the next campaign, finishing tenth or lower and on one occasion being relegated. Atletico Madrid may be in for a long season.

» Only two of the last ten runners up in La Liga have gone on to secure the title the following season - Villarreal were last year’s unlucky losers.

» In the last ten seasons, only one side has ever finished third and secured the league title in their next campaign. On six occasions

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It looks like Francesco Totti is having a torrid time during the summer break [spotted at Kickette]

Why Real Madrid will win La Liga again
[chickendinner]

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Video: Fernando Torres scoring at 12 years old
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Lewis Hamilton voted F1’s top Playboy ever
[Grid Crasher]

Bon Jovi ruin the pitch at the City of Manchester Stadium
[SportsbyBrooks]

Catalan powerhouse saves fortune by being useless

Take a long intrusive look at the losing Chelsea/ Man United fans on Thursday morning, and you’ll notice a deadness behind the eyes. That’s because they have spent the whole evening shouting into a pillow, weeping until their brains can no longer process emotions like “despair” or “overwhelming sadness”, and have instead been left with “numbness” - they are just an empty shell. Even the cheerful people of Cardiff probably spent most of Sunday morning repeatedly punching one another in the nose and yelling in Welsh.

No such self-pity, however, over in sunny Spain

See Los Blancos drink Barca’s milkshake right here

The best sports on the telebox tonight

After graciously falling out of this year’s Champions League, Ronaldinho-less Barca must now concentrate their energies on taking second place in La Liga from Villarreal. Tonight, they are 9/4 underdogs in their visit to runaway title contenders Real Madrid - but in the past five seasons, El clásico has been won by the away side four times, and there’s been a shedload of goals too.

Check out the best odds on the match right here.

Indian Premier League Cricket
Mumbai Indians/ Rajasthan Royals (Setanta Sports 1, 3.30pm)

La Liga
Recreativo/ Villarreal (Sky Sports 1, 7pm)
Real Madrid/ Barcelona (Sky Sports 1, 9pm)

Scottish Premier League
Rangers/ Motherwell (Setanta Sports 1, 7.45pm)

French Cup Semi-final
Lyon/ Sedan (Setanta Sports 2, 8pm)

The best sports on the telebox this weekend

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The best sports programming on the telebox this weekend

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The best sports programming this weekend

It’s that unmistakable time of year when Christmas decorations come down and minnow clubs up and down the land build up a huge sense of false expectation. This morning’s Sun backs Southern League Division One side Chasetown with a back page and double-page spread, but will support from the country’s most-loved red top be enough to overcome Cardiff? See how they fare in Saturday’s Match of the Day, and catch

The best programming on the telebox this weekend

Need something to watch that sour post-Euro 2008 qualifying taste out of your mouth? How about a bumper weekend of sport, featuring a main course of good ol’ foreign people playing football, with lashings of tough men with deformed ears on the side? Dig in…

FRIDAY

Rugby Union
Worcester/ Sale (Sky Sports 1, 8pm)

SATURDAY

Premier League
Newcastle Utd/ Liver