When 17,000 Betis fans turned up at the club’s Benito Villamarin stadium this week to watch a training session, and duly blasted out the club anthem as if this was a big European night, it was a reminder of just how much football has been missed in Spain since LaLiga shutdown for the World Cup and for Christmas.
Things get restarted on Thursday night and Sportsmail focuses on what there is to look out for.
Pete Jenson rounds up everything from Real Madrid star Karim Benzema’s revenge, to the card-happy whistler who missed out on the World Cup final in Qatar but gets the biggest game of this round of fixtures, plus Barcelona looking the team to beat.
When 17,000 Real Betis fans turned up at the club’s Benito Villamarin stadium this week to watch a training session, it was a reminder of just how much football has been missed in Spain
LaLiga action is set to return on Thursday afternoon, which will please fans and players alike
Below, Sportsmail‘s Pete Jenson rounds up 10 things to look out for ahead of LaLiga’s return
Benzema out to prove a point
This was meant to be Karim Benzema’s perfect year with a Ballon d’Or, Champions League and World Cup hat-trick.
Some say he was denied the third item on that treble menu by injury, others argue it was Didier Deschamps who could have used him in the final and denied him that opportunity.
Top sports doctor Pedro Ripoll has spoken in the last few days about how Benzema’s injury was not enough to keep him out for the duration of the tournament.
What better way for Benzema to show that the France coach had other things on his mind when he sent him home as early as he did than to finish the season scoring for Real Madrid?
Benzema might have won the World Cup for France in extra time. He can’t do anything about that now but he can ensure that his club end 2022 with a win away at Real Valladolid to keep the pressure up on leaders Barcelona.
Real Madrid star Karim Benzema will have a point to prove after France lost the World Cup final
Barcelona to end the year top of La Liga
A win over neighbours Espanyol will mean Xavi starts 2023 on top. In the new Amazon Prime series ‘A New Era’, the spotlight is shone on how shambolic the club and dressing room has been in recent times.
The documentary starts in January 2020 with Quique Setien taking over and complaining about the lateness to training of Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique.
When Xavi replaces Setien, he is stunned when told…