It's August, which means that European football is back, and Spain's La Liga always promises to be one of the most exciting leagues in the world, and 2017 is no exception. However, the media narrative heading into the season is that a second consecutive Real Madrid title is inevitable and that their reign of dominance is unstoppable, at least in the foreseeable future. On the contrary, I believe that Los Blancos are very overrated and that this season's title race will be an exciting, three-way battle that could go all the way until the final day. Below, I'll outline the biggest storylines for each of the Big Three this season while also looking at the league as a whole.

Real Madrid is on top of the world. In the wake of becoming the first team in history to claim back-to-back Champions League titles last summer, Zinedine Zidane's men play like a well-oiled machine, led by icon Cristiano Ronaldo and rising superstar Marco Asensio. I believe Ronaldo, once he returns from his suspension, will finish top scorer in the league while Asensio will be the best young player in Spain, provided he doesn't move to the Premier League before the window closes. However, there are many worrying similarities between this year's Madrid team and last year's Barcelona squad. Barcelona was in Real's exact position a year ago, with the most imposing attacking trident in footballing history, featuring the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar, and were believed to be unbeatable on the back end of a treble in 2014-15, and another La Liga and Copa Del Rey title the following season, showing themselves to be more accomplished that this year's Real squad. However, the following season, they struggled mightily, failing to capture either La Liga or the Champions League, losing both to their El Clasico rivals. This is a sport where change happens fluidly and quickly, so any side that rests on their laurels will be dethroned much more quickly than previously expected.

FC Barcelona is beaten, but not broken. The MSN front line is officially dead following Neymar's $263 million record-shattering move to Paris Saint-Germain, leaving a gaping creative void in the hearts of both Barcelona and La Liga. Ousmane Dembele has arrived from Borussia Dortmund, and Gerard Deulofeu has looked positive early in the campaign, and Barca has achieved six points out of a possible six (although they have been extremely lucky). This is still one of the best sides in the world, and new manager Ernesto Valverde, recently arrived from Athletic Bilbao, looks comfortable replacing Luis Enrique. Messi will once again be one the best players in the league, and I expect the Blaugrana to mount a title challenge all the way to the finish.

This could be the year for Atlético Madrid. Los Colchoneros have retained their star Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, and the emotional return of Diego Costa in January will create La Liga's best strike partnership. Saúl Niguez is Atleti's young Spanish starlet and has looked solid in the midfield alongside the creative genius of Koke Resurreción and the engine of Thomas Partey. Moreover, Los Rojiblancos retain the best back line in the league with the Uruguayan tandem of Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez along with Jan Oblak between the sticks, who posted a league-best 15 clean sheets a year ago. I believe Diego Simeone is also the best manager in La Liga, and he has built a team that opportunistically awaits to pounce on a side's weaknesses, and given the drama surrounding Barcelona and the overconfidence on the white half of the capital, I believe my team will capture their second title in the past five seasons.

Valencia is back and Sevilla is ready to ascend. Los Che have looked great to open the year, earning a draw at the Santiago Bernabeu that could have easily been a win were it not for Marco Asensio, and I believe they will rise back to their rightful place at the top end of the table and finish sixth, ahead of bitter rivals Villarreal. Sevilla continues its quest to break the dominance of the Big Three, and their solid additions this summer will inevitably help, but I still believe there is too big of a quality gap for the Andalusian club to rise to title contention just yet, and I believe they will finish fourth. Girona is this year's Cinderella side, with the tiny Catalonian club making their La Liga debut (and earning a hard-fought point against Atletico), while Las Palmas look to continue to represent the Canary Islands proudly, despite a poor start. The Atletico transfer ban has done wonders for the club, who have received Vitolo and possibly Diego Costa on loan until January. Finally, Villarreal and Bilbao will battle it out for Europa League qualification at the top end of the table, despite both sides losing a good amount this past offseason. All in all, this year in Spanish football will be one to remember.