Ahead of La Liga’s return, SI’s Luis Miguel Echegaray offers three things to watch out for as Spain’s top men’s division resumes action this Thursday.

Read the full video transcript:

La Liga returns this week so here are three things to watch out as action resumes in Spain. In the age of COVID-19, things will naturally look different. Matches will be played behind closed doors, teams can use five subs and technology will be used to provide virtual fans and crowd noise. The audio will be provided by EA Sports FIFA video game franchise.

In terms of action, it all begins with the title race as Barcelona leads Real Madrid by only two points, and before the halt, neither team looked convincing. For Barca, its success really depends on consistency and of course Lionel Messi. Real Madrid has a deeper squad and now that five subs can be used, this could prove as an advantage.

Finally, the races for a champions league spot and staying above relegation are also extremely tight. Mathematically speaking, no one is safe and with a maximum of 33 points still available - no one is guaranteed anything. And that's what makes this season very exciting.

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