Barcelona start the defence of their La Liga title on Sunday at Athletic Bilbao, the team who thrashed them 5-1 on aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup. Luis Enrique's squad appears weaker than last season's Treble-winning selection, with Pedro and Xavi leaving. Summer signings Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal cannot play until January because of a transfer ban. Real Madrid begin their season under new boss Rafael Benitez with a match away to newly promoted Sporting Gijon. They sacked Carlo Ancelotti after finishing two points behind Barca and exiting in the Champions League semi-final. Benitez's major outfield signings have been right-back Danilo from Porto and midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Inter Milan. Source: Reuters