BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — From Lionel Messi's Barcelona to Atletico Madrid hoping to surpass Real Madrid orphaned by Cristiano Ronaldo, here is a look at the top contenders for the 2018-19 Spanish league: BARCELONA Defending champion Barcelona has dominated the domestic competition for nine of the last 14 seasons. Add in the huge loss suffered by Madrid following Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus in Italy, and the Catalan club has all the numbers to retain the title. Messi will again be looking to thrive for his club following another disappointing summer with Argentina, which was eliminated in the last 16 of the World Cup. The 31-year-old Messi is still in his prime and, without Ronaldo as a competitor, will be the league's undisputed star. Coach Ernesto Valverde returns for a second season, but will be missing midfielder Andres Iniesta, who decided to finish out his glorious career in Japan.Read more on NewsOK.com