MADRID, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The second round of matches in Spain's La Liga saw FC Barcelona bounce back from defeat in fine style, while Atletico Madrid won another game 1-0 and Real Madrid took a step backwards. Here are some things we learned on matchday 2.
1. Real Madrid team planning leaves plenty to be desired
Real Madrid have spent around 320 million euros in new signings over the summer, while also spending most of pre-season trying to sell Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, so it must have been a surprise to many when none of the pre-season signings started in Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Real Valladolid, while Bale and James both did.
Eden Hazard and Ferland Mendy were out injured, but only Hazard would have been likely to start, and although Luka Jovic did get into the game as a second-half substitute, rumors suggest that the club would be willing to move him on if it helped them sign Neymar.
Eight of the players in Saturday's team started regularly in 2014 and that would have been nine if Luka Modric hadn't been suspended. That is hardly a revolution.
2. Barca bounce back.
Lionel Messi's calf injury meant he wasn't risked, and Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele were both injured, but in the end it didn't matter as Barcelona produced an excellent display to silence the doubters who had arisen after their 1-0 defeat in Bilbao.
Antoine Griezmann scored twice and youngsters Carles Perez and Anso Fati impressed, while Sergio Busquets won everything in midfield and used the ball with his customary intelligence.
The only question mark over the game is that Ivan Rakitic didn't get onto the pitch, which must raise doubts about whether or not he will still be at the club when the transfer window shuts next week.
3. New Atletico Madrid, same Atletico Madrid
There may be plenty of new faces at Atletico Madrid, but the script is the same: hard work, organization and enough magic in the closing meters to make a difference.
Diego Simeone's side have started the new season with two 1-0 wins against Getafe and Leganes, and they sit alongside Sevilla at the top of the table.
Joao Felix provides the spark for Atletico, and on Sunday Vitolo provided the finish, but perhaps the best news for Atletico is that after wholesale changes in defense, the team is as tough to beat as ever. There may be new cooks in the kitchen, but the recipe remains the same.
4. Sevilla still looking good after a summer of change.
Joan Jordan's 53rd minute strike away to Granada on Friday night made it two wins in two games for Sevilla after a summer in which the club has rung the changes.
The return of Monchi as sporting director saw the club bring in Julen Lopetegui as coach and sign 11 new players. Lopetegui has plenty to prove after his unsuccessful spell at Real Madrid, and so far he is doing an excellent job in molding a compact team in a matter of weeks.
Sevilla were made to dig deep in Granada, but showed enough commitment and talent to hint at great things from them this season, while also showing that Lopetegui is a much better coach than his numbers at Real Madrid might suggest.
