Real Madrid are on a mission to undo the ghosts of the past two seasons, especially the fact that they have not won a single major title in over 700 days now.

As they head into the new season, they do so with a refreshed dressing room, new signings that transform the look of the entire team and a manager who arrives with his clear set of ideas.

Jose Mourinho has been chosen as the architect of Real Madrid’s project and has received tremendous support from the higher-ups. 

With game-changing defensive and attacking signings, there is barely any room for excuses for Real Madrid not to win a title. The season officially kicks off for them this weekend, and the manager has a lot to figure out before kick-off on the night.

Evra is confident in Mourinho’s abilities. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images)

In a recent interview, France and Manchester United legend Patrice Evra spoke to the media about Real Madrid’s chances of winning La Liga under Jose Mourinho.

He admitted that a lot must change at the club for them to make a dominant run in the domestic event, but backed Mourinho for the same.

“Real Madrid winning LaLiga? Jose Mourinho has to change something at Real Madrid. I can’t debate that. I believe it.

“The transfers, the players he brought in, it’s to win. He’s a winner,” he added on the new manager’s impact.

Evra then detailed how Mourinho loved Real Madrid and how the club had a special place in the manager’s heart, ahead of all the other teams he has managed.

“Jose Mourinho really loves Real Madrid. He loves Chelsea and Porto but he has something special with Real Madrid.

Mourinho has a special affection for Real Madrid. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

“This is his home. He feels at home,” he added.

Finally, Evra made a surprising revelation that he was close to signing for Real Madrid at one point in his career and also explained why the move did not go through.

“I was really close to signing for Real Madrid. Mourinho and I spoke after the 2010 World Cup.

“I said I want to leave for Real Madrid, but Sir Alex blocked my transfer,” he added.

Source: SDFNTWRK

The score is Machines 1-0 Humans - at least when it comes to predicting football results, anyway.

AI - in this case Microsoft chatbot CoPilot - finished top of the BBC predictions league at the first attempt last season, but will it stay there?

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton, his guests and the BBC readers will be hoping to strike back, and land a blow for the human race.

"It was a final-day defeat for me, that is how close I came to the title," Sutton said.

"But I keep reading how AI models are going rogue and attacking each other.

"So, was I hacked too? It sounds like cheating to me - if so, then last season should really go down as a victory for me."

Who will win this time? Sutton is again making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.

You can make your own score predictions below too, and then see which scoreline is the most popular. That will be used to calculate the readers' points total.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

Sutton's guest for the opening round of games is Courteeners frontman Liam Fray.

Courteeners' latest single, Plus One Forever, is out now. It is taken from their forthcoming 'best of' compilation, God Bless The Band, which is out on 28 August.

Liam is a Manchester United fan who is optimistic about their prospects for the new season, mostly because of boss Michael Carrick.

"I am pretty excited," he told BBC Sport. "Listen, we are not going to be challenging for the title because we are not at Arsenal or Manchester City's level, but I think we will be up there - and I love Carrick. I was like 'give him the job straight away' when Ruben Amorim was sacked in January.

"I am biased because we play a bit of golf and we have had a few beers, but it means a lot when you see someone stood on the touchline who seems to care.

"I don't mean that just because he used to play for us, I mean it because he seems to have that connection with the club, and especially with the fans.

"We have had plenty of managers recently who I am sure are passionate in their own way but, for me, it is a bit like being on stage - it is not that difficult to let people watching see that you are fully into what you are doing.

"I think that, when you do that, you get a lot back. Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and Amorim were all good coaches I am sure, but it is good to see someone who cares and seems to want to do it for us as well as himself and the team... so, yeah, with him in charge I am really up for it."

Chris Sutton and Liam Fray were speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat - we simply asked the tool to 'predict this weekend's Premier League results'.

Want to make more predictions? You can play BBC Sport's new Match of the Day predictor game every week, featuring six fixtures from domestic and European competitions.

• Emirates Stadium, 20:00 BST

Arsenal are the team to beat, and their squad just looks so strong.

I never read too much into the Community Shield but to beat Manchester City as comprehensively as they did was hugely impressive, and shows where they are at.

Bruno Guimaraes is a good signing and while Christos Tzolis could not cut it at Norwich - the jersey was too big for him - he looks the part too.

Joking aside, it was Daniel Farke who signed Tzolis for the Canaries in 2021 and called him one of the brightest young prospects in Europe, and he has been proven right about that.

This is all bad news for Coventry, though.

Speaking of Norwich, they have not been in the top flight for a few years now but I always remember them getting stuffed in their opening-day fixture in 2019 when they played Liverpool away, and it is a nightmare for Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard to open with a game like this.

I suppose, on the flip-side, if Coventry can somehow go to the Emirates and get a draw against the champions, that would provide such a huge boost to their players.

But I can't see past an Arsenal win and the scoreline just depends how much Mikel Arteta's side put their foot down.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Liam's prediction: It is good to have Coventry back in the Premier League - I remember completing my Merlin sticker album when I was a kid, when they had Roy Wegerle and Steve Ogrizovic in their team. I think they will have a good season, and I don't expect them to get battered every week, but they just need to take the hit here, because this is just about as tough a start as you can get. 3-0

AI's prediction: 3-0

• MKM Stadium, 12:30

Hull's assistant head coach Dean Holden came on the Monday Night Club this week and spoke really well about how they will approach the Premier League. It sounds like they will be horrible to play against, and will be happy to go direct when they have to.

With them starting at home, getting a result against Manchester United - who Holden is a big fan of - could really make their season.

I think they will be competitive, but my worry for Hull is from looking at how they did last year, when they lost a third of their games in the Championship.

As a story, Sergej Jakirovic getting them from 21st place into the play-offs, and then up, is remarkable. Now they just need to hang on in there in the Premier League, but that will be very difficult.

United have not done much in the transfer market this summer, but Youri Tielemans is a really good signing - a safe signing, if there is such a thing - like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were last year.

As things stand, they are going to be stretched by being in the Champions League and I do feel like Carrick over-achieved by getting them there.

Now the expectations are rising following their third-place finish, but they are nowhere near Arsenal at the moment.

I think them having European football, while Tottenham and Chelsea don't, will have a huge bearing on the season, which is why I left United out of my top four.

They should begin with a win, but this is the start of a full-on campaign for them, which makes it far more difficult, and they will need to add to their squad.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Liam's prediction: There will be a party atmosphere at Hull but that might play into our hands. Hopefully we can start this season the way we finished the last one - I had us down to win this 2-0 but I hate that because it sounds conservative, so I am going bigger. 0-3

Liam on Marcus Rashford's future at United: I love Marcus, and the fact he is one of ours, and I would love him to come back and be as good as he was for us. We know what a player he can be and if anyone can get it out of him at United, it is Michael Carrick - he might know exactly what Marcus needs.

I think about walking on stage at a hometown gig and I know how that feels. If I was Marcus, I'd be thinking 'I am going to make this work' because of how special it could be if it does. Every part of me wants that to happen, but I don't know if it will.

AI's prediction: 1-3

• Hill Dickinson Stadium, 15:00

After the success Oliver Glasner had at Crystal Palace, new boss Pierre Sage has got some big shoes to fill.

Still, Palace have got some serious firepower and plenty of goals in their team, so I think they will be fine this season.

Goals are a bigger problem for Everton and again the key to their campaign probably rests on what manager David Moyes can get out of strikers Cherno Barry and Beto.

But I am sure Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will chip in too because he is a wonderful footballer and, while I do see Palace scoring, I fancy Everton to edge this.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Liam's prediction: A lot of our crew are Everton fans and so is our mate Tommy O'Dell (from Australian band DMA's) but I couldn't split them and Palace here. 1-1

AI's prediction: 1-1

• Portman Road, 15:00

I must point out that Ipswich boss O'Neil is a former Norwich player, so where do his loyalties really lie? And has he gone to Ipswich to sabotage them?

Seriously though, I wish him well and I genuinely hope for East Anglia that Ipswich can make a decent fist of it and stay up.

I really like some of their signings too - Daizen Maeda is a player I know well and is a really good piece of business, coming in from Celtic.

Maeda plays with such intensity. He will be the best pressing player in the Premier League bar none and, if you want to play on the counter-attack and you want someone to run in behind, there are not many quicker than him.

Seeing what Sunderland did last season, when they also signed lots of players after getting promoted, will give Ipswich hope. Ditto with Leeds, who also recruited well.

But then it is about knitting the new players together and connecting early on. That has to be O'Neil's aim, but it will be difficult.

Sunderland did so well they qualified for Europe, and I am not sure how their squad will cope with the extra games. For now, though, I think they will remind us of how good they were last season.

Like I said on the Monday Night Club, I never saw another team beat Arsenal up the way they did.

They faded as the campaign went on and they are not going to surprise anyone this time, but they still have the leadership of Granit Xhaka in midfield and Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey up top to hurt teams.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Liam's prediction: Like Hull, this is Ipswich's first game back in the Premier League and the crowd will be well up for it. There are going to be some goals. 2-2

AI's prediction: 2-1

• City Ground, 15:00

What a strange season Nottingham Forest had last time, going through four managers and all with differing styles.

They were 'kneejerk Nottingham Forest' but they stayed up and got to the Europa League semi-final.

Now? Well Glasner is in charge and they have got Chris Wood back from injury, which is great news for them - his experience and goals will be crucial.

Of course they are going to miss Elliot Anderson in midfield but holding on to Morgan Gibbs-White was a big deal, and Callum Hudson-Odoi too.

I was delighted for Leeds boss Daniel Farke that he proved people wrong by keeping them up last year.

There will be high hopes they can stay out of trouble this time after signing Harry Wilson, who was so good for Fulham, and James Trafford is an excellent buy too.

I am covering this game for Radio 5 Live but it is almost impossible to predict. Glasner usually went with a 3-4-3 shape at Palace but has gone on record saying he works with what he has got, so I am not sure how they will line up for this game.

It will be very interesting to see how Forest start, and how Glasner fares. Will he still be there in September?

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Liam's prediction: I thought all three of these 3pm games were hard to split but I could not see them all ending in draws - so I have gone for Forest to edge this. 2-1

AI's prediction: 2-1

• Gtech Community Stadium, 17:30

There is a lot of excitement surrounding Spurs and I understand why.

Sandro Tonali is an excellent signing for them in midfield while, at the back, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke are both very good defenders and Micky van der Ven has penned a new deal too.

I am really looking forward to seeing Spurs under Roberto de Zerbi and the expectation will be that they do well. Without European football, they must be thinking about the top six.

Keith Andrews had a sensational first season as Brentford manager and it will be interesting to see how they set up - will it be a case of 'counter-attack Keith' again?

The way I see this game going, Spurs will have most of the ball but Brentford are well organised and very dangerous on the break.

Igor Thiago had an incredible campaign for the Bees last time and they have got Kevin Schade too, so I don't see them struggling for goals.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Liam's prediction: Spurs have bought some good players in Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Andy Robertson, and with James Maddison fit again that is four big players who were not there last year. They are going to have a much better season this time. 1-2

AI's prediction: 1-2

• Amex Stadium, 14:00

The Champions League is going to stretch Aston Villa and I don't see them making it back into the top four this season.

They have lost Morgan Rogers as well as Tielemans and, while Johan Manzambi is a young man with a lot of talent, it is a big ask for him to hit the ground running and replace Rogers straight away.

Also, I am not sure if anyone can get a tune out of Alejandro Garnacho, but I suppose if anyone can it is Unai Emery.

Their goalkeeper situation is interesting too, with Japan's Zion Suzuki arriving - he will come in revved up, while Emiliano Martinez looked like he was on his bike until his move to Juventus fell through.

As I had to remind Mark Chapman on the Monday Night Club, you can't play with two goalkeepers - they changed many of the laws of the game over the summer, but not that one - so we will have to see who gets the nod on Saturday.

As for Brighton, they have also lost a couple of key players - Danny Welbeck and Van Hecke - who were the spine of their team, but I am expecting a big season from Jack Hinshelwood, who was phenomenal for them last season.

Villa started really slowly last season and it took them six league games to get a win. This will be close, but I think they will get off to a flier this time.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Liam's prediction: I am never quite sure what to expect from Villa. Morgan Rogers is a massive miss for them now he has gone to Chelsea but I've still gone for them to win. 1-2

AI's prediction: 2-2

• Etihad Stadium, 14:00

A lot of people have been putting the boot into Manchester City after their performance in the Community Shield.

I don't think they will win the Premier League but they are not going to fall away to mid-table either - look at the players they have got - and I still think they will be right up there.

I am expecting Bournemouth to be very attack-minded under Marco Rose after watching his teams at RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.

He is a front-foot coach but, in his first game, will he really be brave and go to Etihad Stadium and try to go toe-to-toe with City?

I think he will, and because of that I think there will be goals... but most of them will be scored by City.

Sutton's prediction: 4-1

Liam's prediction: This is the first game that City's new stand will be open and it will be a full house. Pep Guardiola has gone but if they can get Phil Foden firing again they will be a force to be reckoned with. 3-0

AI's prediction: 3-1

• St James' Park, 16:30

I like everything I have seen from new Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle, but he has had the heart ripped out of his team with Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes leaving.

They were two absolute monsters in midfield, who were horrible to play against, but they have gone. So has the influence of Anthony Gordon and the experience of Kieran Trippier.

It is sad to see. That's not to say Newcastle can't do well now, but I think their fans are realistic about this season and how it will go.

This will be a fascinating game because Liverpool are still adapting to life under Andoni Iraola and have struggled defensively in pre-season. Hopefully they can run for more than half an hour now, too.

I don't think they will have any problems up front, however.

Alexander Isak will get quite a reception - and not in a good way - from the home crowd but I do think he will shine for Liverpool this year, starting on Sunday.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

Liam's prediction: I feel for Newcastle fans a bit because they had the takeover but it never really seems like it got going. They have sold some big players and it will be interesting to see how St James' Park reacts - when it is banging, it is really banging, but it is also really obvious when the mood is different. The first few weeks of this season will be very interesting to see how things go for them.

Liverpool were really off it last year but if Isak hits the ground running and Florian Wirtz turns up, then they are going to be a different beast this year. 1-2

AI's prediction: 1-1

• Craven Cottage, 20:00

I worry about Fulham without Marco Silva in charge. They have also lost Harry Wilson's attacking influence from last season and Raul Jimenez, who led the line for them so well too.

They have brought in Alvaro Arbeloa to replace Silva and gone down the youth route to rebuild their frontline, signing Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid and Swedish teenager Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich.

If I am a Fulham fan, my concern would be that they always felt stable under Silva and I am not sure what this new approach will bring. They were never in trouble last season, but I am expecting more of a struggle this time.

It's a new era at Chelsea as well with Xabi Alonso in charge and I think things will be different there too, but in a positive way.

I don't think Chelsea will go from 10th to first again, like they did under Antonio Conte 10 years ago, because they had a much stronger team then.

But they have got Cole Palmer and Rogers is an exciting signing. Alonso is a breath of fresh air too, and I think he will begin with a win.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Liam's prediction: I've never been to Craven Cottage and I want to get down there and see the infinity pool - I might tap Felix White [of The Maccabees] up for tickets when we play down there.

Fulham always seem to be safe and never get dragged into a relegation fight but this might be the year they struggle a bit. I am just putting it out there, Fulham fans - keep an eye on that line, above 18th place. 0-2

AI's prediction: 1-2

• Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast
• Get football news sent straight to your phone

The countdown has officially begun: football is coming back. The new season is ready to put the spotlight back on three of the leagues fans look forward to most: Serie A, the Premier League, and the Bundesliga. Three tournaments, three completely different ways of experiencing football, but with the same essential ingredient: matches you won’t want to miss.

It all starts again with Serie A, where every matchday brings the usual question: who will go all the way? Then there’s the Premier League, with its frantic pace, big matches, and a table that can change in an instant. And finally the Bundesliga, where goals, intensity, and entertainment are never in short supply.

And don’t think the fun is limited to clashes between the big teams. Because that’s exactly the beauty of a new season: new signings to discover, teams ready to surprise, young talents on the rise, and those matches that look straightforward on paper but end up delivering 90 completely crazy minutes.

In short, the calendar is about to fill up. From Italian football to English football by way of Germany, the great European spectacle is ready to take center stage again every week.

Serie A gets back underway on Saturday, August 22 at 6:30 PM, with Udinese hosting Cesc Fabregas’ Como at home. This year too, Italy’s top flight promises a season packed with excitement, from the Scudetto race to the battle for Europe and the fight to stay up.

The Premier League will kick off a day earlier with the opening match on Friday, August 21 at 9:00 PM, as defending champions Arsenal open the doors of the Emirates Stadium to Coventry.

Then there’s the Bundesliga, where football means pace, intensity, and goals. The new season will begin a week later than the others, on Friday, August 28 at 8:30 PM, when reigning champions Bayern Munich take on Stuttgart.

On NOW you can follow all the top tennis with the ATP Tour and WTA Tour, including the Nitto ATP Finals, the WTA Finals, the US Open, and the prestigious exclusive streaming rights to Wimbledon! But that’s not all, because there’s also plenty of motorsport! The adrenaline of Formula 1®, exclusive on NOW until 2032, and all the thrills of MotoGP™.

And then there’s top football, with Serie A Enilive (with three matches from every league round and at least 30 of the best 76 matches of the season) and the three European cups, starting with the UEFA Champions League, with 185 of the 203 matches each season available exclusively via streaming, as well as every match in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, also thanks to Diretta Gol. The football offering continues with the entire Serie C Sky WIFI through the 2027/28 season, for a total of 1,143 matches exclusively nationwide and 48 co-exclusive matches each season: Regular Season, Playoffs, the Coppa Italia (from the round of 16), and the Supercoppa. There’s also international football, available exclusively via streaming wherever and whenever you want, with the Premier League and the Bundesliga.

The offering continues with the best of basketball: NBA, EuroLeague, and BKT EuroCup, along with Serie A – LBA. Then there’s volleyball, rugby, golf, and many other must-watch sports available with the Sport Pass.

Watching sport on NOW is very simple: just download the app on a modern smart TV or on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. The cost is €19.99 for the annual plan with a commitment for that period. From the 13th month, the pass renews automatically month by month according to the terms and price in effect on that date, currently €29.99 per month, unless the pass is deactivated at least 24 hours before the end of the viewing period.

Alternatively, you can take out a subscription for €29.99 per month with automatic monthly renewal, but with the option to cancel at any time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

Where to watch Vuelta a España 2026: Full schedule, start times, channel, live stream for cycling stage race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Can anyone find a way to beat Tadej Pogacar? 

That's the inevitable question as the Slovenian superstar saddles up for La Vuelta a Espana less than a month after winning his fifth Tour de France. 

Pogacar has competed in the Vuelta just once before, placing third in the general classification in 2019 as a 20-year-old. His countryman Primoz Roglic took the maillot rojo that year for the first of his four Vuelta wins and is back in 2026 hoping to recapture past glory two years after his most recent triumph. 

It will be a tall task for Roglic and other GC hopefuls like Wout van Aert and Richard Carapaz, as Pogacar simply looks unbeatable at the moment. A brutal route packed with climbs and about 58,000 meters in total elevation gain should only help Pogacar, who always seems to find a way to attack as his rivals crack on the ascent. 

Who will emerge on top after three weeks on the road? Here's when and where to watch every stage. 

• TV channel: None
• Live stream: FloBikes

The 2026 Vuelta won't air on traditional television but fans in Canada can stream every stage live on FloBikes. 

Purchasing a FloBikes subscription gives sports fans access to live streams, event replays and FloSports Originals.

The Vuelta will consist of 21 stages in 23 days, beginning in Monaco, France and Andorra before moving to Spain for Stage 5. This year's route includes two individual time trials, in Stage 1 and 18, and just four flat stages, two of them in the final week.

Times listed below are when broadcast coverage begins each day. 

Here are the general classification winners from the last 10 editions of the Vuelta: