Over summer it’s time to recharge batteries and focus on the new season Málaga CF Femenino has coming up. A First Division campaign that comes six years after the Blue and Whites left this category. Unlike in Group IV of the Women’s Second Division – made up of 14 teams – the Malaguista club has 16 rivals to compete against:
Atlético de Madrid Femenino.
Current champions of Liga Iberdrola for the second consecutive year and a finalist in the Copa de la Reina. The Red and Whites have had a magnificent season, scoring 77 points from 24 victories, 5 losses and just one draw. In regard to scoring, Ángel Villacampa’s girls have netted 74 goals and conceded 21.
FC Barcelona
They are the current Copa de la Reina champions, a competition in which they came up against Atlético de Madrid. It’s been a tight season for FC Barcelona against the ‘Colchonero’ rival, with only a one-point difference between them. Fran Sánchez’s team came second in the standings with 76 points, 24 wins, 4 defeats and 2 draws. The ‘culés’ were the highest-scoring team in Liga Iberdrola with 98 goals scored and just 12 conceded.
Athletic Club
The outfit from Bilbao is historic in women’s football. They won the League title in the 2015-16 season and this campaign finished in third place with 56 points, winning 18 games, 2 draws and 10 defeats. 51 goals scored and 41 conceded.
Granadilla Egatesa
The only representative from the Canary Islands in the women’s league. In the upcoming 2018-19 season, they will reach four years in the top flight. Tony Ayala’s girls have had a great season, ending in fourth place, just two points away from Athletic (54). Out of 30 games, they won 16, drew 6 and lost 8. They ended the season having scored 48 goals and conceding 33.
Valencia CF Femenino
The Valencian side is a regular in the current Liga Iberdrola. After ending last season in third place, the ‘Ché’ rival finished in fifth place with 50 points. They won 14 games, drew 8 and lost 8. In regard to scoring, they netted 49 goals and conceded 32.
Real Betis Féminas
The Green and Whites have enjoyed their second season in the elite of women’s football. The Betis players, coached by the only female manager in the Liga Iberdrola, María Pry, reached the quarter-finals of the Copa de la Reina during a season in which they ended in sixth place with 46 points. 40 goals scored and 37 conceded.
Real Sociedad
The Basque Country rival is one of the great ones to beat this season with Gonzalo Arconada at the helm. They ended in seventh place with 38 points, scoring 42 goals and conceding 37.
Levante Femenino
This team ended the campaign in eighth place, four behind their position in the 16-17 season. However, Levante scored 49 goals, 24 of which were netted by Charlyn, the top scorer in Liga Iberdrola with a total of 24 goals. This rival won 38 points, from 11 victories, 5 draws and 14 defeats.
Sporting Huelva
The Andalusian team is also a classic in their league, with big name players such as Francisca Lara and Bárbara Santibáñez. They won 38 points, scored 35 goals and conceded a total of 42.
Madrid CFF
The Spanish capital side has been the big revelation of the season. With a promotion under their belt, the Madrid girls were taking part in the top flight of women’s football for the first time in their history, and they didn’t disappoint. The Club, founded in 2010, finished in tenth place with 36 points, 34 goals scored and 56 conceded. They won 10 games, drew 6 and lost 14.
Rayo Femenino
This Madrid-based rival started the season hoping to achieve permanency, and fulfilled this objective thanks to 33 points, 9 matches won, 6 draws and 15 defeats. The girls scored 39 goals and conceded 63.
Sevilla FC Femenino
The Sevilla side took part in their first season in the elite after two years. Francisco José García’s girls remain in Liga Iberdrola having won 31 points, scoring 35 goals and conceding 50. The team won 8 games, drew 7 and lost 15, consolidating them as a First Division side.
F.Albacete
The La Mancha side, coached by Carlos del Valle, will be taking part in their fifth campaign in Liga Iberdrola in the 2018-19 season. They were saved in 2017-18 and this year again secured permanency with 30 points and ended in thirteenth place.
Espanyol
For the second consecutive year, the ‘perico’ side was saved in the final league games. Bacardit’s girls won 29 points, permitting them to remain in the elite for another year.
EF Logroño
Together with Málaga CF Femenino, they are the second team to qualify to the top flight next season. They competed in Group II of the Second Division, corresponding to the Basque Country and Navarra. They were proclaimed group champions with 63 points, scored 63 goals and conceded 23. They achieved a total of 20 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats. They became a First Division side after defeating Tacón de Madrid in the semi-finals of the knockout phase.
