Forget the Manchester derbyit's all about Celta Vigo vs. Atletico Madrid.Well, so says Javier Tebas.This is a big weekend for the LFP and its president, one that signals the beginning of LaLiga's latest move to tackle what it sees as a growing death star on English shores. On Saturday, the Spanish top flight will stage its first game in its new 1 p.m. time slot, boldly pitting its own product head-to-head with the Premier League's lunchtime kick-off.Done for local benefit' Not at all. This is a global battle."In China, for example," Tebas said this week to El Partidazo de Cope (h/t AS), in full crusade-against-the-Premier-League mode, "more people will watch Celta vs. Atletico than the Manchester derby because it's on freeview."China might sound like a strange example, but it's not. A country of more than 1 billion people that is experiencing a football boom is worth tapping into for a suddenly image-conscious and globally minded league that knows it's lagging behind commercially. It's not just China either; it's all of Asia that is the target, and Australia too.Late kick-off times don't suit an eastern audience, but early ones do: 1 p.m. in Madrid is 7 p.m. in Beijing and Shanghai, 8 p.m. in Tokyo, 9 p.m. in Sydney, and so on. These are the emerging football markets LaLiga is competing for with the Premier League, and being accessible on TV matters.But competing isn't easy. Going up against the most anticipated Manchester derby in yearswith Jose Mourinho's United hosting Pep Guardiola's City for the first timeis a hard one to begin with.United is already a behemoth in Asia, and City's presence there is growing. Their pre-season tours to China were no coincidence, and though we don't have the figures, Tebas' assertion that Celta-Atletico will outdo that pair sounds as hopeful as walking into Subway and expecting something "fresh."Admittedly, the competition won't always be Jose-and-Pep-ified, but the Premier League's lunchtime slot on Saturday does typically feature one of England's now-global clubs.In response, LaLiga are giving that a crack themselves. After Atletico inaugurate the time slot this weekend, Barcelona will follow them next week. Don't count out one of this season's Clasicos being scheduled for 1 p.m. either. "Why not'" Tebassaidwhen asked if it was a possibility.The new time slot isn't just a home for the heavyweights, however. LaLiga is conscious of the need to be more than Real Madrid vs. Barcelona; Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi.In jornada 6, Eibar will take on Real Sociedad at the new time. The following week, it will be Granada vs. Leganes being shown to the east."We need to sell ourselves as an international brand," is Tebas' consistent message, and LaLiga is getting there. Sort of.Spanish football has rebranded itself this summer to develop a sense of connection between its divisions. La Liga has become "LaLiga" with the space removed, and the Segunda Division has become LaLiga 2which was fine, until it comically became LaLiga 1|2|3 for sponsorship reasons.Elsewhere, on-screen graphics have become far slicker, and directives have gone out to clubs to ensure the portions of stands visible in the main TV camera are at least 75 per cent full to enhance the "audio-visual perception of the match," as ASrelayed (h/t Football Espana).They're steps in the right direction, but there are still matters that grate.In this push for an enhanced "product," there's a manufactured feel to it all. Placing fans in front of the TV camera might make it look better, but how about helping to genuinely fill the stands'Lowering ticket prices would be a start. Ceasing theover-the-top drive to purge stadiums of slightly distasteful behaviour would help too,and there's the matter of fan-unfriendly scheduling that never goes away.Still, small steps are better than none, and LaLiga isn't afraid to triumphantly play the one ace it has."The best players in the world are already here," a figuratively chest-thumping Tebas said this week at theSoccerex Transfer Review in Madrid. "We're in a sector where you have to weigh up sporting achievements coupled with investment. If we put those two factors together, LaLiga and its clubs are the best in the world."The LFP chief added that he believes the chasm in TV revenue between England and Spain will soon narrow. "[The Premier League]can't grow theirdomestic market any more due to the high percentage of penetration that they have. In Spain, we're far from that point which is why we have a very high margin for growth."At times, this relentless crusade against the Premier League makes Tebas look like Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight railing against the mob, but at least there's an urgency; at least something is happening. Now the attention turns to those on the pitch.At 1 p.m. on Saturday, Celta vs. Atletico will kick off, starting the latest step in the league's plan. Tebas and Co. will have their fingers crossed it doesn't end 0-0. Big Guns Are BackOne blond guy out; one blond guy in.Though Lionel Messi could miss Barcelona's outing this weekend with a groin problem, the now-similar-looking Neymar (from afar, anyway) is in line to return after landing back in the city on Wednesday following his stint with Brazil."I see myself playing against Alaves on Saturday," he told those waiting for him at El Prat airport.Neymar isn't the only big gun who's back. Across the divide, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema could return with Real Madrid to face Osasuna on Saturday afternoon at the SantiagoBernabeu following stints on the sidelines through injury.A degree of caution might be shown with all three men, but the league is better for having them back on a weekend about global appealeven if Ronaldo's telling us to "enjoy the picture" of his quadriceps this week was a little, err, too Ronaldo for our liking.Still, that might just be this writer's envy that his legs look like parsnips beside those of the Portuguese, and as he returns, there's intrigue for the sort of season Ronaldo is entering on a personal level. The same goes for the aforementioned other two.For Ronaldo, the coming year is aboutabout the acceptance for a crossover period; for Neymar, it's aboutdealing with the waiting part of being the game's king-in-waiting; for Benzema, it's about emerging from a slightly paradoxical existence.That will all come, but for now it's about getting back into it. Newly promoted opponents are a gentle way to start.Not to Be MissedSporting Gijon vs. Leganes looks juicy, primarily for what it might have been otherwise. If not for last season's final day, this would have been a southern Madrid derby for Leganes with Rayo Vallecano. But Sporting stayed up at Rayo's expense when they defeated Villarreal.The Yellow Submarine were managed by Sporting fan Marcelino, who'd admitted he wanted his old club to stay up. They did, of course, after Villarreal fielded an understrength team in Gijon.Rayo president Raul Martin Presasubsequently said Marcelino is "like the crazy Germanwings pilot." Marcelino this week threatened to sue him. Tebas weighed in,saying Marcelino "should ask for forgiveness for what he did." Yeah, this is messy.Sevilla vs. Las Palmas should be awesome: two of the most entertaining sides in the country going head-to-head at the raucous Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. Then again, this column told you that Villarreal vs. Sevilla before the international break was compulsory viewing too, and we're still apologising for that two weeks later.Kevin-Prince Boateng. That is all.Granada's defence, if you can call it that.Paco Alcacer's possible Barcelona debut.Can Atletico get back to looking something like Atletico' Antoine Griezmann isn't too happy with his team's start, and some of his team-mates aren't overly happy with him saying so. Regardless, goals are the only cure, and you fancy Griezmann will be the man to get them.Valencia take on Real Betis at Mestalla on Sunday, and it's hard to turn away from Valencia right now. Not because they're good, though; they're not. But because you go into every Valencia game at the moment with that odd curiosity for how it might go wrong this time.Follow @TimDCollinsRead more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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