Real Madrid begin their 2014-15 La Liga campaign with a clash against top-flight newcomers Cordoba at the Bernabeu on Monday night.
Carlo Ancelotti's side will want to rebound quickly after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Friday.
After finishing deadlocked at 1-1 with Diego Simeone's men in the first leg on Tuesday, the defending European champions were unable to break down the robust system of Atleti, watching one of six targeted titles slip through their grasp.
Monday's clash with Cordoba, however, won't be anywhere near as stern a test.
Perhaps the most interesting storyline heading into Los Blancos' league opener is what system Ancelotti will deploy.
Having swept aside Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup with a fluid 4-4-2, the Italian switched back to the more familiar 4-3-3 for both games against Atletico, struggling to penetrate Los Rojiblancos' two banks of four in the absence of Angel Di Maria.
Complicating the issue is Cristiano Ronaldo's questionable fitness. After being substituted at half-time in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, the Portuguese played only 45 minutes again on Friday, coming on for Toni Kroos after the break.
The need to rest Ronaldo in what is a small turnaround between games will need to be weighed against doing the same for James Rodriguez, who still looks rusty after an arduous World Cup campaign.
The solution to that issue for Ancelotti may well be reverting to the 4-4-2 showcased against Sevilla, using either the Ballon d'Or winner or the Colombian alongside Karim Benzema up front, reducing the physical workload for one of the pair by taking them away from the wing.