By GABRIELE MARCOTTI

As the UEFA Champions League, soccer's top club tournament, kicked off its group stage this week, all eyes were on two teams, both Spanish: Barcelona, the defending champion, and its arch-rival, Real Madrid, who this summer went on an unprecedented spending spree for some of the world's best players.

In the never-ending debate over which nation boasts the best domestic league, events in the past four months have led many to suggest the balance has tipped decisively towards Spain's La Liga at the expense of England's Premier League.

Barcelona won the Champions League last May and added Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to an already fearsome lineup that includes Argentine star Lionel Messi and Spanish national team vice captain Xavi Hernández. But it was Real Madrid that grabbed the headlines last summer, shattering the world transfer record twice within a few days to acquire the Brazilian star Kaka from AC Milan for $89 million and the Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for $131 million.

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