A lot of interesting developments happened last weekend in La Liga. The top 4 saw quite a bit of restructuring as a result of the Barca vs Atletico game. Gameweek 15 started on Saturday when Celta played a goalless draw against Valladolid. As a result of Atletico’s loss, Sevilla & Sociedad are in the top 4 now as Los Rojiblancos slip to 6th. Getafe registered the best result of the matchday as they thrashed Levante 4-0 at home. Karim Benzema is the top-scorer of La Liga (10), followed by Messi (9) & Moreno (8). Messi leads the assist chart with 5 assists. After an eventful weekend, let’s check out our standout La Liga performers.
Formation: 4-3-2-1 (Christmas tree formation)
GK – Jordi Masip (Real Valladolid)
Valladolid faced a tricky challenge at the Balaidos this past weekend, but luckily Masip was up to their task. Masip made some brilliant saves at crucial moments to keep Valladolid in the game against Celta. He made five saves and managed to keep a clean sheet in an important away game.
RB – Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid won 2-1 against Alaves this past weekend. He was a key figure in Madrid’s win. Ramos opened the scoring for Real Madrid but Alaves equalized through Perez. Real Madrid’s second goal was impressive as Modric’s cross was palmed by Pacheco and bounces to Carvajal who pokes it in. His goal proved to be decisive as Real Madrid held on to the lead.
CB – Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
Barca faced a tough challenge at Wanda as they have never won at the stadium. Even when things looked rough for Barca in the first 25 mins, Pique was busy making last-man tackles in the defence. He made 3 interceptions and won 8 out of 12 duels. He also completed the most passes (81) in the match. He also hit the woodwork a minute before half-time as he powered a header towards Oblak, beating him but putting the attempt off the bar.
CB – Diego Carlos (Sevilla)
Carlos has been performing well for a while now. He’s a strong defender in the air and helped the team in both attack & defence. He scored the solitary goal through a corner with a left-footed shot from the box.
LB – Kevin Rodrigues (Leganes)
The Portugues left-back, Rodrigues came on as a sub and replaced Siovas because of an injury. This was his performance this season. He created 3 chances and also had three key passes from the game. He helped the team in the attack by creating chances. Leganes lost but he was their bright spot in a dark tunnel.
CM – Jason (Getafe)
Jason was critical in Getafe’s 4-0 thrashing of Levante. He managed two assists and completed 100% dribbles from the game (4). He won all his aerial duels (3) and made 4 key passes. He also created the most chances (6) in the game. A perfect midfield performance.
CDM – Andre Anguissa (Villareal)
Villareal lost 2-1 against Valencia at Mestalla. Anguissa put up a dominant midfield performance in the game. He scored Villareal’s sole goal with a right-footed shot from the box through a fast break. He completed the most passes (65) in the game. He had the most tackles (4) in the game. He also won the most duels (12) in the game.
CM – Martin Odegaard (Real Sociedad)
Odegaard continues to become world-class day by day. He bagged a goal and managed an assist as well. He showcased how good he can be in the attack in 4-1 win against Eibar. He completed the most dribbles (8) in the match. He also created the most chances (7) in the game. He was by far the best player in La Liga last weekend. Last but not least, he managed 100% long balls accuracy (3).
AM – Nabil Fekir (Real Betis)
With a goal against Mallorca this week, Fekir is proving why Betis spent so much on him. He was smart in his passing and shooting. He managed 3 dribbles and 3 shots from the game. He was the most accurate passer (96%) to play 45+ mins in the game.
AM - Raul Garcia (Athletic Bilbao)
Garcia's performance against Granada was superb. He opened the scoring through a penalty and had 5 shots from the game, hitting the post once. He was arguably the best player in the game against Granada. He also won 13 duels including 10 aerials ones.
ST - Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Messi won his sixth Balon D'or recently at Theatre du Chatelet, Paris. He completed the most dribbles (9) in the game. He scored in the 86th minute and the goal proved to be an important one. Barcelona registered their first win at Wanda Metropolitano and are back on top of the league table. Messi now has 9 goals in La Liga and has scored in all 20 La Liga stadiums.
