Real Madrid won the league, Barcelona imploded by their standards and finished 2nd and the usual top 4 qualified for the Champions League. The season also kissed goodbye to Mallorca and Leganes and Espanyol finished bottom, so there will be no traditional derby between them and Barcelona next season.
But which players really came through and shined in La Liga? Which of these players did you have in your team? Did you find you had some bargains or was it the players that you would have expected to bag the points at the beginning of the season?
The format we are using is the traditional 4-4-2 as we look at the best team in La Liga for season 2019/20.
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois- Real Madrid 117pts
Courtois finished with 10 more points than any other goalkeeper in the league and was only part of 2 keepers that earned over 100 points. Whilst Madrid didn’t score many goals by their standards this season they did defend well and Courtois was sharp in goal keeping an impressive 18 clean sheets.
Defender: Sergio Ramos- Real Madrid 109pts
Let’s face it Sergio Ramos is the defender of the decade in Spain and it is no surprise to see the Real Madrid veteran ranked as the best defender in La Liga this season. Not only did he help keep 17 clean sheets he also scored 10 goals, incredible for a defender. In a rare instance for him he also managed not to get sent off this season in the league.
Defender: Raphael Varane- Real Madrid 83pts
Varane had another solid season in the back four of Real Madrid keeping 16 clean sheets and scoring 2 goals and assisting in another one. He was mostly a constant in the side playing 31 league games and has formed the perfect bedrock with his teammates.
Defender: Daniel Carvajal- Real Madrid 79pts
Yet another Real Madrid defender and the reason they dominate the team of the year is because Madrid conceded the least goals this season. Carvajal only scored once this season but then again he assisted in a further 5 goals just adding to his reputation.
Defender: Diego Carlos- Sevilla 64pts
Sevilla qualified for the Champions League and defender Diego Carlos had an outstanding and consistent season. He scored a couple of goals but in his real job as defender he helped keep 15 clean sheets which is more than impressive.
Midfielder: Santiago Carzola- Villarreal 79pts
Not many would have thought that the best midfielder in La Liga in the rankings would end up being Santiago Carzola but the player has returned to his former club in style. Racking up 79 points his value was just 5.5m and he went on to score 11 goals and assist in another 9 in an outstanding season for him.
Midfielder: Raul Garcia- Athletic Bilbao 75pts
What a season Raul Garcia had as defender for Bilbao, scoring an incredible 15 goals with his club only finishing in 11th place. He almost netted 40% of his clubs goals. His one weakness this season was his bookings where he picked up 11 of them.
Midfielder: Roberto Torres- Osasuna 65pts
Osasuna may have only finished the season in 10th place but their standout player was midfielder Roberto Torres who scored 7 goals and assisted in another 8 in a memorable season for the player who would only have set you back 5m at the beginning of the season.
Midfielder: Toni Kroos- Real Madrid 56pts
Only one Real Madrid made the midfield selection and that was German international Toni Kroos. He was involved in 8 goals in the league and helped shore up the midfield too and protect the back four and when he played he helped in keeping 18 clean sheets.
Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 134pts
Messi is still doing the business even if Barcelona had a season to forget. He was far and away the best player in Spain racking up 134 points. His scoring was down just 24 this season but that’s from just 32 games and on top of that he assisted in an incredible 18 other goals. Still one of the greats in world football.
Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 100pts
Much further down the pecking order, Messi would be partnered with Karim Benzema who had yet another consistent season with Real Madrid. Benzema assisted in 8 goals but also scored 21 making him the 2nd best striker in Spain this season.
All in all this is a team that is dominated by Real Madrid players, the eventual champions this season and 6 of their players are featured. It is interesting how just 1 player from Barcelona made the cut, a lot of change is clearly needed at the club ahead of the new season. And as for Atletico Madrid? They have an abundance of very good players, but not one of them was able to consistently stand out this season.
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