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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 34

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Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona all won and the league title looks like it will go down to the wire! The difference is just 2 points between the three teams with 4 games to play.

One team who look to have bowed out of a surprise title is Sevilla who lost at home to Athletic Bilbao. However they have the consolation prize of 4th place which means they will be playing in the Champions League.

There were just 19 goals scored in match day 34 but the Spanish league remains as thrilling as ever, let’s take a look at the best performing players over this past weekend.

Goalkeeper: Unai Simon- Athletic Bilbao 7pts

Unai Simon had a terrific game as he was under pressure constantly as Bilbao surprised Sevilla away from home to win the game 1-0. He now has 40 points and has had a solid season.

Defender: Stefan Savic- Atletico Madrid 5pts

This was Savic’s 16th clean sheet so far for Atletico Madrid as they nervously beat Elche 1-0 away form home to remain top of the league. Savic maintained his lines well and made some important blockages.

Defender: Rafa- Eibar 7pts

Eibar beat Alaves 3-0 at home and whilst Kike stole the headlines for his hat-trick Rafa did well to firstly back track and keep a clean sheet for the club. Secondly he wasn’t afraid to come forward and that paid off as he assisted for the 3rd goal. That was Rafa’s first assist of the season.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 5pts

It hasn’t been an easy few months for Trippier but he defended well and probably played his best game for Atletico this year. The club are still top of the standings as they beat Elche 1-0.

Defender: Mario Gaspar- Villarreal 5pts

With another 5 points earned Mario Gaspar is now 2nd in the rankings for Villarreal defenders. Villarreal beat Getafe 1-0 and Gaspar has now helped to keep six clean sheets

Midfielder: Marcos Llorente- Atletico Madrid 6pts

Marcos Llorente continues to be so important for Atletico and he scored the only goal which was enough for Diego Simeone’s team to edge past Elche 1-0 and stay top of La Liga. Llorente has scored 12 goals and assisted in 10 in what is turning out to be a vintage season for the midfielder.

Midfielder: Casemiro- Real Madrid 6pts

Real Madrid made heavy weather of Osasuna at home but won the game 2-0. Casemiro scored the winning goal to earn him 6 points. Casemiro has scored 6 goals and is valued at 7.5m and he has been a consistent performer this season.

Midfielder: Carlos Soler- Valencia 6pts

Valencia lost 3-2 against Barcelona but they gave it everything. Carlos Soler at 1-3 down pulled a goal back and for the next ten minutes Valencia could have had a battling draw but it wasn’t to be. Soler has scored 9 goals this season.

Midfielder: Yannick Carrasco- Atletico Madrid 3pts

Carrasco makes the team of the week again but with only 3 points which was good enough. Still he had a solid game and helped to make the difference as he assisted for the 8th time this season in providing Llorente with the only goal of the game as Atletico beat Elche 1-0.

Striker: Kike- Eibar 14pts

What a fantastic weekend for Kike and all of his 3 goals were taken so well as Eibar overpowered Alaves 3-0. Kike scored a fantastic hat-trick to stun the visitors and bottom placed Eibar still have a chance to survive relegation. Can they repeat the trick next weekend and can Kike save them again? Kike has been magnificent for a club that have struggled and he has 12 goals and is valued at 6.5m.s

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 10pts

Messi again! He saved Barcelona at Valencia as he scored 2 more goals as Barca won 3-2 in a tension packed game. The win means that Barcelona could still win the title and are just 2 points behind Atletico Madrid. Messi has now scored 28 goals in La Liga and with 122 points he has the most points in the fantasy football

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 29

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Week 29 looks like it was a turning point in La Liga was a huge blow to Atletico Madrid’s chances of winning the title. Atletico lost 1-0 away to Sevilla and have seen their huge lead cut down. Real Madrid are only 3 points behind and if Barcelona win their game in hand they will only be 1 point behind. Is the writing on the wall for Atletico? It looks increasingly likely.

Barcelona didn’t play at the weekend but they remain the best in form side in La Liga and have earned an incredible 28 points from a possible 30.

Let’s take a look below at the players who impressed the most as La Liga returned this past weekend.

Goalkeeper: Bono- Sevilla 7pts

Bono has been here so many times and is clearly one of the best goalkeeper’s in Spain this season. This was his 13th clean sheet of the season and what it was as Sevilla marched to Champions League qualification as they beat league leaders Atletico Madrid 1-0.

Defender: Ferland Mendy- Real Madrid 5pts

Ferland Mendy has been of Real Madrid’s best defenders this season and he earned another 5 points at the weekend to take his tally to 53. He has helped to keep 11 clean sheets so far.

Defender: Nacho- Real Madrid 5pts

Nacho has 30 points now as Real Madrid beat Eibar 2-0 at home to keep yet another clean sheet and possibly close in on the league title. Nacho made some great judgments on the ball and had a solid game.

Defender: Pedro Lopez- Huesca 5pts

Pedro Lopez showed a lot of maturity at the back for Huesca as they pulled off a terrific result to beat Levante away from home by 2-0. He’s hardly played any games this season and that is why he only has 9 points overall. His value is worth 5m.

Defender: Alberto Moreno- Villarreal 5pts

Alberto Moreno was part of a Villarreal defence that kept a clean sheet as they went to Granada and won 3-0. Moreno now has a total of 5 points given that this was indeed his first game for the club this season.

Midfielder: Marco Asensio- Real Madrid 6pts

Marco Asensio had an interesting game for Real Madrid as they beat Eibar 2-0. He scored the opening goal but it was ruled out by VAR but then a couple of minutes later he made amends for that and scored a proper opening goal.

Midfielder: Casemiro- Real Madrid 4pts

Casemiro has had a solid and professional season with Real and he assisted in the clubs first goal as they beat Eibar 2-0. Casemiro now has two assists for the season and has a total of 40 points so far.

Midfielder: Jesus Navas- Sevilla 4pts

Jesus Navas helped out at the back at times as Sevilla beat Atletico Madrid 1-0. Navas also assisted in the only goal of the game, to round up a very good performance from the midfielder. Currently he is the clubs 4th best midfielder so far.

Midfielder: David Ferreiro- Huesca 4pts

David Ferreiro assisted in Huesca’s goal as they beat Levante 2-0 at the weekend to earn a good 4 points. He has 3 assists now and is ranked at number 1 Huesca midfielder with a total of 23 points.

Striker: Gerard Moreno- Villarreal 14pts

It was a special weekend for Gerard Moreno who doesn’t always get the credit that he deserves. Villarreal beat Granada 3-0 and he scored all the goals to get a hat-trick. Moreno now has 19 goals this season and is 2nd in the top goalscorers.

Striker: Iago Aspas- Celta Vigo 8pts

Iago Aspas had a terrific game as he scored and assisted in the other 2 goals as Celta Vigo beat Alaves 3-1. Aspas has had a good solid season and has appeared in the team of the weeks a few times now. He has 10 goals and has also assisted in a further 10.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 11

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Finally Real Sociedad dropped points, this is what all the other chasing teams will be thinking of the best in form side in the league. Sociedad could only draw at home to Villarreal which opened up the league.

Real Madrid lost their 3rd game of the season to go seven points behind the leaders and Barcelona played perhaps their best game so far by crushing Osasuna 4-0. All eyes should be on Atletico Madrid in 2nd place who kept yet another clean sheet at the weekend, are 1 point behind Sociedad and have 2 games in hand.

Let’s take a look at the players who made the biggest impact at the weekend.

Goalkeeper: Marc ter Stegen- Barcelona 7pts

A few goalkeepers reached 7 points for their clean sheets but Marc ter Stegen probably played one of his best games in goal for Barcelona this season. True Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win over Osasuna, but surprisngly the away side had many chances in front of goal and it would have been a personal achievement for ter Stegen looking at how this season has started for the club to help keep a clean sheet.

Defender: Jordi Alba- Barcelona 5pts

Jordi Alba was solid in defence and remains one of Barcelona’s most important defenders. He helped keep a clean sheet and Alba now has 16 points for the season and is the highest ranked defender in fantasy points in the team.

Defender: Gimenez- Atletico Madrid 5pts

What can be said about Atletico Madrid who have conceded just 2 goals all season so far? Very strong at the back and Gimenez  has only started four games but kept 3 clean sheets and he had a very good match.

Defender: Sergino Dest- Barcelona 5pts

Sergino Dest isn’t always a regular for Barcelona but he has been brought in at the weekend and played with great confidence as Barcelona overcame Osasuna 4-0 and he helped keep a clean sheet. Dest was minus points these 5 points mean he has +2 now.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 5pts

Kieran Trippier is proving himself to be one of the best defenders in La Liga this season. In Spain he is top of the fantasy rankings with 37 points. His side Atletico Madrid are in 2nd place now as they got a very important win beating Valencia away from home 1-0.

Midfielder: Philippe Coutinho- Barcelona 6pts

Philippe Coutinho has already looked better in these first two months of the season than his debut one for Barcelona. Coutinho is getting forward more and helped Barcelona seal their 4-0 win over Osasuna by scoring the third goal.

Midfielder: Jose Campana-Levante 4pts

Jose Campana’s penalty was enough for Levante to earn a point over Real Valladolid. Campana earned 4 points in the process and that was the midfielder’s first goal of the season.

Midfielder: Casemiro- Real Madrid 3pts

Real Madrid lost at home at the weekend to Alaves in a shock result but Casemiro did pull a goal back to earn some points as they went down 2-1. Casemiro didn’t earn more as he was also booked in the early stages of the game.

Midfielder: Thomas Lemar- Atletico Madrid 2pts

Such was an overall poor performance from midfielders this past weekend that Thomas Lemar’s 2 points for Atletico earned in midfield after they beat Valencia 1-0 was enough for the former Monaco player to make the team of the weekend.

Striker: Antoine Griezmann- Barcelona 6pts

Antoine Griezmann has had a few good weeks at Barcelona and the French international will be hoping that his fortunes can turn around at the club. Not only did Greizmann get on the score sheet but he also assisted in another goal. That is the players third goal so far this season.

Striker: Joselu- Alaves 4pts

Joselu had a memorable game for Alaves as he grabbed the winner to defeat Real Madrid away from home. He now has 8 points for the season and is valued at 6.5m. That was the strikers 2nd goal of the campaign and he will be hoping that the goal could be a catalyst for more to come.

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Fantasy La Liga Gameweek 2 Picks

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Real Madrid begin the defence of their La Liga title on Sunday night with a trip to Real Sociedad, but games that were due to involve Barcelona, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid are still postponed for their involvement in European competition last month.

With seven matches taking place in the Spanish top flight this weekend here are our fantasy football picks:

Goalkeeper: Rui Silva (Granada)
Granada started their season with a 2-0 win at home to Athletic Club last weekend and have a good opportunity to make it six points from six by hosting Deportivo Alaves in gameweek 2.

Goalkeeper Rui Silva will set your fantasy team back just £3.0m and is significantly cheaper than the other two goalkeepers who kept opening weekend clean sheets.

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Best 11 Players of the Weekend in La Liga: Matchday 20

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Barcelona won and Real Madrid also and the two giants of Spanish football remain locked in at the top on the same points. They now have an 8 point lead over 3rd placed Atletico Madrid who lost their 3rd game of the season. Let’s take a look at what players in La Liga performed the best in matchday 20.

Formation: 4-4-2

Goalkeeper: Marko Dmitrovic- Eibar

Many goalkeepers earned 7 points with clean sheets but it is Eibar’s Marko Dmitrovic who stood out. The reason being he made some vital saves and ended up keeping a clean sheet against Atletico Madrid, no mean feat at all. He now has 9 points and is valued at 6.5m.

Defender: Leandro Cabrera- Getafe

Leandro  Cabrera was brilliant as his side won 3-0 over Leganes and he earned 9 points, thus he kept a clean sheet and also he opened the scoring which would lead to the win. It was a perfect weekend for the defender who has 29 points and is valued at 5.5m.

Defender: Allan-Romeo Nyom- Getafe

Just like Cabrera, Nyom had a great weekend as part of the defence that kept a clean sheet and he also scored a goal. He only earned 8 points though as he was also booked in an eventful game. He is valued at 6m.

Defender: Damien Suarez- Getafe

Sticking with Getafe, Suarez earned 7 points as the club beat Leganes in a 3-0 game which was one sided. This was his 4th clean sheet this season and he now has  total of 14 points and is valued at 7.5m.

Defender: Samuel Umtiti- Barcelona

This was a very important game for Samuel Umtiti playing his first game for new Barcelona manager Quique Setien and only his 5th start of the season so there was a lot to prove as Barcelona won their game 1-0. Umtiti can be brought into your team for 7.5m.

Midfielder: Casemiro- Real Madrid

Real Madrid recorded a 2-1 win over Sevilla and Casemiro was brilliant in scoring 2 goals and he earned 7 points. It would have been more but he lost some through being booked near the end of the game. The player now has 25 points and is valued at 7.5m.

Midfielder: Sergio Canales- Real Betis

Sergio Canales earned 8 points from midfield as Real Betis beat Real Sociedad 3-0. Canales assisted in the opening goal and then scored the 3rd and final one to top off a great days work. He now has 15 points and is valued at 7.5m.

Midfielder: Joaquin Sanchez- Real Betis

Joaquin Sanchez was brilliant in midfield as Betis beat Sociedad 3-0. He helped the team keep a clean sheet, attacked well and he scored. It was his 7th goal of the season and he has been rather outstanding this term. He can be bought for 7.5m.

Midfielder: Arturo Vidal- Barcelona

Vidal held the line well and kept his head in what was a very close win for Barcelona as they won 1-0 over Granada. He also assisted Lionel Messi for Barcelona’s only goal of the game. Vidal has 34 points and is valued at 12.5m.

Striker: Ante Budimir- Mallorca

Ante Budimir earned a whopping 10 points at the weekend as his side beat Valencia 4-1 and Budimir had his game of the season. He scored 2 goals winning the game and assisted in the last goal. He has 8 goals now this season and can be brought into your team for 6.5m.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona

Lionel Messi is used to being in teams of the weekend, and he scored his sides only goal as Barca won 1-0. Messi was the difference once more and earned 4 points at the weekend. He now has 71 points and is in the lead of La Liga strikers by 13 points. It was Messi’s 14th goal of the season.

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Casemiro is one of Zinedine Zidane’s favourites, but how healthy is that for Real Madrid?

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With Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Leganes effectively decided in the first half, with the capital club 3-0 up at half time, Zinedine Zidane took the opportunity in the second half to rotate his team. Karim Benzema was given a rest, with Toni Kroos also withdrawn for the final half hour or so.

One player who stayed on the pitch was Casemiro. That shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. He always stays on the pitch. In fact, the Brazilian has become such a favourite of Zidane’s he has become a punchline. Along with Lucas Vazquez, Casemiro is mocked for being the teacher’s pet.

“I am here to play,” Casemiro said after the comfortable win over Leganes, responding to a question about Zidane’s decision not to take off the Brazilian. “The coach knows the minutes I have to play; I’m resting more when the matches end. We have a coaching staff that knows the moments [where] I have to rest. I’m in really good form, I’m really enjoying it and I want to play all the time.”

It’s certainly true that Real Madrid look a more structured team with Casemiro at the base of their midfield. In recent weeks, the Brazilian has forged a strong understanding with Fede Valverde, the young Uruguayan who has made quite the impression over the early part of the season.

That has left just one position for Kroos and Luka Modric. In a way, it has helped Zidane that both players have suffered from injuries of late, but the pair are close to regaining full fitness and so the Real Madrid boss might have a tough decision to make. Whatever decision he comes to, you can bet that Casemiro won’t be the one to miss out.

Casemiro has been one of Zidane’s most reliable performers over his two spells as Real Madrid manager and so it’s only natural that the Frenchman continues to show faith in the 27-year-old. But it’s not probably not so healthy for a team like Real Madrid, a team that plays so many games in a season, to be so reliant on a single figure. In isolation, Zidane’s refusal to give Casemiro a rest against Leganes mattered little, but it said a lot about how he sees the fragility of his side.

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Zidane’s Real Madrid return could offer reprieve for Isco

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The return to La Liga side Real Madrid of Zinedine Zidane could spell a return to first team action for midfielder Isco, after previous boss Santiago Solari froze out the Spanish international this season.

The former Malaga player has not started a La Liga game since Solari replaced Julen Lopetegui in back in October 2018, and the club announced earlier this week that they would be opening disciplinary proceedings against him, after he missed a team meeting.

However, with Zidane coming back to the club he left nine months ago, he could look to bring the 26 year-old back in from the cold.

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Real Madrid all but surrender late title bid with shock defeat to Girona

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Real Madrid v Girona

Last Sunday morning, the Santiago Bernabeu bore witness to what may well have been the end of Real Madrid’s thin hopes of a late La Liga title challenge.

The Spanish giants and current Champions League holders stumbled to a 2-1 defeat to bottom-half side Girona in front of their disillusioned fans.

Girona are enjoying only their third season in the top flight of Spanish football having been promoted to La Liga for the first time in 2016.

Let’s take a look at the fantasy football heroes and zeroes after this surprise win for the Catalonian club.

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Real Madrid given La Liga head start in 2019

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Real Madrid will have a chance to lay down a 2019 marker to their La Liga rivals on Thursday night, before any other top four side has kicked a ball in 2019.

Santiago Solari’s side head to Villarreal for their first game of the calendar year, with a home game against Real Sociedad on Sunday.

The reason being that due Real’s involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, they have played a fixture less than their rivals this season.

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Defensive issues for Solari ahead of Valencia test

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Santiago Solari knew that life as Real Madrid manager would not be an easy ride, but following his first defeat last weekend, he now faces a huge La Liga clash against Valencia on Saturday.

The defending European champions were defeated 3-1 away at Eibar in La Liga Game Week 13, ending Solari’s honeymoon period of four unbeaten games in all competitions since taking over from Zinedine Zidane.

The Argentinian welcomed back first team stars Raphael Varane and Marcelo to his defence, following injury, but they were unable to keep Eibar out at the Estadio Municipal de Ipurua.

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