La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 27

Atletico Madrid keep dropping points at the top of the league and it’s just 2 wins from their last five. With the type of consistency afforded to both Barcelona and Real Madrid Atletico could be in trouble and will have to start picking up points.

With 11 games left to play Atletico lead Barcelona by just four points and Real are 6 points behind. Barcelona won their 4th game in a row beating Huesca and the 2019 champions have not lost for the last 15 league games.

Sevilla are still looking good for the final Champions League place and have  six point advantage over Real Sociedad. There were only 17 goals in this week’s edition of La Liga, so let’s see who made the best team of the week.

Goalkeeper: Aitor Fernandez- Levante 7pts

Levante surprised Valencia at the weekend with a 1-0 victory and it was only Aitor Fernandez’s 2nd clean sheet of the season but at least he did it against a quality side. He is still on minus points but that stands at -6.

Defender: Kieran Tripper- Atletico Madrid 5pts

Kieran Trippier has been out of the headlines lately but the English defender put in a good shift at the back for Atletico. Though they could only draw 0-0 at the weekend. This was Trippier’s 11th clean sheet of the season.

Defender: David Garcia- Osasuna 5pts

David Garcia is Osasuna’s best defender this season and he has 25 points so far. Garcia was excellent as his club drew 0-0 with Valladolid in a very tough and tight game.

Defender: Yeray- Athleic Bilbao 5pts

Yeray has helped to keep 4 clean sheets now and Bilbao drew against Celta Vigo with that game ending 0-0. The fact they were away made the result more impressive. Yeray isn’t a household name but he made his presence felt in this encounter.

Defender: Aaron Martin- Celta Vigo 5pts

Aaron Martin made some great interceptions and read the game well as Celta Vigo drew 0-0 with Athletic Bilbao at the weekend. Martin now has 4 points and that was only his 2nd clean sheet of the season. Because of injury this was only his 8th game so far.

Midfielder: Alex- Cadiz 4pts

Alex has starred in a few team of the weeks and in general the player for Cadiz has really impressed. His team were losing against Alaves but Alex made all the difference when Cadiz were awarded a penalty in the second half and he made no mistakes, that was his 3rd goal of the season.

Midfielder: Jesus Navas- Sevilla 4pts

Jesus Navas faced an important game against Real Betis and he assisted in what would be the only goal of the game and the winning one as Sevilla won 1-0. Navas  now has 24 points and is only valued at 4.5m which looks to be a bargain as Sevilla try to secure 4th place.

Midfielder: Moises Gomez- Villarreal 4pts

Moises Gomez with 21 points is the currently the best midfielder for Villarreal and he underlined that at the weekend as the club beat Eibar 3-1 away from home. Gomez opened the scoring after just a few seconds in what would have been a very memorable weekend for the player.

Midfielder: Luka Modric- Real Madrid 2pts

Midfielders have made the team of the week for earning only 2 points which tells us it wasn’t a great week for this position. Luka Modric held rank well for Real Madrid as they managed to beat Elche 2-1 at home to keep their title dreams alive. Modric assisted for the first goal too.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 10pts

Week after week there he is, Lionel Messi is back making the team of the week’s and he had a vintage performance as Barcelona heaped pressure on league leaders Atletico Madrid. Barca beat Huesca easy by 4-1 and Messi scored 2 goals, his first was rather special. With this game Messi also equalled the record number of appearances for Barcelona alongside Xavi.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 7pts

Karim Benzema just keeps on getting better the longer he is at Real Madrid and the Frenchman was the hero once again. Benzema scored both goals as Real Madrid beat Elche 2-1. Benzema now has 15 goals for the season and is easily Madrid’s best striker in the fantasy rankings.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 14

Have Real Sociedad fallen? The club who were leading for so long have no wins in their six games and have dropped to 3rd place. Atletico Madrid lead with 29 points the same as the inform Real Madrid however Atletico has 2 games in hand over their city rivals.

Celta Vigo though are the team with the best form in the league which may come as a surprise. The club have earned 12 points from their last five games and have won 4 in a row. They have climbed up to 8th place as a result.

Barcelona have found form also and are in 5th place with 21 points and have gone their last three games undefeated. Lets’s take a look at who made the team of the week in the list below.

Goalkeeper: Rui Silva- Granada 7pts

Rui Silva kept his 5th clean sheet of the season and is valued at just 3m, and this came when Granada beat Real Betis 2-0 and he kept a clean sheet and his club have climbed up to sixth position.

Defender: Allan-Romeo Nyom- Getafe 6pts

Romeo-Nyom has kept 5 clean sheets and that may be seen as impressive for a club such as Getafe. Getafe beat Cadiz 2-0 away in a tough ground to win at to pick up their fourth win of the season.

Defender: Jeison Murillo- Celta Vigo 5pts

Jeison Murillo has not started the season well but picked up 5 points at the weekend and this could be a turning point for the player who is still on minus points overall and is valued at 3m.

Defender: Inigo Martinez- Athletic Bilbao 5pts

Inigo Martinez held firm at the back to keep his 3rd clean sheet of the campaign as Athletic Bilbao beat Huesca 2-0.

Defender: Djene- Getafe 5pts

Djene earned his 5 points after a mature and commanding display at the weekend. Getafe ended a 2 game losing run to beat Cadiz away from home and by 2 goals to 0.

Midfielder: Luka Modric- Real Madrid 4pts

Luka Modric now has 18 points after he earned 4 at the weekend as Real Madrid beat Eibar away from home 3-1.  Modric scored the 2nd goal to set Real on their way to victory and that is his 2nd goal of the season.

Midfielder: Roberto Torres-Osasuna 4pts

Osasuna were beaten at home 3-1 by Villarreal but this was a week of low scoring midfielders and Roberto Torres got Osasuna’s only goal of the game after scoring from the penalty spot. Torres has been in form lately though and his value is only 5m.

Midfielder: Lucas- Real Madrid 4pts

Lucas scored Real Madrid’s final goal as they beat Eibar 3-1 to climb to 2nd in the table. That was the midfielder’s first goal of the season and his value is 6.5m.

Midfielder: Yannick Carasco- Atletico Madrid 2pts

Yannick Carassco was a rock in midfield for Atletico as they got back to winning ways to beat Elche 3-1 at home. Carasco rounded off a very good game by assisting in Atletico’s 2nd goal of the game.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 8pts

Karim Benzema was brilliant yet again for Real Madrid as the veteran striker opened the scoring for the club against Eibar and then assisted in a further 2 goals. Benzema has 7 goals so far and has assisted in a further 5.

Striker: Luis Suarez- Atletico Madrid 8pts

It was another starring role for Luis Suarez who has been very good for his new club Atletico Madrid. They beat Elche 3-1 at the weekend and Suarez scored 2 goals including the opening one for his club. Suarez now has seven goals for the season so far.

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What has happened to Fede Valverde since the restart?

He was one of the success stories of Real Madrid’s season before the 2019/20 La Liga campaign ground to a halt due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, Fede Valverde  made quite the impression over the course of 2019, earning himself a starting place in Zinedine Zidane’s first choice starting lineup.

It got to the point where Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were being rotated in and out of the Real Madrid side in order to make space for Valverde. The young Uruguayan’s form was so strong he just couldn’t be dropped. He was a big reason why, when the shutters temporarily came down on the season in March, Real Madrid found themselves in the thick of a title race with Barcelona.

 

Since the resumption of the Spanish Liga season, though, Valverde hasn’t quite been himself. While Casemiro, Kroos and Modric have all found top form, all playing their part to take Real Madrid to the top of the table, the Uruguayan has been very passive in a number of games. So what has happened?

Part of the problem Valverde has encountered is the role he is being asked to play by Zidane. Before lockdown, he was playing in a central position as the natural successor to Modric. But now, Valverde is more often than not being asked to play alongside Modric rather than in the place of.

Zidane has taken to using Valverde on the right side of his midfield in order to compensate for the lack of a true right-sided attacker. It’s a role the Uruguayan is capable of performing, but he can go missing in games out on the wing when he is far more effective at affecting things through the middle.

Of course, the number of games Real Madrid have been made to play over the last few weeks means Valverde has still started a number of games and the standard of his play before lockdown means he has still enjoyed an exceptional season. But Zidane must be careful not to dilute what he offers.

Valverde’s emergence this season eased Real Madrid’s need to enter the transfer market for a new midfielder. Paul Pogba’s escape route from Manchester United to the Santiago Bernabeu was closed off because of the performances of the 21-year-old over the first half of the season. He remains a talent with a very bright future, but the past few weeks have exposed his vulnerabilities.

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Real Madrid: Total Overhaul?

Few football clubs have enjoyed prolonged glory like Spain’s Real Madrid. In fact, Real is considered one of the most prestigious clubs in the football world, and across all sports fields for that matter. Real achieved this acclaim in a different way than most other clubs, utilizing socios, or club members, who own and operate all facets of the franchise.

Founded in 1902, Real Madrid was estimated in 2019 to be worth 3.8 billion Euros as the second highest-earning football club in the world. For any football pundit, this information isn’t surprising. After all, in their 118 years of existence, Real Madrid lifted 33 domestic league titles, 19 Copa del Rey trophies, a remarkable 13 Champions League trophies, and 4 FIFA Club World Cup titles. Some of these wins stretch back over a century ago, like the club’s first Copa del Rey triumph in 1905.

Real has entertained the fans with some of the greatest athletes of all time, as well. Top goal scorers and creative stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul, Alfredo di Stefano, and Karim Benzema called Madrid home for years. And players like Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos have appeared in upwards of 500 football matches wearing the Real Madrid jersey.

Others, like Ronaldo- the Brazilian or original one as some call him, Luka Modríc, and Cristiano Ronaldo received their prestigious Ballon D’Or awards while on the team. In fact, to this day, Real Madrid’s head coach, Zinedine Zidane, is one of his generation’s greatest players, and won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award in 2002 while playing for the club he now leads.

 Future Plans

Most recently, Real Madrid have been associated with the superstar power of Cristiano Ronaldo. A dynamic and powerful goal scorer with an unstoppable drive, Ronaldo led a highly talented cast for nine years at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The team flew high and attracted record number of fans to the stadium, remote viewership of games, and title wins, leading many to consider this era as Ronaldo’s.

However, in 2018 Ronaldo moved to Juventus to play in Italy’s Serie A. Despite this move, Real Madrid have not crumbled, though president Florentino Pérez seems likely to address the club at its foundational roots in an attempt to revitalize the team following their leader’s departure.

Meanwhile, in the US, NBA franchise the Golden State Warriors have also recently overhauled their mediocre team, drawing in star players as well as solid, vetted athletes. In fact, the Golden State Warriors have a near monopoly on NBA basketball odds in the US since winning the NBA Championship in 2015, 2016, and again in 2018. It seems Real Madrid is looking to rebuild its squad in a similar manner, though this change isn’t motivated by disappointing play. It’s preventative, if anything.

 Stadium & Roster

First, Pérez has shown interest in demolishing Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in order to begin construction on a ‘digital stadium of the future’. However, his comments have left some fans in mourning, and others confused. While many will mourn the loss of a stadium as well-loved as Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, most are waiting for the club to roll out its plans to understand what exactly a ‘digital stadium’ entails.

The stadium is set to have a capacity of 90,000. Other plans for the updated stadium include a wrap-around facade onto which images can be projected, retractable roofs that will cover all seating, and additional leisure and entertainment activities within, like shopping and a museum.

However, Perez also seems hellbent on revamping Real Madrid’s once-motley crew. While some franchises, like the Golden State Warriors, have to start from scratch to build a strong team, Madrid won’t face such challenges. While rebuilding a team is often undertaken for many top clubs that lose a star player, Real Madrid is full of star power.

Still, some athletes may be moving on. Rumor has it that in order to welcome in shining young recruits, Zidane may be letting go of players like James Rodriquez, Gareth Bale, Lucas Vasquez, and Mariano Diaz. Even important figures such as Marcelo and Luka Modric also face uncertain future despite historic wins with the club.

The above moves could be made in order to welcome new talent like Eduardo Camavinga, a 17-year-old midfielder with great promise. This comes after attempts to land Paul Pogba from Manchester United have fluctuated between cold and hoot. There is also interest in Raul Jiménez, a forward who may be able to pick up some of the pieces in attack in case Benzema leaves.

Zinedine Zidane’s hasn’t figured out Real Madrid’s midfield conundrum

It wasn’t known how the surprise defeat to Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey during the week would affect Real Madrid, but their 4-1 away win over Osasuna on Sunday allayed any fears over any lasting damage, giving the capital club a six-point lead ahead of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with the Catalans set to face Real Betis on Sunday evening.

Indeed, it was an emphatic response from Zinedine Zidane’s side, especially after falling behind early on. Osasuna made the first 20 minutes tough for the visitors to Pamplona, but Real Madrid adjusted and came storming back, adding some gloss to the scoreline late on in the second half.

However, the match still gave Zidane something to think about. While many areas of his team are working there, Real Madrid still have something of a midfield conundrum. Against Atletico Madrid, the Frenchman picked five central operators in the hope that they would help control the derby. All they did, though, was clog up the centre of the pitch with changes made at half time in accordance.

Against Osasuna, Zidane opted for a lighter midfield, with Gareth Bale surprisingly selected over Toni Kroos despite the Welshman being ostracised recently. The idea was that this would free up space for the likes of Isco and Luka Modric to drive into, but with few bodies in the centre of the pitch Real Madrid struggled for control.

Real Madrid’s midfield has been something of a contradiction this season. While Casemiro, Kroos, Modric and Fede Valverde have all excelled in recent months, particularly in the case of the latter, Zidane has yet to settle on the shape and system to get the absolute best out of them. He seems unsure on which three to pick for the biggest, most important games.

In the end, Isco and Modric used the extra space offered to them against Osasuna to their advantage, putting the tiring hosts to the sword in the second half. But against higher calibre sides they might have been played around. Real Madrid’s high press wasn’t up to much. With the Spanish title race set to intensity over the next few weeks, and the Champions League soon to return for the round of 16 stage, Zidane will surely have to settle on what he wants his midfield unit to look like.

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Luka Modric is coming to the end, but remains Real Madrid’s brightest spark

2018/19 was a peculiar season for Luka Modric. The Croatian shone at the Russia World Cup, leading his country to the final. May 2018 also saw him lift the Champions League trophy for the third straight year. Modric struggled for fitness and form after the summer of 2018, though.

It was arguably his poorest as a Real Madrid player, which made his success in winning the Ballon d’Or somewhat ironic. This led to speculation over Modric’s future at the Santiago Bernabeu. Last summer, it was even rumoured that he could leave for Serie A, with Inter believed to be long-term suitors of the player.

At 34 years old there is little doubt that Modric is now entering the twilight of his career. This prompted many to suggest that Real Madrid should cash in on a player who had been one of their most influential over the past decade, but now has a limited shelf life. On the basis of what we have seen this season, though, it’s just as well they didn’t.

It’s true that Zinedine Zidane is using Modric more sparingly, resting the Croatian more often than he has in the past. Modric might not even be considered a member of Real Madrid’s favoured starting lineup, with the emergence of Fede Valverde leaving Toni Kroos and the Croatian to fight over one midfield position. Against Barcelona before Christmas, for instance, Modric started on the bench.

And yet the 34-year-old remains Real Madrid’s brightest spark when he is on the pitch. He might not have the mobility any longer to win the fiercest of battles in the centre of the pitch, explaining why Zidane has taken to favouring Casemiro, Kroos and Valverde in midfield for the biggest games, but Modric has rediscovered his inherent creativity this season.

“Modric is such an important player for this team and he’s always going to be,” Zidane said after a particularly impressive performance by the Croatian in an important 3-0 win over Getafe, a result which lifted Real Madrid level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. “Luka Modric is Luka Modric.”

This might still prove to be Modric’s last season at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Inter still thought to be interested in the player and speculation still swirling, but at least if he leaves now the Croatian will leave good memories right up until the end.

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Real Madrid finally finding momentum after sticky start to season

There were those who doubted Zinedine Zidane would even survive the last international break. The two-week break after the defeat to Real Mallorca left Real Madrid president Florentino Perez with a long time to fester on what was the club’s worst result of the season so far. If Real Madrid were making progress under Zidane, it was difficult to see it.

Since that defeat, though, the capital club have finally found their groove. There is a sense that Real Madrid are starting to build something, underlined by their comprehensive 4-0 win over Eibar on Saturday and the sight of Zidane’s men at the top of La Liga for a few hours before Barcelona’s win over Celta Vigo on the same night.

Zidane is finally settling on a favoured lineup, most notably in the centre of the pitch. Luka Modric has returned from injury, but he is having to fight for his position alongside Toni Kroos, with Casemiro and Fede Valverde currently favoured for two of the three central midfield spots. Valverde in particular has been a revelation. The Uruguayan’s emergence at the Santiago Bernabeu is a big reason behind Real Madrid’s recent resurgence.

In attack, Rodrygo has electrified the Spanish and European game, scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League win over Galatasaray during the week. Indeed, the Brazilian teenager has become Real Madrid’s ‘Next Big Thing’ over the past weeks, making the position on the right side of Zidane’s front three his own.

Then there’s Eden Hazard. The Belgian has faced his critics since signing for Chelsea in the summer transfer window, with some even questioning his fitness levels. It is certainly true that Hazard has taken his time in growing accustomed to his new surroundings, but there are signs that he is starting to find his feet.

Hazard was at his sparkling best in the 4-0 win over Eibar on Saturday. Most encouraging, from a Real Madrid point of view, is the understanding with Karim Benzema the Belgian seems to have developed. That is a relationship Zidane should seek to build around. It could be the key to Real Madrid’s season.

Since that defeat to Real Mallorca, Real Madrid have gone five games without conceding, scoring 16 in the process. Zidane was widely seen as a dead man walking when the last international break arrived. Now that we are heading into another international break, the last of the year, Zidane and his side have a very different complexion.

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Would Paul Pogba be a good fit for Real Madrid?

It threatens to become the transfer saga that will define this summer in European football. There has been smoke for months and the closer we get to the end of the season, the fire is starting to appear. Paul Pogba is, reportedly, a target for Real Madrid and the player himself has done nothing to distance himself from rumours linking him with an imminent exit from Manchester United.

The Frenchman’s Old Trafford career has been a difficult one to decipher. It is widely agreed that Pogba is United’s best outfield player and yet his inconsistency since returning to the club from Juventus has infuriated and frustrated. Now, there is a growing acceptance at Man Utd that if Real Madrid come calling with a mega-money offer this summer, they should sell.

Paul Pogba

This assumes, however, that Pogba will fare better at Real Madrid than he has at Manchester United. Is that really the case? Real Madrid already boast one of the best midfield units in the European game, so where would the Frenchman fit? Is he really what the Spanish giants need at this time?

Well, perhaps. It is certainly the case that the midfield unit of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric have delivered great success for Real Madrid over the years, but at least in the case of the latter two, age is catching up with them. Modric, in particular, has become a shadow of his former self, enduring the worst season of his career.

It’s entirely possible, maybe even expected, that Modric will leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, with Inter Milan believed to be a potential destination for the Croatian. Kroos could also leave. The German has long been linked with a switch to the Premier League. There would be no shortage of suitors.

This could open up space for Pogba to fill. Real Madrid have become a stagnant side over the past season and the Frenchman would help shape things up, giving them some much-needed drive through the middle of the pitch. If Zinedine Zidane is intent on playing a 4-3-3 system, as seems to be the case, then Pogba would fit in on the left side of that midfield trio.

That’s where Pogba excelled in his time at Juventus and Zidane could replicate that environment to get the best out of a player with the capacity to dominate games. Real Madrid are set for a summer overhaul and there’s reason to believe Pogba would give them something they don’t currently have.

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La Liga’s top picks for fantasy football this weekend

 

La Liga

All La Liga teams are in action this weekend so let’s take a look at the top fantasy La Liga picks for the upcoming games.

Starting on Friday evening, there are 20 La Liga fixtures to look forward to.

Goalkeeper – David Soria (Getafe) – 6.0 million

I’ve gone with Getafe’s David Soria for the goalkeeper spot. Getafe are at home to bottom team, Huesca, so a clean sheet is very much a possibility for Jose Bordalas’ side. Soria has 46 points this season.

How can Barcelona’s Lionel Messi only be the 5th best player in the world?

Messi-PSV-vs-Barcelona(1)

The awards season can usually give us surprise leanings and results, although at least for the past decade the winner’s have usually been right. But 2018 can be seen as an exception. Lucas Modric swept all before him in 2018, not trophy wise with his club and country but on a personal level trophy wise, but did he truly deserve accolade after accolade? Then there was the quite bizarre announcement at the Ballon d’Or awards that Lionel Messi wouldn’t win, ok this was half expected given that Messi had not won other awards, but then they went one step further and gave him 5th place, really, 5th place.

First let’s analyse why Modric should never have won the trophy. To do this we first must point out that Modric is a superb player who had a great year. This included being a part of the Real Madrid team that won the Champions League for a 3rd time in a row. And then being a part of the Croatia team that got to a World Cup final. Those are fantastic achievements. But at the same time it also disregards Real Madrid’s domestic season, fought over 38 hard games and 9 months, where they lost the title once again to Barcelona. Indeed Madrid didn’t even finish 2nd and trailed Barcelona by a whopping 17 points. But in a World Cup year- why should that matter?

If the awards were to be influenced by a World Cup why didn’t Antoine Griezmann win the trophy? A player who was influential in the World Cup knock out goals, dominant and confident in midfield and scoring important goals and winning the World Cup. Was Europe on the awards minds? Well be mindful that Griezmann won the Europa League and then when his side Atletico met Real in the Super Cup clash, Atletico won that too.

It may sound controversial but Modric sweeping the awards was set in stone after the World Cup final where FIFA gave the sympathy award of best player at the tournament to Modric, who had just lost the World Cup. Had Croatia won it, Griezmann would have won best player- do we need evidence? Go back to 2014 when Lionel Messi won the best player award when his Argentina side had lost the final to Germany. The look on Messi’s face said it all.

Now to Messi himself and how could he have come 5th in the world? On his day he is a better player than the four that finished above him. But what else could have been the reason? Over Modric there might be a case given that Modric won the Champions League and got to a World Cup final. Although Messi can claim to have won the league and cup, so a domestic double and let’s not forget at his age of 31 he just averaged his best ever games to goals ratio.

Next up is Cristiano Ronaldo, again a Champions League winner. But Messi has that double and a personal better season over him and both did not do well at the World Cup. Griezmann and Mbappe follow next and they did have a better season than Messi trophy wise with World Cup, Europa League, French League and domestic cups between them and yet they only finished 3rd and 4th.

The awards season used to give the best out to the best players. This year that trend has shifted mostly because new blood was wanted after Messi and Ronaldo dominated for a decade, but although Modric is a very special player, Griezmann or Mbappe should have won the award and Messi certainly shouldn’t have been out of the top 3.