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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 33

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The top 4 in La Liga almost couldn’t be closer and just 3 points separates 1st placed Atletico Madrid from 4th placed Sevilla. Though the weekend has given advantage to Barcelona who are 2 points behind Atletico in 3rd place but have a game in hand over them and Real Madrid.

Atletico lost at the weekend and Real Madrid drew against Real Betis. There were wins for Barcelona and Sevilla, and though they will be the underdogs Sevilla can’t be ruled out of winning the title. It has at least been a very exciting season in Spain and this league title could well go down to the wire.

Let’s take a look at the players who made the fantasy team for La Liga this past week and you can check if any of your players have made the selection.

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois- Real Madrid 7pts

Courtois was the only goalkeeper in La Liga to earn the full 7 points. It’s not that other keepers didn’t keep a clean sheet but yellow cards can take points away. Courtois’s club Real Madrid had a poor result from their point of view at the weekend though as they could only draw 0-0 at home to Real Betis.

Defender: Stefan Savic- Atletico Madrid 8pts

This is a team full of Atletico Madrid players and we start with Stefan Savic who was able to earn 8 points this week. Earlier in the week Savic was part of a defence that kept a clean sheet as Atletico beat Huesca. At the weekend the club lost to Athletic Bilbao however Savic did score a goal as they went down 2-1. Despite giving the club hope, it wasn’t to be. That was Savic’s first goal of the season.

Defender: Raphael Varane- Real Madrid 5pts

Raphael Varane helped to keep a 13th clean sheet as Real Madrid drew 0-0 with Real Betis. Varane is the leading defender at the club with a total of 65 points this season.

Defender: Victor Ruiz- Real Betis 5pts

Victor Ruiz has helped to keep seven clean sheets so far for Betis and has 17 points so far for the season. He was solid in defence as Betis pulled off a terrific draw which finished 0-0.

Defender: Nacho- Real Madrid 5pts

Nacho is certainly one of the unsung heroes at Real Madrid and he is always the professional. He earned another 5 points as Madrid kept a clean sheet but not the desired result against Real Betis.

Midfielder: Yannick Carrasco- Atletico Madrid 8pts

Atletico played two games in a week and their first match against Huesca ended with victory. It was also a good game for Yannick Carrasco who scored his 5th goal of the season and kept a clean sheet. The midfielder now has 55 points and has been brilliant value at 6.5m.

Midfielder: Angel Correa- Atletico Madrid 6pts

Angel Correa has been solid this season for Atletico and he made a starring role in their victory over Huesca by scoring a goal. With 73 points Correa is the 2nd best midfielder for Diego Simeone’s team.

Midfielder: Marcos Llorente- Atletico Madrid 5pts

Marcos Llorente was brilliant against Huesca earlier last week as Atletico won 2-0. Llorente assisted in both goals. He has scored 11 goals and made a fantastic 10 assists so far and he is ranked as the best midfield player for the side with 90 points so far.

Midfielder: Portu- Real Sociedad 4pts

Portu scored as Real Sociedad beat Celta Vigo 2-1 earlier last week. Portu picked up another four points to add to his already 59 points for his club. Currently Portu is the best ranked player for his club and is 1 point ahead of Remiro.

Striker: Roberto Soldado- Granada 12pts

Roberto Soldado earned a fantastic 12 points over the week as Granada hammered Eibar 4-1 and he grabbed 2 of those goals. He also scored at the weekend although his side lost 2-1 to Sevilla. Soldado now has 9 goals so far and has acquired 31 points.

Striker: Antoine Griezmann- Barcelona 11pts

It’s not always been an easy time for Griezmann at Barcelona but he has had a good week. Griezmann scored both of Barcelona’s goals at the weekend as they won a very important fixture 2-1 away to Villarreal. Griezmann has now scored 11 goals so far this season in the league.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 22

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The last few weeks in Spain have swung Atletico Madrid’s way and they look like the favourites to win the title now. Atletico are seven points in front of both Real Madrid and Barcelona but have 2 games in hand over them.

Real Madrid won their 13th game of the season but Barcelona overtook them into 2nd place because they now have a better goal difference. Lionel Messi started from the bench but he came off to score a goal against Real Betis as Barcelona came back from a goal down to win 3-2.

Sevilla beat Getafe 3-0 to confirm that they are one of the best in form sides in the league and the club have now won 4 games in a row and are just a point behind Madrid and Barca.

Let’s take a look below to see which players have performed the best in the fantasy rankings over the past weekend.

Goalkeeper: Bono- Sevilla 7pts

Bono has made it again as the best goalkeeper of the week. Only two teams Sevilla and Alaves kept clean sheets and Bono was kept slightly the more busier on the night as he kept his 8th clean sheet of the season and is now ranked no.2. on the goalkeepers list in Spain behind Jan Oblak.

Defender: Raphael Varane- Real Madrid 8pts

With Real Madrid’s strikers taking a night off it was defender Rapahel Varane’s moment to shine and even though he dropped points for conceding a goal Varance scored both of Madrid’s goals as they beat Huesca away from home 2-1.

Defender: Diego Carlos- Sevilla 5pts

Diego Carlos is no stranger to best players of the week and the player helped to keep his 8th clean sheet of the season as Sevilla eased to a 3-0 victory Over Getafe, Carlos’ value is 6m.

Defender: Sergio Escudero- Sevilla 5pts

Sergio Escudero played a very mature game in a heated battle which seen sending offs. The player has become more solid as the season has gone on and really helped Sevilla to another keep sheet. He has 17 points so far this season.

Defender: Florian Lejeune- Alaves 5pts

Alaves were the better side but the club had a very close fought game with Valladolid at the weekend with Alaves edging through 1-0. Lejeune picked up 5 points for his clean sheet and his value to add to your team is 5m, though he has just 9 points so far.

Midfielder: Joan Jordan- Sevilla 6pts

Joan Jordan had another solid week as he earned six points. The midfielder assisted in two out of the 3 goals that Sevilla scored including the opening one and that was his 5th assist of the season.

Midfielder: Alejandro Gomez- Sevilla 6pts

Sevilla are dominating this list this week and Alejandro Gomez earned six points. Gomez was the player who settled this game as even though Sevilla won 3-0 against Getafe the score was only 1-0 with three minutes to play. Gomez scored the 2nd goal which wrapped up victory for the home side.

Midfielder: Fernando- Sevilla 4pts

Fernando earned 4 points as he played a solid game and kept his line in midfield as Sevilla beat Getafe 3-0. Fernando picks up points for helping his side keep a clean sheet and the player now has 19 points so far this season.

Midfielder: Shinji Okazaki- Huesca 2pts

There were many players who earned just 2 points but Huesca midfielder Shinji Okazaki gets the nod. He held firm and played a confident game against Real Madrid and made it hard for the team to attack like they normally would have. Even though Huesca lost the game 2-1 it was a closer match than anyone was expecting. Check out Okazaki’s stats here.

Striker: Gerard Moreno- Villarreal 8pts

Villarreal could only draw 2-2 in the end with Elche and Gerard Moreno opened the scoring and got both goals in the end for his side who were away from home. That was Villarreal’s 4th draw in a row and Moreno has now scored a fantastic return of 12 goals this season.

Striker: Mikel Oyarzabal- Real Sociedad 8pts

Mikel Oyarzabal started the season very well but had faded a little soon after. Perhaps he is back now and the player looks on hot form. The striker scored 2 of Real Sociedad’s goals as they crushed Cadiz 4-1 at home. Oyarzabal now has 10 goals so far this season.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 12

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Atletico Madrid remain the only team in La Liga unbeaten and they went top by a point after beating Valladolid. Real Sociedad had to concede top place as they drew their 2nd game in a row- is the pressure getting to the club?

Real Madrid narrowly beat Sevilla 1-0 to stay in 4th place but it was more sad news for an indifferent Barcelona side who lost their 4th game of the season 2-1 at Cadiz. Barcelona are 12 points behind Atletico and that has to be a worrying site for fans to see. Cadiz themselves have been a surprise package and are in fifth place with 18 points.

Below we take a look at the star performers from this past weekend.

Goalkeeper: Fernando Pacheco- Alaves 7pts

Fernando Pacheco put in a great performance for Alaves as he had to keep the then league leaders Real Sociedad quiet. The game finished 0-0 and Pacheco made some good saves. He has been in good form for Alaves and kept 4 clean sheets so far.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 9pts

Kieran Trippier is becoming a regular fixture to teams of the weeks in La Liga and here he is again. In beating Valladolid, Atletico kept yet another clean sheet. However Trippier also earned points by assisting in both of the goals in a 2-0 win that has sent Atletico to the top of the league. Trippier has 3 assists this season and has 46 points overall.

Defender: Hugo Mallo- Celta Vigo 9pts

Hugo Mallo earned 9 points at the weekend as Celta Vigo ovecame Athletic Bilbao 2-0. Mallo kept a clean sheet and scored the opening goal of the match, to cap off a perfect weekend for the defender.

Defender: Raphael Varane- Real Madrid 5pts

Raphael Varane is now Real Madrid’s 2nd best defender in the fantasy rankings and he earned another 5 points at the weekend helping his side keep a clean sheet in a tricky 1-0 win away to Sevilla.

Defender: Carlos Clerc-Levante 7pts

Carlos Clerc has zero points now as his seven earned at the weekend helped him eradicate a minus score in the fantasy points. Levante beat Getafe 3-0 and not only did Clerc earn points for a clean sheet which is his first of the season but he also set up the 2nd goal.

Midfielder: Marcos Llorente- Atletico Madrid 6pts

Alongside Portu of Real Sociedad Marcos Llorente is the equal best midfielder in La Liga’s fantasy points and now has a total of 34. Llorente only came on as a 2nd half substitute but scored Atletico’s 2nd goal which effectively wrapped up the game, that was his 4th goal of the season so far.

Midfielder: Thomas Lemar- Atletico Madrid 6pts

Thomas Lemar opened the scoring for Atletico and in turn earned six points for the weekend. That was Lemar’s first goal of the season and his value is 6m, he now has 16 points for the season.

Midfielder: Joaquin Sanchez- Real Betis 4pts

Joaquin Sanchez hasn’t scored any goals so far this season but he assisted in his 2nd of this campaign as Betis impressively beat Osasuna 2-0 away from home.

Midfielder: Borja- Huesca 4pts

Huesca were involved in a six goal thriller at the weekend as away from home they drew 3-3 with Granada. Borja now has 8 points and his value is 7m

Striker: Alvaro Negredo- Cadiz 4pts

This wasn’t the weekend for strikers to earn many points but Alvaro Negredo deserves his four. Negredo came on for Cadiz against Barcelona just after the hour mark and 60 seconds later he had scored to make it 2-1 to the home side who claimed a famous victory. Negredo now has 3 goals and he has assisted in a further three also.

Striker: Roger- Levante 5pts

Roger opened the scoring as Levante beat Getafe 3-0 to escape the relegation zone. He lost points as he was shown a yellow. Roger has been involved in 5 goals for the club and has scored 3 so far and his value is worth 6m.

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Raphael Varane starting to usurp Sergio Ramos as Real Madrid’s bedrock

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Initially, it seemed that Raphael Varane had scored both goals in Real Madrid’s impressive away win over Getafe on Saturday. In the end, the opener was credited to Getafe goalkeeper, David Soria, with the opposition shot-stopper punching into his own net under pressure from the French defender.

Nonetheless, this was a match that illustrated just how important Varane is to Real Madrid at this moment. With Sergio Ramos ruled out of the match through suspension it was up to the Frenchman to lead the defence against an opponent up for the fight. Getafe have enjoyed an exceptional season so far and the Coliseum Alfonso Perez has become one of the toughest places in Spanish football to visit.

Eder Militao looked uncomfortable with the intensity and ferocity of Getafe’s high press in the first half, but Varane was a calming influence alongside the Brazilian youngster. Over the course of the match, Real Madrid steadied and this was largely down to the performance of Varane.

He also carries a goal threat, as demonstrated in the goal he scored and the other he forced in the 3-0 win over Getafe on Saturday. That is similar to that also posed by Ramos, but there are signs that Varane is starting to usurp the Real Madrid captain as the club’s defensive bedrock. Varane is becoming the player Zidane is building his team on.

“I already said that you have to be calm in front of goal,” Zidane explained after the Getafe win, underlining how many scoring options his team has. “You have to be calm because sometimes the ball does not fit. And with goals today from Varane, it shows that we have many resources to score. For us, it is important to win here because it is a very complicated league. The boys have been plugged in since minute one with great intensity.”

This hasn’t stemmed speculation linking the 26-year-old with an exit from the Santiago Bernabeu. Indeed, Varane’s name has become a staple of the gossip column in recent years. Tottenham are the latest club to be linked with the Frenchman, with Jose Mourinho reported to be a fan of his former player.

However, Real Madrid would be extremely foolish to sell their best defender. At 26, Varane is coming into his peak years while at Ramos is well into his twilight as a professional. If they are to place their faith in one over the year at this point, it has to be the former. He represents the defensive future of the Spanish club. In fact, he’s the present as well.

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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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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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Sergio Ramos is Real Madrid’s penalty king

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Sergio Ramos has emerged as a surprise goal scoring replacement to Cristiano Ronaldo, with four La Liga goals already this season.

Whilst Ramos is not expected to get anywhere near Ronaldo’s goal tally over the course of a season, he has established himself as the Portuguese international’s replacement penalty taker at the club.

Defender Ramos, successfully took the club’s first penalty in the post-Ronaldo era, in their European Super Cup final defeat to Atletico Madrid in August.

From there onwards, he has taken four penalties in La Liga, against Girona, Leganes, Real Valladolid and Celta Vigo – all games that Real have gone on to win.

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Solari set for Real Madrid managerial audition

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Santiago Solari has reportedly been given the chance to prove himself as the right man to lead Real Madrid out of their La Liga mess over the next few weeks.

Media reports in Spain claim that the former Argentina international has been given four matches to demonstrate his suitability for the role, by club president Florentino Perez.

Solari, who won the Champions League and and two La Liga titles as a player with Real Madrid, was announced as interim manager on Monday, following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui.

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Luis Suarez offers a reminder of his quality in El Clasico clash

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Luis Suarez gave Barcelona fans a reminder of his goal scoring brilliance, with a hat-trick in the 5-1 La Liga win over Real Madrid on Sunday. Simply out, Suarez tipped El Clasico in Barca’s favor.

Suarez netted a first half penalty, given after the referee consulted with VAR following a foul by Raphael Varane, before two expertly taken goals in the second half sealed the win for Ernesto Valverde’s side.

Much of the pre-match talk was on the absence of Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi through injury, but Uruguayan international Suarez reminded the world exactly what he is still capable of.

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Modric: Worthy of all the individual awards?

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real-madrid-010918nPortuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine legendary footballer Lionel Messi have dominated world football over the years with their supreme consistency and match-winning abilities.

However, it has all changed this season with Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric awarded the FIFA Men’s Player of 2018 award at the expense of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who were the other 2 finalists on the podium. It was all the more shocking considering the fact that Lionel Messi was not nominated amongst the Top 3 nominees for the first time since 2006. Not only this, the Croatian even went on to pip the Portuguese supremo and Liverpool’s maestro for the UEFA player of the year award on the back of an incredible season.

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