Tag Archives: Santi Mina

La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 23

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Real Madrid have closed the gap on Atletico Madrid to just 5 points and Zinedine Zidane’s team are in excellent form having won their last 3 games in a row. However Atletico has 2 games extra to play and are still in the driving seat.

However it is Barcelona and Sevilla who are in the best form and the clubs have won their last 5 games in a row. Luis Suarez for Atletico still has the most goals with 16 so far but that man Lionel Messi has caught up and he scored a brace at the weekend as Barcelona beat Alaves 5-1 and he now has 15.

Let’s take a look below at the players who have made this La Liga team of the past week.

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois- Real Madrid 7pts

There were not many clean sheets over the past week and it came down to two goal keepers and Courtois gets the nod. He had to stay alert against a very good side although it is true that Valencia had very few clear cut chances.

Defender: Unai Garcia- Osasuna 5pts

Unai Garcia is not a house hold name but he earned his 5 points as he helped to keep a clean sheet for Osasuna as they beat Levante 1-0. Levante had plenty of chances on goal and Garcia kept his nerve. The defender has not had a great season so far and actually has spent the majority of it with minus points, however he now is in the positive with this latest haul.

Defender: Raphael Varane- Real Madrid 5pts

Raphael Varane has made the best 11 team again and he has been in a rich vein of form lately. He was solid and consistent as Real Madrid beat a great rival in Valencia and helped his team to keep another clean sheet as they try and challenge for the league title.

Defender: Diego Carlos- Sevilla 5pts

Diego Carlos is another player who has been in consistent form and Sevilla can’t do without him as helped the club and he has now kept 9 clean sheets this season and has a total of 38 points and his value is just 6m.

Defender: Nacho Monreal- Real Sociedad

Nacho Monreal has a total of 30 points now and he has had an impressive season so far. Real Sociedad beat Getafe 1-0 and Monreal was at the heart of everything in defence. Sociedad seem to have found their form again and the club are on a good run and are back in 5th place.

Midfielder: Toni Kroos- Real Madrid 8pts

Toni Kroos enjoyed a great game for Real Madrid as he assisted in the clubs first goal against Valencia and then scored the 2nd to earn himself 8 points. Kroos now has 27 points in total.

Midfielder: Marcos Llorente- Atletico Madrid 6pts

Another familiar face making the best of teams is Marcos Llorent and the talented midfielder had another great week as he opened the scoring as Atletico beat Granada 2-1 and the he assisted in his sides 2nd goal which ended up being the winner. He has assisted in seven goals so far this season.

Midfielder: Lucas- Real Madrid 4pts

Lucas can get criticised sometimes but the player was strong and bold against tough opposition in Valencia and made some wonderful passes. Lucas now has 26 points and his value is 6.5m.

Midfielder: Nabil Fekir- Real Betis 4pts

Nabil Fekir scored the opening goal for his side Real Betis as they beat Villarreal 2-1 away from home in an important goal for the side. Fekir has 24 points and has 2 goals so far.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 10pts

Lionel Messi earned a fantastic 10 points over the weekend as he scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season as Barcelona easily beat Alaves 5-1. Messi was on electrifying form and now has 61 points and is just 3 behind Luis Suarez for the top striker in Spain.

Striker: Santi Mina- Celta Vigo 8pts

Santi Mina earned 8 points as he scored the opening goal and last one as his team Celta Vigo beat Elche 3-1. Mina now has 5 goals for the season and his value is 7m.

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Valencia could turn to Falcao to boost 2019-20 La Liga campaign

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With the 2018-19 La Liga season over, Valencia CF now can look back over the campaign with satisfaction after pipping Getafe to the post and securing a successive top four domestic finish.

However the close call with missing out on the Champions League caused speculation over the future of boss Marcelino Toral, and the former Villarreal manager will be mindful of the need for a strong start to 2019-20.

Los Che struggled for consistency last season, a factor not helped by injuries and Marcelino’s tinkering with his starting XI – with only three outfield players making over 30 La Liga starts.

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Week 36: Best 11 Players of the Weekend in Fantasy La Liga

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MINNNNNNNAAAAAAA(1)

It was a weekend in La Liga where Barcelona lost only their 3rd game of the season as coach Ernesto Valverde rightly rested the majority of his team ahead of the clubs 2nd leg semi final Champions League match against Liverpool. Barcelona have already won the league and Celta Vigo defeated the club 2-0 which in turn boosted their survival hopes for this season.

Atletico Madrid also lost but they will finish in 2nd place as Real Madrid will not be able to catch them. The real amazing story to emerge from Spain is Getafe who are still on course to finish in the top 4 and make the Champions League. Below we take a look at the best 11 players from this past weekend in La Liga- were they in your team?

Goalkeeper: Ruben Blanco- Celta Vigo

A few goalkeepers picked up 7 points but a lot of credit needs to go to Celta Vigo’s Ruben Blanco who was able to keep a clean sheet against the mighty Barcelona. Barca did not play their strongest team but even their second string is good enough for a top  4 place and Blanco did very well as his club won 2-0.

Defender: Dimitri Foulquier- Getafe

Getafe kept up their top 4 hopes and Champions League qualification dreams by beating Girona 2-0 at home. Foulquier assisted in the first goal and was part of a strong defence that also kept a clean sheet to earn 7 points. The player is valued at just 3.5m and is 11th in the rankings for defenders.

Defender: Jose Angel- Eibar

Jose Angel has just 25 points this season but 8 have been earned this past weekend as Eibar earned a 1-0 win against Real Betis. It was the clubs 2nd successive clean sheet of the season.

Defender: Damian Suarez- Getafe

Damian Suarez is part of Getafe’s defence who did so well to help his team keep yet another clean sheet and give them a 3 point gap to their rivals. It was a fantastic display. Suarez has earned 46 points this season and is valued at 7.5m.

Defender: Bruno- Getafe

Another Getafe defender, Bruno was amongst the best and earned 6 points this past weekend. He has 41 points and is valued at 6m and was simply a rock in defence.

Midfielder: Jose Campana- Levante

What a weekend for Jose Campana who earned 7 points but it could have been much more as his team won 4-1. He opened the scoring and assisted in 2 more goals, but failure for a clean sheet and then getting booked brought down his points. Still one of the players of the weekend in La Liga.

Midfielder: Enis Bardhi- Levante

Incredibly the midfielders of the league did not score many points to get into this team. Bardhi highlights this case with just 4 points earned as Levante won 4-1 at the weekend. Bardhi scored the fourth and last goal of his clubs vital victory and he can be bought for 7.5m.

Midfielder: Ryad Boudebouz- Celta Vigo

Veteran player Ryad Boudebouz was able to celebrate a very rare victory over Barcelona as Celta Vigo beat the champions. Boudebouz assisted in the opening goal and from there on in there was only ever going to be one winner. The player has amassed 18 points this season from 12 starts.

Midfielder: Gonzalo Melero- Huesca

Gonzalo Melero earned 4 points this past weekend as Huesca were destroyed at home 6-2 against Valencia. The only bright moment for the player is that he came off the bench and within minutes had scored for his club to give the home fans something to cheer about. Melero is valued at 6m.

Striker: Santi Mina- Valencia

Santi Mina was a sheer delight at the weekend and picked up a brilliant 12 points as Valencia beat bottom club Huesca 6-2 away from home. Mina scored 2 and then assisted in 2 and had pretty much the perfect game. Mina is valued at 7m and has scored 6 times this season, but recent form has been devastating.

Striker: Mariano- Real Madrid

The 25 year old Mariano started just his 5th game for Real Madrid as they beat Villarreal 3-2 and the player justified his selection by Zinedine Zidane by scoring two goals and helping Real to all three points. He is valued at 9m.

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Week 32: Best 11 Players of the Weekend in Fantasy La Liga

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MINNAAAA(1)

It was a weekend that saw Atletico Madrid close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to 9 points after Barca rested most of their first team squad in order to prepare for their Champions League match against Manchester United in midweek. But Barca will surely still win the league. Real Madrid do not play until today but given that they are 8 points clear of 4th place their Champions League participation will be assured for next season.

Below in a formation of 4-4-2 we look at the best performers in La Liga over this past weekend and see if you had any of these top performing players in your line up.

Goalkeeper: Sergio Asenjo-Villarreal

Sergio Asenjo had an important job to do even if the goalkeepers of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona earned the same points. Villarreal are struggling with relegation and Asenjo was able to keep a clean sheet and make important saves as his team beat Girona 1-0 to move 2 points clear of the bottom three. It was the clubs first clean sheet in the last 5 games.

Defender: Xabier Etxeita- Huesca

Etxeita was the defender for Huesca that really stood out at the weekend to earn his 5pts. Huesca played league leaders Barcelona, and while Barca did rest the majority of their first teamers, Etxeita remained disciplined in defence and made sure his team got a famous point against the Catalan giants. He is valued at 3m.

Defender: Filipe Luis- Atletico Madrid

It was a typical solid performance from Filipe Luis as Atletico eased to a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo to move within 9 points of Barcelona and pull 5 points clear of Real Madrid. Luis has had an outstanding season and is valued at 6.5m.

Defender: Alvaro G. Soberon- Villarreal

Soberon won’t be on many of the team of the week lists but he shored up a Villarreal defence as the team who have struggled all season got a huge result at the weekend by beating Girona 1-0 away from home. He has earned just 7 points this season and 5 of them came at the weekend. He can be bought for 4.5m.

Defender: Jeison Murillo- Barcelona 

Murillo is seldom used at Barcelona but the 26 year old was drafted into the team as Ernesto Valverde opted to rest the majority of players. It is to Murillo’s credit that he stayed focused and made some good blocks as Barca kept a clean sheet, impressive given a wealth of this team were playing together for the first time.

Midfielder: Sarabia- Sevilla

Sarabia had a fantastic game as Sevilla took on their arch rivals not only did he assist in the first goal for the club but he then scored the 2nd and Sevilla won a thrilling game 3-2 for Sarabia to earn 6pts at the weekend. The player is currently the highest ranked in midfielders with 78pts and is valued at 7m.

Midfielder: Giovani Lo Celso- Real Betis

Keeping with the Sevilla derby on the other end was Lo Celso and Betis who put in a big performance before losing 3-2. Lo Celso did score though to make it 6 goals this season and was a threat in the match.

Midfielder: Franco Vasquez- Sevilla

Vasquez has stepped up his game in recent weeks as Sevilla look to finish 4th and claim a Champions League berth. He also scored what turned out to be Sevilla’s 3rd and winning goal in the derby against Betis and earned his 4pts this past weekend.

Midfielder: Pablo Fornals- Villarreal

Fornals has earned 25pts this season and was the best midfielder that Villarreal had at the weekend earning 3pts for helping his team keep a clean sheet and keeping his midfield together as they got a vital away win over Girona. Fornals can be brought into your side for 8m.

Striker: Santi Mina- Valencia

Santi Mina earned the most points of any striker this past weekend with 8. Mina scored 2 goals as his team beat Levante 3-1 to edge closer to a Champions League spot he has a total of just 14 pts but could have a strong finish to the season and is valued at 7m.

Striker: Inaki Williams- Athletic Bilbao

Inaki Williams really helped Bilbao out at the weekend by scoring a brace as his side won 3-2 in a game that included them missing a penalty. The win was huge and Bilbao have a chance for a Europa League finish. Williams has earned 49pts and is worth 7.5

Do you have what it takes to challenge the best La Liga Fantasy Managers? If you’re up for the challenge then play www.liga-fantasy.com now!m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valencia to push for Champions League following solid run

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Rodrigo

Valencia have forced their way back into the reckoning for a Champions League spot by the end of the season, following an unbeaten run of 11 La Liga games in 2019.

Marcelino’s last league defeat came in January at Alaves on January 5th, and they have risen up from 12th place at the turn of the year to 6th, as the season enters its final stage.

That consistency means they are on the tails of Getafe and Alaves, who are punching above their weight in 4th and 5th respectively.

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Valencia hopeful on securing a deal for Javier Hernandez

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Valencia are on the verge of securing a cut price deal for West Ham striker Javier Hernandez, within the La Liga January transfer window, according to media reports in Spain.

Hernandez, 30, has slipped down the pecking order at the London Stadium, and now the Mexican international looks to be heading for the exit.

However any move for the former Manchester United forward is dependent on the movement of other players, involving both The Hammers and Marcelino’s Valencia.

The La Liga side confirmed that Michy Batshuayi’s loan move at the club has been terminated earlier than anticipated, and they are not hopeful in securing a permanent deal for the Belgian international – with other clubs already negotiating with Chelsea for his signature.

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Defensive issues for Solari ahead of Valencia test

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kondogbia

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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Guedes return to Valencia confirmed

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Goncalo Guedes

Valencia have confirmed the signing of Portuguese international Goncalo Guedes for a fee of £35 million, ending their summer long pursuit of striker, ahead of the La Liga transfer deadline.

After impressing on loan at the Mestalla last season, Guedes was highlighted as a must-buy target by the club, alongside fellow loanee Geoffrey Kondogbia.

A permanent deal was sown up for midfielder Kondobia with Inter Milan at the start of the summer, however negotiations for Guedes have proved far more difficult.

Parent club PSG were well aware of both his performances in 2017-18, and Valencia’s willingness to bring him into the club on a permanent deal.

That has led to weeks of talks, with the deal seemingly dead just a few weeks ago, however Marcelino has pushed the club’s board hard to make sure that a deal was struck with the French champions.

Valencia have not been shy in the transfer market this summer, spending over £110 million in total, to bring in some stellar name on permanent and loan deals.

However within all of their dealings, the sense remained that Guedes was still Marcelino’s primary target, and his persistence has eventually paid off.

Guedes scored six goals in all competitions last season, as Valencia secured fourth place in La Liga, and a return to the Champions League for 2018-19.

However it was his pace and ability to get the rest of the team higher up the pitch that was his primary weapon for Valencia last season.

The link up between him, Santiago Mina and and Rodrigo Moreno, as part of a three man attack, was vital in pushing a counter attacking Valencia up the table, and posing an intermittent title challenge to Barcelona.

Valencia have started the season in low key fashion, drawing 1-1 at home to Atletico Madrid on the opening weekend, before losing 2-0 at Espanyol.

Summer signing Daniel Wass is essentially playing in Guedes’ role from last season, and whilst the former Celta Vigo man has positive aspects to his game, he does not possess the same raw speed and creativity.

Guedes has been signed in time for Valencia’s weekend trip to neighbours Levante, who have started the season with a win and a loss, but Marcelino is likely to only use him from the bench at the Ciutat de Valencia.

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VIDEO: Sanchez starts ahead of Walcott’s return to the Emirates

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The transfer window has now closed as managers look to implement new players into their respective squads.

To cover some of the latest news and upcoming fixtures, Nicholas Carroll provides this week’s Euro Fantasy League preview.

This week’s Premier League sees Theo Walcott return to the Emirates fresh from scoring a brace midweek while Alexis Sanchez is looking for his second start for Manchester United’s clash at home to Huddersfield.

In La Liga, Atletico Madrid will look to continue their unbeaten run at home against Valencia while in Serie A, Napoli provide significant fantasy potential for their match against last-placed Benevento. Continue reading →

¿Arriesgar con Zaza?

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zaza

Marcelino tiene un dilema. Tras el parón de Selecciones, su delantero estrella ha regresado tocado con el combinado italiano. El Valencia está lanzado, puesto que ostenta la segunda posición en el campeonato ligero gracias a una espectacular racha de victorias. ¿Es Simone Zaza la clave para mantenerla y debe forzar ante el Espanyol? ¿O puede descansar porque la plantilla cuenta con recambios de garantías?

En principio, el delantero italiano está recuperado de su lesión, no obstante su rodilla siempre le ha dado algún que otro problema… Pero la duda que tiene el entrenador va más allá. Zaza ya lleva cuatro tarjetas amarillas, es decir, que está apercibido de sanción. En caso de ver una cartulina frente al Espanyol, se perdería el siguiente encuentro. ¿Y cuál es el partido que tendría que jugar después? El Valencia recibirá al Barcelona en Mestalla. Pase lo que pase esta jornada, será segundo contra primero. Una oportunidad de oro para soñar con algo más grande… Continue reading →