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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 13

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Atletico Madrid finally lost their first game of the season and what a game to do it in as they lost in the Madrid derby to Real Madrid by 2-0. The club also lost 1st place to Real Sociedad who drew their third game in a row.

The league is very exciting now as just four points is the difference between 1st and 4th and Real Madrid are now in 3rd place after winning back to back games. Barcelona beat Levante 1-0 thanks to Lionel Messi but the 2019 champions are still in 8th place.

It was a weekend of few goals in La Liga though with just 19 scored.

Let’s take a look below at which 11 players make the team of match day 13.

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois- Real Madrid 7pts

Courtois had be to very alert as Real Madrid played and beat city rivals Atletico Madrid 2-0. True Courtois wasn’t as busy as he would have expected to be but he did make a good save to deny Atletico in what was the biggest game in Spain of the weekend.

Defender: Quini- Granada 5pts

Quini helped Granada to keep a clean sheet as they beat Elche 1-0 away from home in a very tough and close contest. Quini has only come on from the bench twice this season but may get more nods after this performance and his value is 4m.

Defender: Sergio Ramos- Real Madrid 5pts

A very solid display from Sergio Ramos at the weekend who helped Real Madrid to a clean sheet over Atletico Madrid and has now helped to keep 4 this season, he has 22 points overall so far.

Defender: Jordi Alba- Barcelona 5pts

Barcelona were expected to thrash Levante especially being at home but that didn’t happen as they only won 1-0. However Levante had chances themselves which included 3 shots on target and Alba did very well at the back to keep the defence line well disciplined. Alba now has 19 points for the season.

Defender: Ferland Mendy- Real Madrid 5pts

Ferland Mendy is proving to be a good acquisition for Real Madrid and showed a lot of maturity in what would have been one of their toughest games of the season. Mendy helped keep a clean sheet and his value if you want to add him is 7m.

Midfielder: Carlos Soler- Valencia 6pts

Carlos Soler now has 29 points overall and earned another six at the weekend as Valencia drew 2-2 with Athletic Bilbao in an entertaining game which saw Soler score the opening goal for the hosts and then assist in the 2nd one.

Midfielder: Raul Garcia- Athletic Bilbao 3pts

Raul Garcia had an eventful game, he lost points as he received a yellow card but he also got Bilbao a point as he converted a penalty to make the game 2-2 against Valencia. For this week 3 points was enough to make the final cut.

Midfielder: Toni Kroos- Real Madrid 4pts

Toni Kroos should count himself special as his assist to set up Real Madrid’s first goal is a rare one to make against Atletico Madrid who had only conceded 2 goals prior to the Madrid derby. Kroos earned 4 points and his value is 7.5m.

Midfielder: Roberto Torres-Osasuna 4pts

Osasuna lost 3-2 against Real Valladolid in a very exciting game but Roberto Torres for Osasuna had a good match and he scored a goal also. Torres now has 12 points overall as he earned 4 points at the weekend and his value is 5m.

Striker: Fabian Orellana- Real Valladolid 4pts

Not many points were needed to make the list this week as Fabian Orellana got the points for scoring a penalty. It was an important one though as Real Valladolid ran out 3-2 winners at home against Osasuna. It was only Orellana’s 2nd goal of the season.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 4pts

Lionel Messi usually gets more points than this to make the team but his 5th goal of the season was one of his most important. Barcelona were heading for a 0-0 draw against Levante with just 15 minutes of the game left to play and Messi scored from nothing, proving his talent once again.

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Fantasy La Liga Gameweek 5 Picks

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The 2020-21 Spanish La Liga season continues this weekend following the international break with Granada and Sevilla kicking off the action on Saturday lunchtime.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are both in action on the same day, with the champions welcoming Cadiz to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium before Ronald Koeman’s side are also in the capital, away to Getafe.

Hare are our recommendations for your fantasy team this weekend:

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid have kept three clean sheets in their four La Liga games to start the new campaign and are widely-expected to add another one versus Cadiz this weekend. Thibaut Courtois himself has been in fine form to start the new campaign.

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Fantasy La Liga Gameweek 4 Picks

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The 2020-21 Spanish La Liga season continues this weekend after a full round of fixtures midweek.

FC Barcelona started the season with a convincing 4-0 thrashing of Villarreal over the weekend and will face Celta Vigo away on Thursday, before hosting Sevilla over the weekend.

Meanwhile. defending champions Real Madrid face a potentially tricky match versus Real Valladolid on Wednesday before travelling to Levante on Sunday.

Here are this weekend’s tips for your fantasy team:

Goalkeeper: Jordi Masip (Real Valladolid)
Real Valladolid welcome Eibar to the Jose Zorrilla Stadium in the first La Liga game of the weekend. Sergio’s side play a defensive game and had the best defensive record in the bottom half last season as a result. Although they’re without a clean sheet in their first three prior to travelling to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, weekend opponents Eibar are really struggling to score so this is an excellent opportunity to Jordi Masip to register a shutout.

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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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La Liga- Team of the 2019/20 season revealed

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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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Is it time to assess Sergio Ramos’ Real Madrid future?

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He is Real Madrid’s spiritual leader and one of the most decorated players in the club’s long and storied history, but Sergio Ramos has his flaws. Many of them. Of course, they have always been masked by what he brought to the team on the pitch. Now, though, Ramos’ contribution isn’t so positive.

The red card he was shown in the Champions League round of 16 first leg defeat to Manchester City means nobody has been sent off more times in the competition than Ramos. The defender has also previously been shown red against Galatasaray, Ajax and Olympiacos, but this could prove to be his most costly dismissal yet.

Ramos’ absence means Eder Militao will likely play alongside Raphael Varane for the second leg at the Etihad Stadium. Militao has provided Real Madrid with some depth over the course of the season, but the summer signing has still shown vulnerabilities. Man City will look to exploit that to get the job done and progress to the Champions League quarter finals.

On the flip side, Ramos isn’t the force he once was. Real Madrid might not miss him as much as they would have in seasons gone by. Against City on Wednesday night, he was something of a liability. It has been that way for much of the season, with Varane usurping Ramos as Zinedine Zidane’s defensive bedrock.

Wednesday night’s red card was the 26th of Ramos’ career to date as a Real Madrid player. He has never managed to leave that part of his game behind, but while his other qualities used to make up for this that might not no longer be the case. The end is surely approaching for the 33-year-old at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ramos has a contract with Real Madrid until the summer of 2021. Talks have recently taken place, but no breakthrough has been made yet. If Real Madrid are to claim a transfer fee for their captain this summer presents them with the last opportunity to do so. “The relationship with the club is magnificent in every way,” Ramos explained recently

“So there is no rush on any side – mine or club. I’ve never made extra demands, I understand club’s policy with players of certain age. If club wants me to say, I’ll stay, no need to worry.” What if Real Madrid don’t want Ramos to stay, though? His future in the Spanish capital isn’t for certain.

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No circus at Real Madrid as Zidane is quietly getting the job done

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There was much scepticism when Zinedine Zidane returned as coach of Real Madrid last summer after walking out of the club a year beforehand. But the Frenchman’s return is being justified by every passing week, and Real Madrid are top of La Liga.

Madrid have 49 points and it is only their fierce rival Barcelona who can stop their quest for a La Liga title, they currently have 46 points. In 3rd is Getafe with 39 points. It has been quite an achievement for Madrid under Zidane who have just come off of a great weekend as they beat their eternal rivals in the derby Atletico Madrid 1-0 keeping a clean sheet in the process. That score line summed up Madrid, no mad 4-3 wins and games filled with red cards, just a simple 1-0 will do the job.

That win ended Atletico’s title hopes too and Diego Simeone’s side now sit a huge 14 points behind their rivals.

Compared to other seasons Real are not scoring tons of goals, just 40 so far for them. True that is still the 2nd best in the league but is still 12 behind Barcelona and only one in front of Villarreal. But it is in defence where Real are really shining, conceding just 13 goals this season which is by far the best defensive record in the league. They allowed a great side like Atletico just 1 shot on target the whole game at the Bernabeu and at home that figure goes down to just 7 goals shipped.

Sergio Ramos has helped keep 11 clean sheets whilst Raphael Varane and Daniel Carvajal have kept 10. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has easily been the best shot stopper in the league and whilst we associate Madrid with attack and goals the focus has clearly been on defence.

Only Karim Benzema has been scoring the goals for Real, he currently has 13 and the days of having a player scoring 40 or 50 goals a season in Cristiano Ronaldo has long gone. He will be for ever thanked at the club, but football is and always will be a team game and that is the mentality of the club under Zidane this season.

Incredibly Real have only won the league once in the past 7 years which last happened in 2017. Whilst Madrid will have a go on all fronts in the Champions League club president Florentino Perez would love to deliver the league and knock back Barcelona, it would mean a great deal to stop Barca winning their 3rd league title in a row.

As far as the Champions League goes, Madrid will face off against Manchester City in what should be a mouth watering 2 legged affair. It also brings back Pep Guardiola to the Bernabeu he whose blood bleeds the colours of Barcelona, just for some more added spice.

Can Madrid win their 2nd title in 8 years, they have given themselves every chance to do so, and for now it looks like Zidane has come back to save Madrid who were clearing in a chaotic mess a year ago.

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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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Why does Sergio Ramos continue to hit Real Madrid’s penalties?

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Real Madrid were 2-0 up and cruising when they were awarded a penalty kick against Leganes on Wednesday night. Rodrygo and Toni Kroos had already found the net and so this was a chance to further boost the confidence of one of their struggling players. Eden Hazard should have been the prime candidate. Instead, Sergio Ramos took it. And missed.

Ultimately, Ramos was given a second chance to convert from the spot after the VAR spotted that Juan Soriano had strayed off his line in making the save, but in having his first attempt saved the Real Madrid captain had already raised the question – why does he continue to hit his team’s penalties?

Ramos has held first refusal on most goalscoring set pieces since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in the summer of 2018, boosting the centre back’s numbers to a career high of six goals in La Liga over the course of last season. But Ramos isn’t an especially strong penalty taker and he certainly isn’t an expert freekick taker.

As captain, Ramos should have the self-awareness to recognise there are better candidates around him to take freekicks and penalties. By claiming them for himself, the defender is only acting out of selfishness and egotism. While it didn’t against Leganes, it could cost Real Madrid.

Ramos has always carried a goal threat. He is a potent presence in the box, getting on the end of freekick and corner kick deliveries. There are few as good as him at attacking a cross whipped right on top of the opposition goalkeeper. Ramos also knows how to act as an emergency striker when his team is desperately looking for a winner.

That is enough for a centre back. Ramos’ primary function on a football pitch isn’t to score goals, it’s to stop them from being scored against Real Madrid. Taking penalties and freekicks is only a distraction to Ramos and Real Madrid as a whole. As club captain, delegation should be among his duties.

It’s somewhat surprising that Zidane hasn’t handed penalty duties to someone like Karim Benzema over Ramos. Maybe Hazard will take more of them once he regains match sharpness, but such is the influence of Ramos in the Santiago Bernabeu dressing room it might not be easy to wrestle the ball off his captain.

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UEFA make Real Madrid unseeded in an odd move for the Champions League draw

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The draw for the Champions League season 2019/20 will take place later today and sadly UEFA have made it all about them. In a stunning move, which actually feels more bizarre they have decided not to seed Real Madrid.

Now even if you are not a fan of the club, that is beside the point. Barcelona fans for example may just be laughing at the idea that Madrid have been relegated to Pot 2. However if you are a fan of football then you’ll be scratching your head and wondering why a club that has won the competition 4 times from the past 6 years isn’t being seeded.

The story has gone completely under the carpet which is a bit of a travesty really. Had Liverpool won the competition 4 from the last 6 years could you imagine the media in England? And these type of stories shouldn’t go unnoticed around Europe and only be centered on one country. All sports media should be crying out loud because this is a playing like a bad joke from UEFA. They are not rewarding success, they are making their awkward points system all about them and not the club- and then UEFA wonder why some of them threaten to breakaway and start a super league.

As news stories go, this one may not feel important, but it should be. UEFA used to respect the clubs that won their own leagues and competitions. UEFA have punished Madrid based on last season alone when they didn’t win the Champions League or the Spanish title. Punished for one season, makes little sense when they have dominated the competition for years.

However rules are rules and the likelihood is that Madrid will qualify for the knock out stages anyway.

The draw should be an exciting one as Madrid count draw one of the very big teams. Imagine for if example they came head to head with Liverpool that would be a repeat of the 2018 final. Not only would Liverpool be after revenge but how will Mohamed Salah react to having to play against Sergio Ramos. Put it this way you wouldn’t want to be Ramos when Liverpool play at Anfield.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said this season will be the hardest in the Champions League ever, and with teams always improving he has a good point. Any one of 6 teams could win it this season, or perhaps we will have a major surprise.