Man Utd favorites to beat Villarreal in Europa League final?

Manchester United can end the season with silverware as they take on Villarreal in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is yet to win a trophy as United manager but the Norwegian coach has an excellent opportunity to end the drought in Poland this week.

Man Utd head into the game after finishing second in the Premier League which has booked their place in the Champions League next campaign.

Solskjaer was afforded the luxury of being able to rest several important players on the final day of the season but United still came away with a 2-1 win at Wolves to finish the season in style.

Villarreal on the other hand ended their campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Real Madrid but they still secured European football after finishing seventh in La Liga.

Unai Emery is a Europa League master having reached the final on five occasions and he’ll be aiming to win the trophy for the fourth time.

Villarreal booked their place in the final with a narrow 2-1 win over Arsenal so they certainly shouldn’t be underestimated.

Betting odds

It will be no surprise to hear that Manchester United are the pre-match favorites with bookmakers such as 22Bet, who’re pricing the Red Devils at 2/5 to lift the trophy. You can check info on the bookie and see all the latest odds before placing your bet.

Villarreal are the underdogs and can be backed at odds of 2/1 to cause a shock in Poland on Wednesday night while the draw after 90 minutes is available at 12/5 if you think it will go to extra time.

We think United will get the job done inside the 90 minutes and 3-1 looks a decent bet at odds of 35/1. Bruno Fernandes to score anytime at odds of 17/10 is also a tempting bet.

Team news

Solskjaer will make plenty of changes to his starting eleven with several players recalled after being rested for the trip to Wolves at the weekend. Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani should all come into the side.

Man Utd will give Harry Maguire every opportunity to prove his fitness as the defender looks to return from an ankle injury that’s hampered him in recent weeks. However, the England international is considered a major doubt.

Anthony Martial will also require a late fitness test as the Frenchman is struggling with a knee problem that’s kept him out for the past two months.

However, there is some good news for United as Fred and Scott McTominay are expected to overcome minor issues to return in midfield.

Villarreal have no fresh injury concerns but they will be without attacker Samuel Chukwueze while Juan Foyth and Vicente Iborra are also set to miss out.

Prediction: Man Utd 3-1 Villarreal

La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 37

Barcelona are out of the title race! That was the biggest news of the weekend as the club lost yet another game at home this time to Celta Vigo by 2-1.

It means that La Liga is down to 2 teams and it should be an incredible tension filled ride for the final weekend of the season. In 1st place we have Atletico Madrid with 83 points and in 2nd Real Madrid with 81.

Atletico will be play Valladolid away from home and will be the favourites to win that match although it looks a tricky one. As for Real they will play Villarreal at home and be hoping that Atletico will lose or draw.

The relegation battle is also exciting as Elche in 18th place have 33 points but so does Huesca in 17th.

Let’s take a look at the players who shone the brightest in the penultimate week of the championship- did you have them in your team?- note some points also take in week 36 as that was played in midweek.

Goalkeeper: Sergio Asenjo- Villarreal 14pts

Two clean sheets in a row for Sergio Asenjo. But at the weekend Villarreal were able to conquer Sevilla 4-0 and no one quite expected that score. But Asenjo was made to have a busy night and pulled off some remarkable saves, and fully deserves to be included in the team of the week.

Defender: Pau Francisco-Torres- Villarreal 12pts

Two clean sheets for defender Pau who also assisted in a goal when the club played and beat Valladolid last week 2-0. It means that Villarreal are going to have a strong finish to the season and the defender earns a fantastic 12 points in less than a week.

Defender: Alvaro Odriozola- Real Madrid 9pts

Odriozola scored against Granada in midweek as Real Madrid smashed them 4-1. And has picked up a clean sheet at the weekend as Madrid beat Bilbao 1-0 away from home. He’s only played 8 times but has been overseen six clean sheets.

Defender: Raul Albiol- Villarreal 10pts

Villarreal have beaten Valladolid and Sevilla recently and in both matches were able to keep clean sheets and Raul Albiol has been at the heart of that. The veteran player has now helped to keep nine clean sheets so far

Defender: Alberto Moreno- Villarreal 10pts

Villarreal have been the team impressing everyone with 2 wins in a row and no goals conceded in those games as they rise to 5th place. Moreno’s brilliant understanding with Albiol in defence has helped to shape a strong relationship.

Midfielder: Carlos Soler- Valencia 10pts

Carlos Soler is a regular fixture in the team of the weeks now and if you have him you would have seen all the points accumulated by the talented midfielder recently. Soler scored a brilliant 2 goals at the weekend as Valencia beat Eibar 4-1.

Midfielder: Daniel Parejo- Villarreal 6pts

This is a team full of Villarreal players and Daniel Parejo is no exception and he has had a sterling season. Parejo has been involved in no less than 8 goals and with 34 points he is Villarreal’s best ranked midfield player.

Midfielder: David Silva- Real Sociedad 6pts

David Silva has scored just his 2nd goal of the season as Real Sociedad beat Valladolid 4-1. Silva scored a good goal and was absolutely delighted with that as his club try to finish in a Europa League position.

Midfielder: Manuel Trigueros- Villarreal 6pts

Manuel Trigueros scored at the weekend and that was the midfielder’s first goal of the season as Villarreal thumped Sevilla 4-1. The club are in great form now just ahead of their Europa League final meeting with Manchester United and the player will be hoping to star in that game too.

Striker: Carlos Bacca- Villarreal 14pts

You can’t beat the uniqueness of a hat-trick and Carlos Bacca did just that as Villarreal beat Sevilla at the weekend 4-0. Bacca now has 5 goals this season in a campaign which has been disrupted by injury.

Striker: Gerard Moreno- Villarrreal 10pts

Gerard Moreno keeps getting the goals and we have 2 Villarreal strikers in our team of the week. Moreno opened the scoring against Valladolid last week to propel his team forward. Moreno now has a fantastic goal tally of 23 this season and has 103 points and is ranked as one of the best strikers in Europe.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 29

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 22

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 21

The most stunning result of the week was Real Madrid’s 2-1 loss at home to Levante which may have sealed the league title for the all-conquering Atletico Madrid who went on to win their 16th match of the season. Diego Simeone’s side are now 10 points in front of Real Madrid and Barcelona and have a game in hand over them.

Barcelona continued their impressive run of wins with a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao. From the last 30 points available Barcelona have won 26. Sevilla are in form in 3rd place and they have won 3 games in a row as they beat Eibar.

There were only 2 home wins in the last weekend of La Liga and 21 goals from 9 games played. Let’s take a look below at the players that made the team of the week. Do you have them?

Goalkeeper: Bono- Sevilla 7pts

Bono makes the team of the week again and he earned his 7 points pulling off some great saves as in form Sevilla beat Eibar 2-0 away from home to keep in contention for a Champions League place.

Defender: Diego Carlos- Sevilla 5pts

Diego Carlos came on from the bench and helped Sevilla to 7 clean sheets of the season. Carlos has been reliable this season and his value is just 6m and he has earned 28 points in total.

Defender: Daniel Wass- Valencia 8pts

Daniel Wass was the unlikely hero for Valencia as he scored the only goal as they beat Elche 1-0. He also kept a clean sheet to earn 8 points this week.

Defender: Jeison Murillo- Celta Vigo 5pts

Jeison Murillo has kept 3 clean sheets for Celta Vigo this season and whilst he has struggled at times and actually has minus points so far he remained solid as his club drew 0-0 away to Granada in a tricky fixture.

Defender: Xabier Etxeita- Getafe 5pts

Xabier Etxeita earned 5 points as Getafe, at home, drew 0-0 with Alaves. The defender has 14 point so far and his value is a real bargain at just 3m.

Midfielder: Joan Jordan- Sevilla 6pts

Joan Jordan earned 6pts as he scored for Sevilla as they beat Eibar 2-0. The player has formly assisted in 3 goals but this is his first of the season for the club and sealed all three points.

Midfielder: Saul Niguez- Atletico Madrid 4pts

Saul Niguez was able to score a goal for Atletico Madrid which got them back into their game against Cadiz. Atletico won the match 4-2 in a very entertaining game.

Midfielder: Toni Villa- Real Valladolid 4pts

Valladolid lost 3-1 at home to Huesca in a disappointing match for the club. But at least for Toni Villa he scored the consolation goal in the 93rd minute and that would have injected some confidence for him going into the next game.

Midfielder: Daniel Parejo- Villarreal 4pts

Villarreal could only draw 1-1 with Real Sociedad at the weekend and Daniel Parejo opened the scoring, but lost points as Sociedad scored. Parejo has played well this season though and has 22 points so far.

Striker: Alvaro Negredo- Cadiz 8pts

Alvaro Negredo was a menace for league leaders Atletico Madrid and the veteran striker scored 2 goals as his team Cadiz eventually lost 4-2.But for Negredo it marked a good personal game and if he can score a brace against the league leaders than he can think to score against any club. Negredo now has six goals for the season.

Striker: Luis Suarez- Atletico Madrid 8pts

Luis Suarez is having a fantastic season and the deadly striker scored another 2 goals as Atletico Madrid beat Cadiz 4-2 away from home and they have now taken a 10 point lead at the top of the La Liga standings. Suarez is the leading scorer in the league with 14 goals, two ahead of Lionel Messi.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 18

La Liga is starting to look like it will be Atletico Madrid’s to lose. Diego Simeone’s team are a point ahead over Real Madrid but have 3 games in hand over them. Real Madrid could only draw 0-0 against Osasuna in their latest game.

Barcelona are moving up the table and are now in 3rd place with 34 points. They have won 3 games in a row and Lionel Messi scored two goals at the weekend and looks back on form after a slow start to the campaign.

Early pacesetters Real Sociedad have slipped down to 5th place and they have won just once in their last five games. Let’s take a look to see which players earned the most fantasy points this past week in La Liga.

Goalkeeper: Juame- Valencia 7pts

It’s not been an easy season for Valencia but Juame in goal has been solid at times and at the weekend he kept a clean sheet, his third of the season, as Valencia beat Valladolid 1-0.

Defender: David Garcia- Osasuna 5pts

Osasuna faced one of their most difficult games of the season as they played Real Madrid and they came away with a 0-0 result. David Garcia was solid at the back and the player picked up 5 points and now has a total of 15 overall.

Defender: Raul Albiol- Villarreal 5pts

Raul Albiol was brilliant in defence and with all of his experience commanded his defenders well enough. Villarreal beat Celta Vigo 4-0 and Albiol would cost you 7m to add to your team.

Defender: Jose Gaya- Valencia 7pts

Jose Gaya not only kept a clean sheet at the weekend as Valencia beat Valladolid 1-0 but he also assisted in the only goal of the game to earn 7pts. It hasn’t been an easy season for the player who was on minus points but he now has 5 overall.

Defender: Oier Mate- Osasuna 5pts

Many expected Osasuna to lose to Real Madrid who are going for the title but the team held firm and the defenders had to be 100% focused and concentrated and got a point from the game as it ended 0-0. Oier Mate has now helped to keep 5 clean sheets this season for the club.

Midfielder: Daniel Parejo- Villarreal 8pts

Daniel Parejo had a memorable game as he assisted in the opening goal for Villarreal as they beat Celta Vigo away from home 4-0. Then he scored the 3rd goal. That was only his 2nd goal of the season and he has a total of 16 points, earning half of that in this game alone.

Midfielder: Carlos Soler- Valencia 5pts

Carlos Soler scored the only goal of the game as Valencia beat Valladolid 1-0. Soler’s value is 6m and he has contributed in 10 of Valencia’s goals so far, with six of them being his goals.

Midfielder: Moises Gomez- Villarreal 6pts

Moises Gomez scored his first goal of the season as Villarreal beat Celta Vigo 4-0. This win has helped the club up to 4th place, and their objective will be Champions League qualification for next season.

Midfielder: Alex- Cadiz 4pts

Alex earned 4 points and he opened the scoring for Cadiz as they beat Alaves 3-1. Alex now has 15 points and is the highest midfield points earner in the fantasy rankings for the club. That was his 1st goal of the season.

Striker: Antoine Griezmann- Barcelona 10pts

Barcelona are in form and Antoine Griezmann had a starring role to play as Barca beat Granada 4-0 away from home. The Frenchman scored the first goal, then set up Lionel Messi for the second before scoring the final goal. He now has scored 5 goals so far.

Striker: Youssef En-Nesyri- Sevilla 14pts

Sevilla are one of the best in form sides in La Liga and they beat Real Sociedad 3-2 in a very entertaining game. Youssef En-Nesyri scored a hat-trick to get all the goals for the home side. He has scored 8 goals so far and his value is worth 6.5m.

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Unai Emery helping to give Villarreal a second wave of excellency in La Liga

Many sing about the fairy tale of New York around Christmas but Villarreal are the fairy tale of Spanish football. Let’s face it how many football fans had heard of the club before their fantastic run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2006? Whatever the figure halve it down to how many fans knew of the club back in 1998. That year Villarreal made their debut in La Liga.

It really is an amazing story, and true we’ve seen it before where clubs from a second division get promoted and do well enough to finish in the top 5 for example and qualify for Europe. But Villarreal went that step further and though they have been relegated on a few occasions since 1998 they keep coming back, have attracted quality players and coaches and are doing rather well this season.

This summer Unai Emery former coach of PSG and Arsenal signed a three year contract with the club known as ‘The Yellow Submarines’, and he already has a 53% win rate. The most stunning fact is that Villarreal have lost just once this season and are in 3rd place with 20 points, three in front of Real Madrid and six in front of Barcelona and four from the top.

No one is expecting Villarreal to be a realistic challenger for the title this season, though at the present time La Liga is well open to invitations, but if the club can finish in a European position Emery would have done his job and brought the club full circle.

It is incredible to think that the club have risen from a population of just 50,000 and their achievements have been quite incredible. Not only reaching the 2006 Champions League semi-final, but they also reached the semi-finals of the Europa League on three occasions and finished as runners up in La Liga back in 2008. They finished just 8 points shy of Real Madrid the champions but 10 points in front of Barcelona, that Barcelona team who were just getting ready to become one of the best clubs sides we have ever witnessed.

The recruitment at Villarreal has been impressive and apart from a few seasons when they club didn’t perform at all well these past 22 years have been incredible for the club. Much of that is down to club president Fernando Roig.

Roig took the gamble to buy Villarreal back in 1997 and it has been his clear investment and strategy that has brought the clubs most successful era to fruition in the past two decades. Back in 2017 Roig had this to say about the club. “The fans can complain that we haven’t won a trophy, but I’d like to assure them that really, the best thing for Villarreal is ensuring that the club remains in the top flight that’s our own Cup tournament in a way. For this club, the most important triumph is playing in the top division every year and playing in Europe every now and again. Villarreal is economically stable and in a few years’ time, our youth academy will be a source of new talent for the team.

Villarreal have had stand out players of the past including Juan Roman Riquelme, Robert Pires, Giuseppi Rossi and Diego Forlan to name a few. The current squad are doing well too.

Gerard Moreno currently has 57 goals and is just 26 shy of becoming the clubs all time leading goalscorer. At 28 he has the time to do it as long as he stays fit and doesn’t leave beforehand. This season alone Moreno has scored six goals and has the most fantasy points of any Villarreal player with 25 so far.

Just behind him is his striker partner Paco Alcacer who would cost you just 3m and has earned 24 points this season. He has been involved in seven goals so far and has scored 5.

Manuel Trigueros and Daniel Parejo have bolstered the midfield and in defence Mario Gaspar has stood out, he has 14 points so far and has helped to keep 3 clean sheets.

Once again the future looks bright for Villarreal, and this season in particular could be very memorable indeed if they can keep up their good form under Emery. Right now nobody can be thinking that their yellow submarine is going to sink this season.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of the Weekend: Matchday 7

El Clasico was the game on everyone’s mind and yes it felt strange to witness a Barcelona and Real Madrid game without any fans. It was Real Madrid who picked up the three points though as they recorded a rare with at Camp Nou winning 3-1. The pressure will be on Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman as he saw his side slip to 12th place!

Real Sociedad are top of the league after winning their 3rd game in a row when they easily overcame Huesca 4-1 and Atletico Madrid are creeping up the table after going 5 games without defeat and at the weekend they beat Real Betis 2-0.

Let’s look at the La Liga team of the weekend, did any of your players make the final cut?

Goalkeeper: Marko Dmitrovic- Eibar 7pts

Marko Dmitrovic was hailed as something like a hero at the weekend as Eibar beat Sevilla 1-0 away from home. He made some important saves as Sevilla had over 20 attempts on goal and though a few goalkeepers picked up 7 points he seems more deserving in this vital and important away victory.

Defender: Mario Hermoso- Atletico Madrid 7pts

Atletico Madrid continued their fine by beating Real Betis 2-0 and it was important for the club to record a clean sheet also. Mario Hermoso was brilliant at the back and also assisted for the clubs first goal which opened up the chance to win the game.

Defender: Facundo Roncaglia- Osasuna 5pts

Facundo Roncaglia put in a good display at the back as his club Osasuna beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0. The game looked to be heading for 0-0 and so a clean sheet was going to happen but Osasuna then got a last minute penalty.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 5pts

Kieran Trippier has really impressed since joining Atletico Madrid and he put in a stellar performance as his club kept a clean sheet in beating Real Betis 2-0. Trippier is the 3rd best ranked defender in the league and has already picked up 20 points this season.

Defender: Carlos Akapo- Cadiz 5pts

For the second week in a row Cadiz have impressed and at the weekend they held off Villarreal to draw 0-0 with them and keep another clean sheet. Carlos Akapo has 13 points overall this season and at 5m looks like a very good price.

Midfielder: Marcos Llorente- Atletico Madrid 6pts

Marcos Llorente opened the scoring as he saw his side Atletico Madrid beat Real Betis 2-0. He also had a superb time in midfield controlling the game and creating chances and very much deserves his 6 points which now puts him on a total of 18.

Midfielder: Ruben Garcia- Osasuna 6pts

Ruben Garcia did not start the game but came on as a substitute because of an injury, and the fate was sealed in this game. Garcia converted a last minute penalty which gave his club all three points.

Midfielder: Tomas Pina – Alaves 6pts

Tomas Pina opened the scoring as Alaves overcame Valladolid 2-0 he now has 7 points overall and can be snapped up for just 3m. Pina took his goal well and that was the goal that set up his team for victory.

Midfielder: David Silva- Real Sociedad 4pts

David Silva has fitted into his new club with ease and he put in a commanding display as Real Sociedad beat Huesca 4-1. He assisted in the final two goals which was just the icing on the cake and put in yet another vintage display.

Striker: Mikel Oyarzabal- Real Sociedad 7pts

Mikel Oyarzabal makes the final cut for a 2nd week in a row and the Real Sociedad player is on hot form as he scored another 2 goals at the weekend to keep his side top of the league. Oyarzabal now has 4 goals this season and has also assisted in a further two.

Striker: Kike- Eibar 4pts

Kike scored the only goal that beat Sevilla in a 1-0 victory, which was taken in the first half. Kike now has 3 goals this season and has an overall points record of 12 and he can be brought into your team for the value of 6.5m.

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Santi Cazorla’s La Liga farewell tour has been remarkable

It’s a great shame that when Santi Cazorla plays what is widely expected to be his final La Liga game against Eibar on Sunday there will be no fans in the stands at El Madrigal to give him the sendoff he so clearly deserves. At another time in other circumstances, the Villarreal support would have brought down the house.

Cazorla wouldn’t just have been given a warm reception from his own fans. Along with Joaquin, the 35-year-old is probably the most universally popular player in the Spanish game at this moment. Of course, this status has been helped by the fact the playmaker never played for Barcelona or Real Madrid, but the way he plays the game has endeared him to millions.

Villarreal confirmed on Saturday that the match against Eibar will be Cazorla’s final game for the club. The 35-year-old has a number of options, with Beskitas and Saudi Arabian side Al Sadd both making offers to the player for one more season on the pitch. There is speculation Cazorla also has an offer from Arsenal to join Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff from next season.

After the season Cazorla has enjoyed, it’s a shame that he is leaving La Liga at all. The veteran playmaker has been in such form, scoring 11 goals and assisting eight times over the course of the campaign, that many presumed he would be a part of Luis Enrique’s Spain squad for this summer’s European Championships. That would have been a fitting reward for a truly remarkable season. Cazorla is indeed back among Spain’s best midfielders. That’s the level he is performing at.

Cazorla’s form is made all the more impressive when the nadir of his still recent injury troubles are taken into account. As recently as 2018, he looked certain to retire from the sport, with doctors even telling the player that he would be fortunate to walk again after contracting an infection.

The return to Villarreal gave Cazorla to rebuild his fitness and his career, with the 35-year-old coming up big for the Yellow Submarine over the last two seasons. The stands at El Madrigal might be empty when Cazorla takes to a Spanish Liga field for the final time on Sunday, but there will be fans of all persuasions around Spain saluting a true great of his generation.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of the Weekend: Week 24

Real Madrid were shocked as they could draw at home against Celta Vigo 2-2. With Barcelona getting past Getafe with a 2-1 win it means that Barca are just one point behind Madrid with 14 games left to play. From the top 6 teams only two won in Barcelona and Villarreal and that has also made Champions League finishing positions more open and interesting.

Let’s take a look below at who performed the best this past weekend.

Formation: 4-4-2

Goalkeeper: Joel Robles- Real Betis 7pts

Only two goalkeepers in La Liga earned 7 points and it happened in the same match as Leganes took on Real Betis. The game ended 0-0 but Joel Robles deserves this one being the away goalkeeper and Levante had 11 goal attempts.

Defender: Oier Mate- Osasuna 8pts

It was a perfect match for Oier Mate who not only kept a clean sheet for his club but also scored the only goal and winner as Osasuna beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 away from home.

Defender: David Garcia- Osasuna 5pts

Garcia alongside his team mater Oier Mate helped to keep a clean sheet away from home and earned 5 points. That is his 7th of the season where he has helped his club.

Defender: Aissa Mandi- Real Betis 5pts

Aissa Mandi has been good at collecting yellow cards which has hampered his points total, but at the weekend he did a perfect job for Real Betis and he has helped the club keep 4 clean sheets this season.

Defender: Martin Valjent- Real Mallorca 

Real Mallorca beat Alaves 1-0 and Valjent was a big part of that success and earning 3 points in the heart of defence. He has helped to keep 4 clean sheets this season.

Midfielder: Suso- Sevilla 6pts

Suso rescued a point for Sevilla who were losing 2-1 at home to Espanyol but with just minutes left Suso was able to get a very important goal for the home side. It was only his 2nd goal of the season but such an important one.

Midfielder: Toni Kroos- Real Madrid 4pts

It was a disappointing result at the weekend for Real Madrid who could only draw 2-2 at home to Celta Vigo. But Toni Kroos put in a good shift at home and also scored a goal to put his team back in the game after they conceded first.

Midfielder: Moises Gomez- Villarreal 4pts

Moises Gomez got the winning goal as his side Villarreal beat Levante 2-1 in a very close game. He has been involved in 7 goals this season and that was his 3rd of the season.

Midfielder: Thomas Partey- Atletico Madrid 4pts

Thomas scored only his 2nd goal of the season to help Atletico draw 2-2 with Valencia in an entertaining draw. The league is over for the club but they need to maintain a Champions League berth.

Striker: Gerard Moreno- Villarreal 6pts

Gerard Moreno had a brilliant game for Villarreal as he opened the scoring and then set up the winner as his side won 2-1. Moreno has scored 10 goals this season and created 3 further goals.

Striker: Lucas Ocampos- Sevilla 6pts

Lucas Ocampos also earned 6 points and did the same job as Moreno scoring his teams first goal and then setting up the assist for the 2nd as Sevilla drew 2-2. It was Ocampos’ 7th goal of the season.

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