La Liga Team of the Weekend for October 24-26
This past weekend saw El Clasico take place for the first time this season—the big attraction of Spain's La Liga—but there were far more entertaining games than just that one on offer.
Celta Vigo continued their good season with another win, top-four challengers Valencia and Sevilla both claimed three points, and Athletic Bilbao finally overcame their horrendous run of form with a 1-0 victory away from home.
Here's our La Liga team of the weekend, taking in all 10 matches, with, as you might expect, a few names from El Clasico included. We line up this week in a 4-2-3-1.
GK: Fabricio, DEP
1 of 11
No question about the goalkeeper selection this week: Deportivo La Coruna would have lost heavily and deservedly without Fabricio, who repelled the Espanyol attack time and time again in the 0-0 draw.
The 26-year-old actually started his career at Depor and, after a series of moves and loans elsewhere, has ended up back at his first club. He has made a largely good impression in the past couple of weeks behind an extremely shaky defence.
He's definitely a shot-stopper rather than a commander in chief of his area, but that's what was needed this week as his side conceded chance after chance.
DR: Dani Carvajal, RMA
2 of 11
The first name out of the Real Madrid-Barcelona hat is right-back Dani Carvajal, who certainly put in his best performance of the season for the home side.
He was strong defensively, supported quickly in attack and was a continuous presence down the right channel to allow those further upfield to drift inside and create.
Carvajal was the most energetic and consistent ballplayer out of all four full-backs on the field and will want now to maintain these standards to nail down a guaranteed place for club and country.
DC: Nicolas Otamendi, VAL
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After the all-round disappointment of defeat last week, Valencia impressed once again this time out, with Argentinian centre-back Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of their success once more.
Valencia beat Elche 3-1, and Otamendi was the rugged, aggressive pillar of that win, pushing out of his defensive line to stop trouble before it really got started. He made sure his side didn't commit any silly errors at the back this time out.
A late set-piece goal conceded was an annoyance, but it didn't affect the outcome.
DC: Xabier Etxeita, ATH
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Athletic Bilbao have endured a torrid time of things this season, but the 1-0 win away to Almeria was a step in the right direction.
Xabier Etxeita has come in of late and has put in a strong performance for his club at centre-back; not often a first choice, he took his chance this time and not only showed his defensive qualities but also notched a vital goal at the other end.
Athletic are still only just outside the bottom three, but it's at least put an end to their winless run.
DL: Jeremy Mathieu, FCB
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Our only Barcelona player to feature this week is French defender Jeremy Mathieu, an excellent performer all season and once more a standout for his team in El Clasico.
His pace and strength make him a formidable opponent to beat, and he stood up well to the task of Real's movement and power down the flanks, while also covering inside on several occasions to make clearances.
Perhaps, with his level of performances, Luis Enrique will be wishing he didn't move him out of the centre and over to left-back.
CM: Koke, ATM
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Spanish international midfielder Koke was moved from the flanks to the centre of Atletico Madrid's midfield for their trip to Getafe, and the move paid dividends as he put in a fine display to control the game for long stretches.
Alongside Mario Suarez, Atleti's centre of the park might have looked unfamiliar for this season's usual line-up, but they both worked well together, and Koke was able to combine his usual unstinting work rate with his particular traits of surging forward on the ball. He played quick passes and set up chances for his side.
Later, when Getafe came back to try and score, his defensive work helped the team seal a 1-0 win.
CM: Luka Modric, RMA
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The star of the midfield battle in El Clasico was Luka Modric, a calm and composed figure on the ball as always but a ferocious competitor and a hard worker when out of possession, too.
His ability to pass the ball around even the most technical and intelligent of opposition contributed plenty to Real's capacity to not only counter-attack but sustain their own dominance of the ball in various stages of the game.
Modric closed down the opposition's central players to the extent that Xavi and Andres Iniesta had little impact in transitions from the middle to the final thirds.
AM: James Rodriguez, RMA
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In linking midfield to attack, nobody did the job better at the Santiago Bernabeu than James Rodriguez.
The Colombian played from the right side of the midfield quartet, but he is so liberated by Carlo Ancelotti that he popped up as a No. 10, as a right winger, as a central distributor of the ball...anywhere he could gain possession, find space and create problems for Barcelona.
Of course, with that comes the responsibility to track back and find his position defensively, which he also did. But it was his work going forward which made him a standout. It was a top performance, and he had a fine assist for the third goal to boot.
AM: Nordin Amrabat, MAL
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Malaga put in their best team performance of the season at the weekend to swat aside Rayo Vallecano by a 4-0 scoreline, and it was Nordin Amrabat who was at the heart of everything, having at least a hand in all four goals.
He flicked passes between defenders to set free Juanmi and Samuel to score, netted a penalty himself and could have easily added one or two more. The Moroccan was a real menace all game with his movement and dribbling ability.
AM: Pablo Piatti, VAL
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While Otamendi was key at the back for Valencia, another Argentine, Pablo Piatti, had the biggest say in their play going forward.
The left-sided attacker had a field day against Elche, running riot with his penchant for dribbling right at back-peddling defenders and his ability to sway first one way and then dart the other. Always a terrifically technical player, Piatti has really begun to add consistency and end product to his game of late.
Two more assists here were testament to that ongoing improvement.
FW: Karim Benzema, RMA
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The striker's role for the team of the week goes to Karim Benzema, a prodigiously hard worker for Real Madrid in their win over Barcelona and deserved goalscorer, too.
His runs in behind the back four gave problems to the away side as early as the fifth minute, and he didn't cease until he departed to a large ovation with a few minutes of play remaining. Benzema is not just a box striker but a link player, the man who stretches opposition defences to create space for others or works the channels to give midfielders a through pass and time to catch up to the attack.
His goal was well taken, and the end product of the best counter-attack of the game.
