La Liga Player Rankings After Game Week 17, January 3-5
La Liga is back up and running in 2015 and started with some big results as both Real Madrid and Barcelona lost in game week 17.
It gave an interesting chance to other players to make a case for their inclusion in our first player rankings of the new year for the top flight in Spain—and with two new entrants and plenty of changing places in the lower half of the rankings, there's plenty of intrigue to watch develop over the coming weeks.
Here's the top 20, complete with a new face on the latest top-three podium.
Mentions
1 of 21
Luis Suarez of Barcelona leaves our top 20 after just one week, after a blunt performance in defeat by him and his side at the weekend.
Nolito of Celta Vigo also leaves us after weeks of non-performance from the club's entire front line.
On our radar but not quite making it this week:
Marcelo, Real Madrid
Denis Cheryshev, Villarreal
Sergio Asenjo, Villarreal
Sergio Canales, Real Sociedad
Carlos Martinez, Real Sociedad
Pablo Piatti, Valencia
20. Samu, MGA
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New entrant!
Samuel Garcia Sanchez, better known as Samuel or just Samu, has been on our radar since a few weeks before the winter break—and now makes a deserved entrance.
Even in defeat for Malaga at the weekend, the right winger was electric with his performance, scored a fine strike to equalise for his team—a rifled effort from the right side of the area—and was always an outlet as they sought to get back in the game.
Consistency has been an issue previously but he is getting a good run in the team since a suspension earlier in the season ended and Malaga, chasing a Champions League spot, are reaping the rewards of that.
19. Carlos Kameni, MGA
3 of 21
Change: -1
Malaga goalkeeper Carlos Kameni entered our 20 a few weeks before the winter break on the back of some fine performances, but even his reflexes and reactions could do nothing to prevent a Tomer Hemed brace hitting the back of the net.
One was a penalty, the other a rifled finish; perhaps Kameni and his defence could have done better collectively but it would be harsh to place too much blame on the Cameroonian for the defeat.
He'll have better games, even so.
18. Neymar, FCB
4 of 21
Change: -2
Neymar came pretty close to dropping out of our 20 entirely this week, only for Malaga losing at home to Almeria.
The Brazilian was left on the bench by Luis Enrique for Barcelona's crunch game with Real Sociedad and though he came on with more than half an hour still to play, he could not positively affect the outcome of the match.
He struggled to get past Carlos Martinez at right-back and couldn't link with his fellow attackers.
17. Antoine Griezmann, ATM
5 of 21
New entrant
Antoine Griezmann was a little hot-and-cold with Atletico Madrid at the start of the campaign, but he has really sparked into life of late.
He was the hero of the comeback win over Athletic Bilbao before the winter break, and he did it again this time around, scoring a brace in the 3-1 win over Levante. Both of Griezmann's goals were headers, showcasing his ability to be an all-round centre-forward.
He very much suits the style and ethos of Atleti with his movement and work rate and playing as a centre-forward can get the best out of the French attacker.
16. Jose Gimenez, ATM
6 of 21
Change: +3
Sticking with Atleti, here's some advice for them: If a good offer is received in January for Brazilian central defender Miranda....cash in.
Jose Gimenez continues to shine in his absence, partnering the more experienced Diego Godin, with both Uruguayans looking assured and aggressive in the win over Levante.
There was a short spell where the away side threatened to come back into the match but Gimenez was frequently on hand to make clearances, hold a tight line and ultimately see his side to the three points.
15. Grzegorz Krychowiak, SEV
7 of 21
Change: +2
It has been a while since Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak managed to jump a couple of places on our rankings, so it was good to see him back to somewhere near his best in Sevilla's 1-0 win over Celta Vigo at the weekend.
Krychowiak went barrelling into a few challenges early on which set the tone for his game: Aggressive, dominant, using the ball well and stopping an out-of-form Celta getting much change out of the Champions League hopefuls.
He didn't have much impact in the final third this time around, but in the centre of the park he won the battle for supremacy completely.
14. Luciano Vietto, VIL
8 of 21
Change: +1
Luciano Vietto is quickly becoming one of the most impressive poachers around La Liga; his success until now has been based on good movement, great technique, a willingness to shoot from anywhere and good link-up play—but not as many goals as he should get.
Recent gameweeks have seen him get in the box much earlier and especially into the six-yard box, looking for cut-backs or low crosses to finish off, and he was rewarded for this close-range determination against Elche once more.
Villarreal ended up drawing 2-2 but Vietto produced plenty more glimpses of his all-round ability as a forward and continues to impress tremendously.
13. Isco, RMA
9 of 21
Change: -1
Isco was one of the several Real Madrid players unable to really get their game going at the weekend, wasting the ball on more than one occasion—though to be fair to him he was also far from the worst and his drive and determination were both in evidence.
Isco did try to make ground centrally a number of times, worked hard off the ball and got himself into attacking positions when his team were on top, it just simply wasn't Real's day.
12. Jeremy Mathieu, FCB
10 of 21
Change: -1
French defender Jeremy Mathieu started at centre-back again for Barcelona, but couldn't do much about his own team mate Jordi Alba putting through his own net in the opening seconds.
For much of the game Mathieu was solid, dependable and aggressive in his defensive work, but in the second half he began to get riled by decisions going against him, took a yellow card and was substituted by boss Luis Enrique.
Barcelona lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad.
11. Diego Alves, VAL
11 of 21
Change: +2
Valencia were the team who eventually managed to stop Real Madrid's long winning run, and stopped it by beating them 2-1 at the Mestalla.
Diego Alves was excellent in goal once again, overcoming a little bit of a shaky start to make a handful of dominant aerial claims, one or two top close-range saves to deny Real getting any kind of an attacking foothold in the game and showing good distribution to set his side away.
Only a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty prevented him from getting a deserved clean sheet.
10. Ignacio Camacho, MGA
12 of 21
No change
Into the top 10 we go and there aren't as many changes this week as normal, starting with Malaga midfielder Nacho Camacho, who missed his side's defeat to Almeria through injury. So far, no return date has been set for the impressive enforcer.
9. Karim Benzema, RMA
13 of 21
No change
With the two or three players below him either not playing or not playing well, Karim Benzema is saved from a drop outside of the top 10.
The French striker was feeding on scraps against Valencia but made little ground himself either, not linking up as well as he usually does and not offering tremendous movement in behind Los Che's defence to give the option of a through ball.
8. Arda Turan, ATM
14 of 21
No change
Arda Turan started the match for Atletico Madrid's win over Levante in exciting form, raiding down the right flank, beating two or three men on a couple of occasions and looking to deliver into the box.
That early promise quickly fizzled out this time though, with much of Atleti's better moves coming centrally or down the left channel. The Turkish attacker worked as hard as ever but it simply didn't happen for him this time.
With Levante briefly threatening a comeback, Turan was subbed just after the hour mark.
7. Sergio Ramos, RMA
15 of 21
No change
Sergio Ramos' all-round play was actually good for Real Madrid against Valencia, despite the 2-1 defeat—but the centre-back lost one key battle in the air and for that reason doesn't rise a place in our rankings.
The all-important duel came off a Valencia corner midway through the second half, as Nicolas Otamendi beat him in the air and powered a header into the net which turned out to be the winning goal.
Ramos had the odd chance off a set piece to score himself but tastes defeat for the first time in a long time instead.
6. James Rodriguez, RMA
16 of 21
No change
James Rodriguez would certainly have dropped places this week under normal circumstances, after a poor performance against Valencia.
He gave the ball away far too frequently, didn't look to beat his man one-on-one and made no real impact in the final third. It was no surprise to see him hooked first when Real eventually made changes.
James stays where he is, but only by default as those below him didn't do enough to rise.
5. Koke, ATM
17 of 21
Change: -1
A drop of a single place for Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, who remained strangely uninvolved throughout much of the game against Levante.
The talented and versatile performer played out on the left side for most of the game, though of course drifted centrally to look to create and direct play. On this occasion, though, play often passed around him rather than through him, and Koke was unable to really get heavily involved.
His side won, he got through a lot of running, but it wasn't his best-ever game.
4. Toni Kroos, RMA
18 of 21
Change: -1
Toni Kroos was arguably the best performer on the day for Real Madrid in their loss to Valencia, but even his ability to provide set pieces and through-balls from deep couldn't prevent a first loss in 23 games for Madrid.
Kroos' delivery from the right flank ended up winning the penalty, and he used the ball well in midfield, but Valencia's aggression in the centre and ability to close down was too much for Kroos to take alone—this was really the game he needed an Illarra or a Sami Khedira in there with him.
3. Nicolas Otamendi, VAL
19 of 21
Change: +2
Nicolas Otamendi was our La Liga player of the week after a rock-solid performance in his team's win over Real Madrid.
In defence, the Valencia man was tigerish and accurate with his challenges—notably one where he stepped out of the back line to slide in and leave Ronaldo in a heap, waltzing off himself with the ball—and dominant in the air.
Otamendi's powerful header gave his team the three points and a massive boost in morale, as well as in their top-four chase, and he deservedly enters our top three.
2. Lionel Messi, FCB
20 of 21
No change
Having seen Cristiano Ronaldo have not much impact on Real Madrid's defeat to Valencia, Lionel Messi must have been relishing the late kick-off affording him the chance to hunt down his rival in the league table, close ground in the goalscorers charts and even topple him in our rankings.
And then he was left on the bench.
Messi came on for 45 minutes and had two half-sniffs of goal, but the combination of slow play from Barcelona and waspish defending from Real Sociedad meant that quality chances were at a premium, and Messi couldn't make an impact.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, RMA
21 of 21
No change
And so Cristiano Ronaldo remains top of our rankings.
The No. 7 scored a penalty to put his Real Madrid side ahead at Valencia, though it ultimately mattered little as they lost 2-1.
That aside, he was frustrated and pushed out of the game by Valencia's high-tempo pressing, their three-man central defence and his own team's lax play. Nowhere near his best game but, on account of Barcelona's slip-up, he and his side are still top everywhere: here, La Liga and the Pichichi.
