La Liga Team of the Week: Atletico Destroys Real Madrid, Messi Dismantles Bilbao
Gameweek 22 in La Liga has provided us with another batch of excellent performances and results to look at, both on the team and individual level. The most dominant team performance was Atletico Madrid's thumping 4-0 win over Real Madrid.
You might not be surprised to learn Real have nobody put forward for our team of the week. We definitely considered simply listing Atleti's starting XI, so well did they perform and carry out their tactical game plan!
However, this is La Liga's team of the week, and it encompasses all the other matches too. Here are our choices, and feel free to add your own in the comments below.
GK: Sergio Asenjo, VIL
1 of 11
Despite being a much-changed side, Villarreal continued their impressive season with a 2-0 home win against Granada.
It wasn't all one-way traffic, though. Sergio Asenjo had to do his share, particularly in the second half when Granada, just a goal down, tried to get back into the match. He had to twice intervene with reaction stops, one a deflected effort straight at him as he was on the move and another a low drive that had to be parried away on the stretch.
He kept his clean sheet, and his side went on to score the killer in stoppage time on the break.
DF: Mateo Musacchio, VIL
2 of 11
A second choice in the Villarreal side, Mateo Musacchio has returned to fitness after a long layoff and just in time to reclaim his place after Gabriel Paulista was sold in January to Arsenal.
Musacchio, by far the better defender and more competent on the ball, is Villarreal's real jewel at the back, so Villarreal will be delighted to have kept him and sold on someone else (who couldn't get in the team ahead of Musacchio) instead.
The Argentine showed why he is a top defender in the win over Granada, using his clever positioning and reading of the game as well as his rugged, aggressive side to win back the ball a number of times. He also forced the first goal by following in a powerful cross, which ended as an own goal.
DF: Guilherme Siqueira, ATM
3 of 11
The first of several Atletico Madrid players, Guilherme Siqueira was superb down Atleti's left, powering forward at every given chance to push his side up the field, reaching the byline more than once and having the composure and decision-making ability to pick a good pass at the end of it.
His cut-back to Saul for the second goal was indicative of his running throughout the game: intelligent, telling and unstoppable.
At the other end, he was defensively sound, stuck tight to Gareth Bale to never give him a sniff and easily outstripped him for pace.
DF: Jose Gaya, VAL
4 of 11
Let's move to Valencia now and their important 2-1 win over Espanyol. Jose Gaya was a stand-out performer at both ends.
A tight match was deadlocked until Gaya provided a thrusting run down the left flank for his team and a moment of real quality on the delivery, picking out team-mate Pablo Piatti with a low cross that was touched home. Soon after at the other end, he tracked his runner the whole way back during a fast-flowing move and so was in place to make a goal-line block on a shot from point-blank range to keep his side ahead.
It was a fine all-round display from Gaya, and he continues to impress as one of La Liga's best young talents.
MF: Arda Turan, ATM
5 of 11
Atletico Madrid's best part of the team at the weekend was the midfield, and it was such an exceptional display that you shouldn't be too surprised to see plenty of Atleti names here, starting with Arda Turan.
The right-sided midfielder gave everything you need against Real Madrid: work rate and intelligence out of possession, aggression and timing in winning the ball back and pace and technique going forward. He was unstoppable, cutting infield to make passes inside the area and pulling the opposition defence out of shape.
Delivery from wide was infrequent but intelligent, and Turan exemplified the determination of the team to tuck in and get in shape, forcing Real Madrid backward and preventing them fashioning chances down their left.
MF: Gabi, ATM
6 of 11
At times, it seemed almost a case of one ball on the pitch for Atletico to play with and one ball for Real Madrid that Gabi just ran around taking off them.
The Atleti captain was monstrous, getting through a ridiculous number of challenges in the centre of the park, harassing and hurrying Real in possession, shutting down Isco, Toni Kroos or Cristiano Ronaldo before they had time to pick a pass and then moving it on for his own team.
He didn't venture forward as much in this game, naturally, and kept his passing simple, but he was the real spirit of Diego Simeone out on the pitch, snarling and snapping into challenges to keep the opposition downbeaten and his side on the front foot. A majestic display.
MF: Tiago, ATM
7 of 11
Atletico won the game in midfield but not simply by winning the ball back all the time (although that was obviously a key part of it).
Once the ball was won back, though, it needed intelligence, timing and delivery to put Atletico into the attacking third, and that's where Tiago came in. He dropped off a little deeper, giving himself time and space on the ball to pick a pass. Tiago then consistently found his offensive team-mates in their own pockets of space to cause damage.
Tiago's low drive opened the scoring, and he played a big role in the crushing win.
MF: Celso Borges, DEP
8 of 11
Our only non-Atleti midfielder vote goes to Celso Borges, the Costa Rican midfielder who has come in and made a stunning impact so far for Deportivo La Coruna since joining from Swedish side AIK.
After two goals from the centre of the park on his debut last time out, Borges was again key in Friday night's win over Eibar by a 2-0 scoreline. Defensively, he works hard, wins back the ball with gusto and regularity and has a great engine to roam around the park.
Offensively is where he contributes most, though, not only with his shooting but also set piece delivery, willingness to spray passes from deep into space and his good vision. With another win, Depor's relegation worries look almost over; they're now on the verge of the top half of the table.
FW: Antoine Griezmann, ATM
9 of 11
We go now to the front line and our fifth and final Atletico Madrid choice, Antoine Griezmann.
The French forward has been in superb form, and Real Madrid were just the latest side to find him too difficult to contend with, with Griezmann's movement and pace causing no end of problems.
He scored one by forcing it home at the far post after a great team move, but his ability to simply link play, find space and turn and play-in others make him impossible to shut down, even before he gets started on his dribbling and shooting, which have been top notch of late. He just gets the nod ahead of team-mate Mario Mandzukic.
FW: Luis Suarez, FCB
10 of 11
We finish up with another game at the top, Athletic Bilbao's 2-5 loss to Barcelona, where strikers definitely ruled the headlines, two more than the others. Luis Suarez was excellent yet again for the away team. He has been most of the past month or two, but he also found the net once more this time.
His third league goal of the season was a fine low finish on the run from the edge of the box, but Suarez contributed plenty more aside from that in the win and could have had one or two more but for some excellent saves from Gorka Iraizoz.
Suarez ran into space, set up numerous chances for his team-mates and did plenty of the hard work off the ball too (not to mention getting clattered in the knee by Xabier Etxeita, a challenge that saw the Athletic man shown a straight red card).
FW: Lionel Messi, FCB
11 of 11
Suarez was excellent, but the star of the show was once again Lionel Messi, who makes our Liga team of the week for the fifth time in succession.
The No. 10 was irrepressible, jinking and weaving his way through challenges, taking on players with regularity and ease and picking himself up more of those telling numbers: two assists, one goal.
His free-kick was deflected in, but there was little Athletic could do to stop his running, probing passing and ingenuity in possession. He's the most in-form player around, and he has taken Barcelona to within a single point of the top of the table.
