La Liga Team for Week of March 13-16: Real Madrid's Gareth Bale Back with Goals
Another weekend of action in Spain's top flight has come and gone, with important victories by the same scoreline for the league's big two the main focus ahead of next weekend's Clasico matchup.
We've taken a look at each of La Liga's matches in turn, analysing individual and team performances and selecting the top displays based on their achievements in the game, the quality of opposition, how it helped the side with respect to league positioning and other factors.
Gareth Bale was Real Madrid's hero in their win over Levante, while Lionel Messi matched Bale's brace with two goals of his own in the Barcelona win at Eibar. Find out who else lines up alongside that duo in our select XI of the weekend here.
GK: Julian, ALM
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Edging out Sergio Asenjo and Kiko Casilla as our goalkeeper choice for the weekend is Julian of Almeria.
The only side of the bottom seven to avoid defeat this weekend, Almeria clung on for a point by drawing at home to Villarreal 0-0, with Julian forced into action a number of times to make interceptions, punches clear and two flying saves.
His team came under particular duress when down to 10 men, though both sides finished that way in the end, with Julian standing up to the test with aplomb.
DF: Sergio Ramos, RMA
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Real Madrid were finally able to recall Sergio Ramos to their defence after a long injury absence, and although he wasn't exactly tested to the fullest extent by a very poor Levante side, the organisation and acceptance of responsibility he immediately took at the back were obvious and important.
Too often Real have been easy to attack of late, not aggressive enough and not showing enough leadership—Ramos brings all of that, plus a willingness to bring the ball out of the back line at the right times.
Replacing Iker Casillas for 90 minutes no doubt helped too, but Ramos can make a telling difference to the team heading into the final two months of the season.
DF: Marc Bartra, FCB
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Barcelona's 2-0 win over Eibar mainly saw the goalscoring exploits of Lionel Messi take the headlines, and rightly so as he was the match-winner, but central defender Marc Bartra was once again right on point for the Catalan club.
Firm in the challenge, quick at recovering behind team-mates, impressive and consistent with his passing and neat reading of the game—and probably playing his last 90 minutes for another spell. Bartra's last few games have been against Levante (where he made our team of the week), Granada (yep, TOTW) and now Eibar (here he is again).
Small-fry opposition? Yes. But he's taking his chance every time and deserves to be in the side more often.
DF: Hector Moreno, ESP
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Mexican centre-back Hector Moreno completes our defensive troika, after a sterling display against Atletico Madrid for his Espanyol team.
The 0-0 draw keeps Espanyol in the top half and in ninth place, with the hard-fought point coming partly as a result of Moreno's consistent ability to read danger and intercept play with his fierce challenges and blocks, including one from a close-range shot bound for goal in the first half.
Things didn't ease all that much when Atleti went down to 10 men and Moreno had to be on his game throughout the 90.
MF: Gareth Bale, RMA
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Our second Real Madrid player of the weekend is double-scoring hero Gareth Bale, with the Welshman netting twice in the first half to earn his team the 2-0 victory over Levante.
The right-sided man showed good awareness and a clinical edge—missing recently—to make the most of two opportunities which fell his way, smashing home a loose ball into the top corner and then touching in a Cristiano Ronaldo shot which flew toward his boot.
Bale was involved in most of Real's good attacking play in the first half, drifting past defenders down the wing, looking to cut back and get involved in approach play outside the box and, his team will hope, rediscovered his form and confidence with the two goals.
MF: Grzegorz Krychowiak, SEV
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Sevilla central midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has been consistently good all season long, but it has been a bit of a while since his last ultra-dominant performance—so it was nice to see that all-action style return against Elche.
A comfortable 3-0 win for his side stemmed from the Pole completely running the centre of the park.
Krychowiak won tackles, closed down the opposition quickly and played the ball carefully and with a good tempo to his more attacking team-mates, allowing Sevilla to stay on the front foot throughout.
MF: Alberto Bueno, RAY
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Rayo Vallecano's attacker Alberto Bueno plays the lines superbly between midfield and forwards, so we're using a little licence here to put him in our midfield to balance out the defensive dominance of Krychowiak alongside him.
Bueno was key to Rayo's 3-1 win over Granada, a big three points to stay well away from the danger zone for the home side and another brace for the 26-year-old to go with the four he bagged two weeks ago—that's seven goals and an assist in the last three matches for him now.
His off-the-ball running, clever movement and obvious confidence in front of goal made it another great weekend's work for him.
MF: Samu Castillejo, MGA
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Our final midfielder only played an hour, but Samu Castillejo was excellent for Malaga against Cordoba and it was a shame to see him go off so early. With the game already looking comfortable enough by then it was understandable, of course, and the academy graduate received another great reception as he left the field.
Castillejo patrolled the left flank for Malaga with pace and direct running, good skill and an eye to find team-mates in the area.
A fantastic lofted pass over the defence provided an assist for the opening goal, though Juanmi was certainly offside and not flagged as he scored.
FW: Lionel Messi, FCB
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Onto the forward line and first up is Lionel Messi.
The Barcelona man moved clear in the Pichichi standings, netting his 31st and 32nd goals of the season to help his side to a 2-0 win over Eibar. The first was a penalty dispatched with clinical and ruthless power—much better than some recent efforts—before he was later left unmarked, bizarrely, at a corner kick, where he headed in a fine effort.
Messi's running from right to centre, his dribbling down the touchline and his link play moving into the attacking third were easily the best parts of Barça's play on the day.
FW: Carlos Bacca, SEV
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Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca was back amongst the goals with a brace in the 3-0 win over Elche, with the Colombian netting twice in the opening half hour—a penalty and a close-range header.
His goals were well-taken if expected to be netted; rather than that, it was his running off the ball and constant worrying of the Elche back line which made him a stand-out. His movement and pace kept the back four unable to tie him down and Sevilla looked for his runs down the channel time and time again.
When Elche tried to push forward more on the break, Bacca was a threat on the break and his movement allowed the space for Denis Suarez to be a problem too. Kevin Gameiro came on for Bacca later on and scored the third.
FW: Pablo Piatti, VAL
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Our final forward choice wasn't a goalscorer, but Pablo Piatti put in another top-class performance to continue his superb recent run of form for Valencia.
Los Che beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 on Friday night, with Piatti full of his usual invention, dribbling and running to create chance after chance for his team-mates.
Piatti put a string of crosses in for Alvaro Negredo to attack, wanted a penalty in the second half after beating the keeper to the ball and put a couple of chances on a plate for his Spanish striker team-mate—all spurned. Eventually his dangerous running had to tell and Piatti won a penalty, scored by Dani Parejo, who then missed an easy one-on-one seconds later...again played in by Piatti.
The Argentine was involved in everything good Valencia did, including the build-up for the second goal, and is our top player of the weekend for La Liga.
