La Liga Team for Week April 11-13: Griezmann's Brace Keeps Atletico in 3rd
A busy week in Spain's top flight came to an end with a full round of fixtures in La Liga over the weekend.
We've taken our usual look at each game and identified the best performers, taking into account quality of opposition, recent form, impact on the match and other factors, to determine who should make our team of the week.
This is just for the most recent games in Spain, match week 31, covering the weekend and Monday night's fixture.
GK: Ruben, ALM
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Almeria goalkeeper Ruben gets our nod as he kept a clean sheet in the must-win game in the relegation zone against Granada.
It wasn't a 90 minutes where he faced an onslaught of chances, as has been the case in other recent fixtures. Instead, he came up big when it mattered, making two low saves in particular from fierce drives with his team just one goal up.
The eventual 3-0 scoreline meant a rare clean sheet for Ruben and his team.
DF: Alvaro Arbeloa, RMA
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Alvaro Arbeloa isn't the regular starter for Real Madrid, but the right-back benefitted from some sweeping changes to the first team—and certainly took his chance.
The Spanish international got forward at will, providing good width and penetration for Real as they swept aside Eibar 3-0, creating a number of chances with clever, short-distance crosses—including an assist for Javier Hernandez.
Arbeloa was solid as ever defensively and did well throughout his time on the pitch.
DF: Andreu Fontas, CEL
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Celta Vigo picked up the big win of the weekend with a 6-1 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano, so it's no surprise to see a few of their players in our XI.
Andreu Fontas was at the heart of the defence which started sloppily, conceding a goal in the opening minute, but from then on barely gave Rayo a sniff of a chance. Fontas was his usual self on the ball, passing well out of defence and looking to start off build-up phases from deep rather than going direct, but was also quick in the interception and read the game well.
He continues to have a good season.
DF: Mauro Dos Santos, ALM
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Almeria's second defensive option in our side, Mauro Dos Santos was the rugged rock who repelled the forces of Granada's attack, winning a number of balls launched into the box with his strong aerial presence.
The Argentine was quick to make tackles and never shirked a challenge, on the deck or in the air. He made sure to play a safety-first approach most of the time, a wise move in such a key game even if it meant his distribution out of the back line was agricultural rather than merely cultured.
MD: Javi Fuego, VAL
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Valencia won their derby 3-0 on Monday night, seeing off the challenge of relegation-threatened Levante in some style.
While their attacking play will win headlines, the performance was rooted as always in strong tactical work, a foundation which the opposition found difficult to break down and plenty of aggression in midfield.
Javi Fuego was key to it all, helping Los Che win back the ball quickly and efficiently, protecting his defence and distributing consistently throughout the match. He's not the prettiest player in the world, but does his job superbly to allow others, more creative and offensive-minded, to do theirs.
MD: Isco, RMA
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With Real Madrid fielding a changed-around XI in their 3-0 win over Eibar, one or two more familiar faces had to step up to ensure the win was as routine as it should have been.
Isco was one of those who came up trumps the most, putting in a display to ease the absence of James Rodriguez with some excellent through passes, tremendous work rate and the skill to open up the Eibar defence more than once.
He didn't score himself, despite a number of attempts, but can consider himself unfortunate to have hit both posts from the same shot and not clock up a few assists after laying chance after chance on for his team-mates.
MD: Thomas Teye, ALM
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Almeria's roving midfielder Thomas had an up-and-down game, but also such a telling one that we had to include him.
His breaks from deep were fundamental in his team's 3-0 win over Granada, an absolutely must-win game for both sides down at the wrong end of the table. He won the ball well in the centre of the park, worked hard to close down the opposition—and had three great chances to score vital goals.
Thomas took the first, sweeping home from close range in the first half, before striking the bar after the break from a similar position. Late on his stamina and pace endured as he burst forward unmarked, saw his shot hit the keeper...but he earned his own good fortune as the save merely rebounded back off him and into the back of the net for his brace.
MD: Tiago, ATM
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Atletico weren't at their absolute best defensively, with a couple of lapses seeing Malaga able to take a point from the 2-2 draw, but in midfield Tiago was very close to his best going both ways on the pitch.
Defensively he worked tirelessly, closed out the spaces in the centre and showed up the younger pairing of Recio and Sergi Darder with his tenacity and fierce challenges at times. When in possession, Tiago was sublime at times, playing with tempo and invention to push Atletico forward.
FW: Santi Mina, CEL
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When Celta Vigo had their barren run in front of goal at the end of 2014, perhaps they should have placed a little more faith in young forward Santi Mina?!
Playing from the right of the front three, he destroyed Rayo's back line with his intelligent running in behind the defence on the diagonal, making terrific use of a series of through passes from Nolito and Michael Krohn-Dehli.
Santi Mina netted four of the six goals—two showing composure and clinical finishing from the inside right channel, a header for his hat-trick and then great movement and, once more, composure to round the keeper and slot in his fourth.
FW: Antoine Griezmann, ATM
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We're giving the nod for the central starting striker's role to Atletico's Antoine Griezmann, who showed great opportunism and clinical finishing for his own brace.
Atleti had to come from behind to take a 2-2 draw at Malaga and ensure they would end the weekend still in third place, but it was tough going at times with not too many clear chances. Griezmann saw two fall his way—and buried them both, taking advantage of his own good fortune.
A slip from Carlos Kameni's attempted catch gifted a one-yard tap-in for the first, before an offside call went Griezmann's way as he smashed home the leveller late on. His running behind the defence, his dribbling in tight spaces and link play down the left channel were all impressive.
FW: Nolito, CEL
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Santi Mina might get the headlines for his goals, but Nolito was back to his best and the star of the show for Celta.
He set up no less than three of the six goals, including the equaliser by way of a clever run, nutmeg and pinpoint delivery from the left side of the penalty area. Soon after he provided the first for Santi Mina with a slick dribble and pass into the box, saw a shot saved for Joaquin Larrivey to tap in the rebound and saved the best for last with an incisive pass from deep for the final goal of the game.
All that he missed was a goal of his own, but he was excellent throughout nonetheless—edging out Neymar of Barcelona for the final spot in the team.
