La Liga Team for Week of May 1-4: Barcelona's 8-Goal Rout Sees Messi, Suarez in
As we approach the season run-in in Spain, big performances leading to key points and victories are crucial for almost every side.
We have taken a good look at each fixture in turn over Gameweek 35 and assessed which individual players put in the best displays, taking into account on-pitch performance, impact on the result and quality of opposition amongst other things.
These are the players we've picked out: our Liga team of the week!
GK: Iker Casillas, RMA
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He's had a bit of a shocker of a season at times and looks as though he'll never reach the levels he was once capable of, but Iker Casillas is still able to pull out the odd big game—and he made several key stops for Real Madrid against Sevilla this weekend.
In a must-win game for his team, Casillas made three vital saves near the end of the match as the home team pushed for the late equaliser, including a brave low block which could have seen him take a knee to the face.
He couldn't do much about the goals—a penalty and a close-range finish—but Casillas played a big part in preserving the 3-2 win.
DF: Dani Alves, FCB
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Like Casillas, Dani Alves has had some woeful times this campaign, but pulled out a top-drawer performance at the weekend as his Barcelona side battered Cordoba 8-0.
The right-back spent most of his time in the final third, such was his team's domination, but this time there was an end product to go with the presence. Some excellent crosses continually tested the back line of the home team and Alves ended up with two assists.
A few more games like this and there will be plenty more fans who want him to stick around for another year.
DF: Inigo Martinez, RSO
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Real Sociedad finally got back to winning ways and kept a clean sheet too as they beat Levante 3-0 at the weekend.
While it was, for the most part, a defensive performance from the away team which didn't trouble Inigo Martinez and co. unduly, the centre-back did still have to take preventative action on a number of occasions to break up counter-attacks and repel set pieces.
It has been an up-and-down campaign for La Real, but Inigo still comes out with credit.
DF: Laure, DEP
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Deportivo La Coruna are fighting for their Liga lives as they lie in the bottom three by a point, but having taken a draw against Villarreal this weekend they'll be feeling optimistic about their chances of completing the job.
Right-back Laure put in a fully committed performance which was impressive at both ends, stopping the Yellow Submarine's attacks down his flank and also charging forward to contribute going the other way, too.
His strong running, inventive passing and all-round performance were full of self-belief and Depor could do with one or two playing in a similar manner.
MD: Dani Parejo, VAL
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Valencia took a big step toward securing the top-four place they want with a routine 3-1 win over Eibar this weekend.
Central midfielder Dani Parejo was again his usual excellent self, mixing a control of play with some stern challenges in the middle, keeping his team on the front foot at all times.
He struck the woodwork with one effort and scored a deflected shot for Valencia's second goal of the game.
MD: Tiago, ATM
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Atletico Madrid couldn't take three points from their own game at home to Athletic Bilbao, which ended 0-0, but that was largely due to incompetent assistant refereeing rather than a lack of creativity on Atleti's part.
Tiago was key to much of Atleti's best work once again, playing an adventurous role from the centre of midfield and was frequently the man to break the lines of Athletic, either with his surprising runs beyond the strikers or else his inventive passing.
The Portuguese man both scored and assisted—only to incorrectly see both occasions ruled out for offside.
MD: Aleix Vidal, SEV
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The Sevilla-Real Madrid match might have ended with the visitors taking all three points, but it was far from one-sided.
Several Sevilla players put in excellent performances and deserve mention, but Aleix Vidal was probably chief amongst them. Starting out on the flank and attacking at pace, Vidal got himself into plenty of good positions and was able to find cut-backs to team-mates in shooting areas.
Later he went to full-back and helped his team go again, all-out to find more goals, attacking at will and using the ball well.
RW: Lionel Messi, FCB
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Our four most attacking players picked themselves this week and three came from the big two teams, starting with Lionel Messi on our right side.
The Argentine was of course irrepressible against soon-to-be-relegated opponents, dropping deep to pick up play, running at the defence and shooting with regularity. He found the key to unlock Cordoba with a great ball to Ivan Rakitic for the opener, before scoring twice himself and passing up a hat-trick, giving a penalty to Neymar to score instead.
One memorable moment in the second half saw Messi twinkle-toe his way through four challenges in succession and shoot—only for the keeper to deny him a wonder goal.
LW: Cristiano Ronaldo, RMA
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On the opposite flank to Messi is, once again, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The No. 7 was hugely responsible for his team's win over Sevilla, scoring all three with a variety of goals which showed above all else his movement and determination. Ronaldo was a big threat throughout the game—aside from his set pieces—and he deservedly took home the match ball.
Sevilla matched Real Madrid in many areas, but Ronaldo has that extra level of quality which he made count in a big way.
FW: Jonathas, ELC
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Only one of our front four comes from outside the top two and it's Elche's excellent striker Jonathas.
The Brazilian scored one and made another, showing his great physicality as well as composure on the ball in the final third to help net the two goals on the counter-attack. His total for the season is 12 in La Liga—more than a third of his team's entire total.
A recent run of wins has taken Elche away from the bottom three and this win secured their place in the top flight for another season.
FW: Luis Suarez, FCB
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Our final selection is another hat-trick hero, Barcelona's Luis Suarez who was in typically fiery and predatory form to ravage Cordoba during the 8-0 thrashing.
The Uruguayan was consistent with his closing down, unmarkable with his movement between the defenders and perfect with his timing to net a treble and create another.
Suarez has five goals and four assists in his last three matches alone and has enjoyed a fantastic debut season with Barcelona.
