Ranking the 20 Best Goals of the Liga Season
Our rundown of the Liga season continues with the top 20 goals of the campaign in Spain's top flight.
We've already handed out our wide-ranging awards, ranked the top 50 players and selected the 20 best matches of 2014-15, so now it's time to review perhaps the simplest, most exciting and potentially spectacular part of any campaign: goals.
What makes a goal better than another is purely subjective, with different types being preferable to different people. As such, we've gone for a range of strikes, comprising team goals, solo efforts, spectacular finishes and perfect set pieces.
20. Eneko Boveda, Eibar
1 of 20
EIBAR vs. Granada, October 25, 2014
Pretty simple start for us: 25 yards, first time, hard as possible, top corner. Job done.
Watch Eneko Boveda's goal here from 2:28.
19. Diogo Figueiras, Sevilla
2 of 20
SEVILLA vs. Espanyol, January 29, 2015
Half challenge, half shot and full-on ludicrous goal. Sevilla's Diogo Figueiras clearly ran on toward the ball expecting to make a challenge as Espanyol sought to launch a counter-attack—but once he arrived there first, he simply hammered it.
Clearance, or intentional shot? Only he will know. Either way, he ended up smashing it in from 35 yards and totally bewildering the goalkeeper.
Watch the goal here from 3:07.
18. Anaitz Arbilla, Espanyol
3 of 20
Getafe vs. ESPANYOL, February 20, 2015
Another bulleted corker from range, Anaitz Arbilla latched onto a pass, took a touch to set himself and caught the ball flush on the bounce to send it hurtling into the top corner so accurately that it smashed inside the goal off the frame. Clean as you like.
Watch the goal here from 1:56.
17. Jonathas, Elche
4 of 20
Rayo Vallecano vs. ELCHE, September 14, 2014
Jonathas was a big reason behind Elche staying up this season, a powerful and direct striker who can shoot from anywhere and has no shortage of skill.
He displayed all those traits with this goal, a fantastic driving run from the halfway line, outpacing two defenders and finishing with a great low shot while still outside the penalty box. Composure.
Watch the goal here from 0:10.
16. Lionel Messi, Barcelona
5 of 20
BARCELONA vs. Sevilla, November 22, 2014
One of two free-kicks on our list, Lionel Messi managed to find the postage stamp with this curled, fearsome effort against Sevilla. The amount of bend and dip on the set piece made it impossible to stop. He went on to become La Liga's all-time leading goalscorer in this match.
Watch the goal here from 3:00.
15. James Rodriguez, Real Madrid
6 of 20
Deportivo La Coruna vs. REAL MADRID, September 20, 2014
James Rodriguez netted more than his share of impressive efforts during his debut season in Spain, including this one. After good buildup play down the left, James was found in space on the edge of the box, he took a touch and bent an outswinging shot into the far top corner.
Watch the goal here from 2:46.
14. Abraham, Eibar
7 of 20
Atletico Madrid vs. EIBAR, August 30, 2014
Eibar started the season in great form, and this goal was their style of play in a nutshell, combining a bit of everything. A fast-paced move, plenty of intricate, one-touch passing and a tremendous, curled finish from Abraham made this a great strike all round.
The shame for Eibar is that their confidence didn't last.
Watch the goal here from 3:37.
13. Luis Suarez, Barcelona
8 of 20
BARCELONA vs. Levante, February 15, 2015
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez is no stranger to spectacular goals, and he certainly fired in one of the most outrageous efforts of the campaign against Levante soon after coming on as a substitute back in February.
A run down the left ended with a chipped cross, with Suarez spinning to hammer home a left-footed bicycle kick from eight yards.
Watch the goal here from 3:08.
12. Nolito, Celta Vigo
9 of 20
CELTA VIGO vs. Real Madrid, April 26, 2015
Celta Vigo's Nolito capped an excellent season with a late flurry of goals, including this one in the fantastic 4-2 game between the Galician outfit and Real Madrid late on in the campaign.
He drove infield from the left flank, dribbled with some style past Asier Illarramendi and Dani Carvajal, feinted past Raphael Varane and buried a low shot inside Iker Casillas' near post. Great technique all round.
Watch the goal here from 0:06.
11. Karim Benzema, Real Madrid
10 of 20
REAL MADRID vs. Real Sociedad, January 31, 2015
Karim Benzema scores all kinds of goals and contributes in many different ways to the Real Madrid attack. This occasion saw one of his more instinctive moments of magic.
A quick one-two played on the edge of the box allowed the striker to open up his body and whip a curled shot around the defender and into the far corner, away from the reach of Real Sociedad goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Watch the goal here from 3:33.
10. Javi Lara, Eibar
11 of 20
EIBAR vs. Real Sociedad, August 24, 2014
Eibar were the joint-fourth lowest scorers in the league this season, but they hit a fair few stunners with the efforts that did find the back of the net!
This is our second free-kick of the countdown, and it came right back on the opening day. Javi Lara bent his set piece in from the tightest of angles to score the only goal over Eibar's first game in La Liga.
Watch the goal here from 3:20.
9. Javier Hernandez, Real Madrid
12 of 20
Deportivo La Coruna vs. REAL MADRID, September 20, 2014
Javier Hernandez only came on for the last 12 minutes of Real Madrid's 8-2 win over Deportivo La Coruna in September, but that was time enough to notch a brace, including an absolute stonker.
Taking a long pass down on the left-hand side of the area, Hernandez controlled the ball and then leathered a swerving, left-footed effort inside the near top corner—an unstoppable strike.
Watch the goal here from 3:10.
8. Damian Suarez, Elche
13 of 20
ELCHE vs. Rayo Vallecano, February 9, 2015
A tremendous first-time strike on the run, Damian Suarez didn't just keep Elche's attacking threat alive as he latched onto a clearance but gave his team a spectacular lead against Rayo Vallecano with a controlled cut across the ball to swerve his shot out of the reach of the 'keeper. From 30 yards, he struck the ball right into the far top corner.
Watch the goal here from 2:22.
7. Saul Berjon, Eibar
14 of 20
EIBAR vs. Levante, October 4, 2014
Slightly Paul Scholes-esque, Eibar's Saul Berjon put the finishing touch on a quick-thinking set-piece play by absolutely fizzing an unstoppable volley into the roof of the net from the edge of the box. This was just one of six goals in an eventual 3-3 draw with Levante.
Watch the goal here from 4:00.
6. Pablo Hernandez, Celta Vigo
15 of 20
Atletico Madrid vs. CELTA VIGO, September 20, 2014
Sometimes it pays to just try something so outrageous and improbable that if you pull it off, you can fool everybody.
That's exactly what Pablo Hernandez managed for Celta at Atleti when he held off a defender to reach a simple, straight, long ball that flew over both players' heads. He stretched out a leg behind him to backheel the ball on the volley from 20 yards out. The 'keeper had anticipated the ball running through, meaning Pablo scored with the most unlikely of finishes.
Watch the goal here from 3:40.
5. Jose Luis Morales, Levante
16 of 20
LEVANTA vs. Valencia, November 23, 2014
Here's one of the solo goals of the season, courtesy of Levante's Jose Luis Morales—against perhaps the toughest defence to beat beside Barcelona throughout most of the campaign. Cutting in off the right with a barrelling run, Morales left a couple of defenders for dead before curling a sumptuous effort inside the far corner. Breathtaking.
Watch the goal here from 3:37.
4. Ruben Rochina, GRA
17 of 20
Real Sociedad vs. GRANADA, May 17, 2015
On the penultimate matchday of the season, we saw a long-range and audacious effort from Granada's Ruben Rochina, which ended in a fantastic goal and a vital win. Spotting La Real's 'keeper off his line, Rochina won the ball and immediately shot from fully 40 yards, beating Rulli as he backpedalled. The win helped Granada stay up.
Watch the goal here from 3:30.
3. Sergi Darder, Malaga
18 of 20
MALAGA vs. Getafe, February 28, 2015
This is Malaga central midfielder Sergi Darder, and all you can say about this goal is "wow." It's the type of goal you score once in a while down the park: running onto the ball, spanking it as hard as you can from miles out and connecting perfectly to send it flying into the top corner. Except this one was scored in front of just over 20,000 people, not just a few friends and dog-walkers.
Watch the goal here from 2:44.
2. Jose Maria Gimenez, Atletico Madrid
19 of 20
Elche vs. ATLETICO MADRID, December 6, 2014
This was perhaps the finest team buildup leading to a goal—a great finish in its own right—from any Liga game all season.
Atletico Madrid sprung open a few spaces down the left through overloading and quick passes, worked their way into the penalty area and let the great control and thunderous finish of centre-back Jose Maria Gimenez do the rest.
Watch the goal here from 0:08.
1. James Rodriguez, Real Madrid
20 of 20
REAL MADRID vs. Almeria, April 29, 2015
Our goal of the season from La Liga, James Rodriguez scored this scorcher from distance for Real Madrid against Almeria right on half-time as his side were struggling to break down the opposition. Perfect timing, technique and confidence in his own ability were imperative as the Colombian delivered a searing half-volley that swerved over the 'keeper and into the far corner. Perfect placement.
Watch the goal here from 3:12.
