La Liga Player Rankings: Cristiano Ronaldo into Top 20 and a Change at the Top
The transfer window is closed, and we now know who to look out for over the coming weeks to have a big impact in the final months of the La Liga season.
Jornada 22 gave an insight into how both ends of the table may look come the final day, with some impressive performances at both ends meaning our player rankings have undergone another shuffle.
The rankings are based on players' last six games and are continually updated throughout the season, with slightly more emphasis placed on their most recent outing.
Only Liga performances are counted, and typically, one-week wonders do not find their way in—instead, see our Team of the Week for the top performers over a single weekend.
We look beyond the statistical measures and into the performance, reviewing tape to gauge impact. It's not just goals, assists and heroic clearances that impress; it's about how a player contributes to the tactical plan at hand and what impact he has over the entire 90-minute period.
Mentions
1 of 21
Only one exit from last week's top 20: The injured Gareth Bale departs, replaced by a team-mate.
Still on the watch list:
Aritz Aduriz, ATH
Iago Aspas, CEL
Andres Iniesta, FCB
Borja Baston, EIB
Koke, ATM
Andres Fernandez, GRA
Roberto Soldado, VIL
Pedro Mosquera, DEP
Jozabed, RAY
20. Denis Suarez, VIL
2 of 21
Down 7
A few weeks of nondescript performances have taken Villarreal's wide creator right down our list and anything other than an exceptional display next time out at Athletic Club will see Denis Suarez drop out entirely.
The 22-year-old didn't perform poorly this weekend against Granada—he surged infield a few times and played some intelligent passes into the final third for the forwards—but it wasn't the type of non-stop threat from him which is by now a) expected of him and b) required for our top 20.
He's young and form will naturally fluctuate, but Villarreal need everyone near top form to stay in fourth spot over the next few months.
19. Sergio Busquets, FCB
3 of 21
Down 2
Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid in the table-topping clash at the weekend, but Sergio Busquets was one of the few midfielders on show who didn't really impress.
Atletico's non-stop pressing and willingness to work high up the field in the first half meant Busquets was often bypassed completely, either losing the ball in the challenge and not having the physical capacity to recover or—with his defence looking longer for the first pass—to evade Atleti's pressing forwards.
After the two red cards, he naturally saw far more of the ball, but it wasn't one of his top displays of the season.
18. Josema Gimenez, ATM
4 of 21
Up 1
Conversely, Josema Gimenez was on the losing end but rises in our rankings, after putting in a terrific shift in defence, full of heart and determination but also showing a maturity and responsibility which Diego Simeone must be wishing some of his older team-mates had shown, too.
Gimenez made several vital blocks and interceptions in the area in the first half when Atleti either led or were level, and after the break, he had to hold the back line together after Diego Godin was sent off.
Next week he'll have to show his authority and leadership even more—he'll be the only member of Atleti's regular defence in place, with Godin, Filipe Luis and Juanfran all suspended.
17. Keko, EIB
5 of 21
Down 2
Eibar lost 2-1 at home to Malaga and winger Keko simply couldn't get involved in the match to the extent he usually does.
The 24-year-old worked hard, was used as an outlet and tried to run the Malaga defence down the flank, but he couldn't combine in the final third or show his usual good delivery, partly due to a lack of bodies in the area and partly because it simply wasn't his game.
A minor drop, but Keko will no doubt be back on form soon.
16. Cristiano Ronaldo, RMA
6 of 21
New entry
After months of performances which varied between tame and good, but nowhere near Cristiano-level good, Real Madrid's No. 7 is finally getting back to his best.
A hat-trick at the weekend against Espanyol was a fine sight for his fans, but largely irrelevant—Espanyol were no opponents for Real Madrid and the goals flowed easily.
Instead, of far more importance was Ronaldo's work rate, his movement off the ball, his positional changes with Karim Benzema and his clever footwork at times; all these factors have made the Portuguese one of the most feared players on the planet—and all of this has been back on view over the past month.
He's in on merit and his second goal showcased all his best traits in a microcosm.
15. Toni Kroos, RMA
7 of 21
Up 5
Real Madrid are enjoying seeing one or two non-performers from before Christmas return to form in the early weeks of 2016.
Toni Kroos' upturn has been impressive and required, and he is now showing the consistency of early last season.
The German was comfortable against Espanyol on account of the opposition's lack of pressure in midfield—their penchant for dropping off deep and nobody running behind him on the counter allowed him to spray the ball effortlessly from side to side and keeping Real playing high up the field.
Kroos didn't need to force the issue so played low in midfield rather than creating chances higher upfield, but he never wasted a pass and was given a deserved rest near the end.
14. Lionel Messi, FCB
8 of 21
Up 4
Atletico were the better team—tactically and with their effort in the game—but Barcelona took the points.
A big part of the reason was the two red cards of course, but it should be remembered that Barca already led before they occurred—and the strike force is the reason why.
Lionel Messi showed in the first half all the best parts of his game: one-touch finesse, movement inside the penalty box, the ability to evade challenges and fantastic link play, with some fluid and fast passages of play taking place through him and inside the Atleti penalty box.
He scored the all-important equaliser and was very impressive in the opening 45 minutes, before taking a back seat a little after the break.
13. Ignacio Camacho, MGA
9 of 21
Up 3
Malaga's win at Eibar came courtesy of some clinical finishing and strong counter-attacks, but at the heart of their own defensive resilience was the non-stop work rate of Nacho Camacho.
The central midfielder buzzed around winning the ball back countless times, picking up stray passes and making challenges for Malaga to ensure Eibar couldn't get their own attacking game going for any considerable spell.
Camacho's own passing was shocking at times, but the amount of times he won the ball back just about compensated for that, so he rises in our rankings.
12. Lucas Perez, DEP
10 of 21
Up 2
Another game and another goal for Lucas Perez.
After back-to-back games where he has found the net, Lucas now has 14 for the season in La Liga—but Depor have still only won once since late November and are on a downward spiral with results, following a 2-2 draw at home to Rayo Vallecano.
His goal typified his season and his partnership with Luis Alberto: one found the other with a great pass into space and Lucas had the pace, precision and composure to find the net.
A hard-working display all-round, where he created more often than he had shooting chances.
11. Juanfran, ATM
11 of 21
Down 2
Atletico Madrid's right-back actually suffered for once against Barcelona, with Neymar getting the better of him on a number of occasions and one of the goals coming from his channel, too.
Juanfran is as reliable as they come but couldn't do much against the incessant and fast-paced Barcelona attack in a spell which resulted in a couple of goals against Atleti.
In attack there was little he could offer as Atleti played very high upfield, and even less so once they went down to 10—and then nine—men.
10. Victor Ruiz, VIL
12 of 21
No change
Victor Ruiz returned to the Villarreal team after suspension and got right back to his usual level.
A clean sheet was deserved as Villarreal defended well overall and dominated most of the game in their 1-0 win over Granada, but Ruiz still had a bit to do.
Although most Granada attacks seemed to flow the way of his defensive partner, the 27-year-old was left to cover in case any second balls came in his direction.
Calm on the ball and able to pass out defence neatly, it was a standard—and good—game for Ruiz.
9. Luka Modric, RMA
13 of 21
Up 2
Luka Modric continued his slow upward trajectory in our rankings with another performance which was neat and impressive, but he hardly challenged and his game ended early due to substitution.
Espanyol's woeful approach to midfield saw the Croatian simply roam wherever he wanted, picking up the ball in space and feeding the front three relentlessly, claiming one assist out of the six goals along the way.
A huge ovation for Modric told the story of his importance to the team this season, though he could have played at 50 per cent capacity against Espanyol and still been a success.
8. Karim Benzema, RMA
14 of 21
No change
Karim Benzema started the match against Espanyol looking sharp and in the mood, and he opened the scoring with a fine header, but he had little influence on the game thereafter.
His movement and work rate were impressive, but he fumbled his first touch a few times and never really got settled when trying to shoot at goal; it was always hurried and off-balance and never quite from a clear position.
He was eventually subbed and will have better games, but he also has 18 Liga goals now—the third highest.
7. Antoine Griezmann, ATM
15 of 21
Down 1
Antoine Griezmann was tactically important for Atletico Madrid against Barcelona, but he actually had very little influence on the team's attack.
Griezmann and strike partner Yannick Carrasco pressed ridiculously high upfield—inside Barca's penalty box at times—to keep the Catalan outfit pinned back and their own team on the front foot.
There was good link play on occasions and the duo's pace made for a constant out ball for Atletico to use on the counter, but neither quite managed to get clear inside the box.
Griezmann was subbed off after the second red card...
6. Diego Godin, ATM
16 of 21
Down 3
...which brings us neatly to Diego Godin.
The Uruguayan centre-back has been a model of consistency, reliability and top-level defending over the last two months, but he lost his head entirely against Barcelona and made a challenge more often seen by a youth player trying too hard to impress—resulting in his second yellow and subsequent red.
That dismissal—Atleti's second—ended any hopes of taking a point off Barcelona and, combined with a few poor passes out of defence and moments of poor decision-making, sees Godin drop outside the top five for the first time in what seems an age.
5. Saul Niguez, ATM
17 of 21
Up 2
Into the top five goes an Atleti team-mate though, with Saul again showing why he has become such an important member of the first team's midfield.
In the first half, he played from the right side of a four-man midfield, surging forward constantly and showing the technique and power to beat Barcelona's defence, even setting up the game's opening goal for Koke.
Saul later switched to a central holding role and did the job very well, winning back possession, protecting the defence as best he could and displaying enormous stamina to track back and immediately move forward again.
4. Neymar, FCB
18 of 21
Up 1
Neymar, like Lionel Messi, was at his best in the first half and particularly after Barcelona fell behind.
The Brazilian was unstoppable at times in his surging dribbles, running infield to link play and create sudden openings. He was also heavily involved in some of Barcelona's fastest phases of combination play with no-look passes, clever touches and intricate footwork.
He didn't score, but it doesn't diminish his impact on the team getting back in front before half-time.
3. Mateo Musacchio, VIL
19 of 21
Up 1
Mateo Musacchio was Victor Ruiz's partner in defence for Villarreal, and it was he who was the busier of the two, seeming to attract all the aerial assaults from Granada—and repelling them with vigour and accuracy.
The Argentinian centre-back was reliable and impressive, resolute in his defending and adventurous with his bringing the ball out of the back line at times, passing or dribbling into space to open up the game for his team.
The clean sheet seemed assured with him in place, and Musacchio's return to form after injury continues.
2. Jan Oblak, ATM
20 of 21
Down 1
Off top spot this weekend, Jan Oblak was beaten twice by Barcelona's attack in the 2-1 defeat for Atletico Madrid, but he certainly didn't disgrace himself.
Two good saves gave notice of how difficult it would be to find a way past him and his handling work off crosses into the area was as impeccable as usual.
Atletico defended very deep at times, meaning Oblak had little space in front of him and had to judge runs off his line perfectly, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.
His run of five clean sheets in La Liga comes to an end, but he has still only conceded 10—easily the best in the league.
1. Luis Suarez, FCB
21 of 21
Up 1
Back up to top spot again is Luis Suarez, Barcelona's centre-forward, La Liga's joint-top scorer and the match-winner on the big occasion yet again.
His relentless movement in behind the defence was one of the defining factors in the match, forcing Atletico to defend deep to prevent him finding space—and yet he still found a gap to exploit for his well-taken goal, holding off a defender to fire under Oblak for 2-1.
Suarez's link play was exceptional at times; he never gave the defence a moment's rest and he has ultimately tipped the title race in his team's favour with the winning goal.
