La Liga Player Rankings: Ronaldo, Messi on the Rise After Latest Goal Exploits
A midweek round of fixtures was quickly followed by Jornada 28's weekend clashes, making for plenty of movement in La Liga's table—and in our form guide.
As usual, we have analysed each game over the weekend to update our player rankings; 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
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A couple of changes this time: Andres Iniesta sat out the weekend win for Barcelona and leaves our top 20 as a result, as does Karim Benzema of Real Madrid, who remains injured.
Making up the good-recent-form watchlist
Gerard Pique, FCB
Jozabed, RAY
Dani Carvajal, RMA
Raul Albentosa, MGA
Asier Illarramendi, RSO
Bruno Soriano, VIL
Juanfran, ATM
Denis Cheryshev, VAL
Aritz Aduriz, ATH
Antonio Adan, BET
German Pezzella, BET
20. Charles, MGA
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No change
Charles started the weekend with a goal early on for Malaga, but that was as good as it got for him on a fairly frustrating day.
Malaga eventually drew 3-3 and had a player sent off in an eventful match against Deportivo La Coruna, and the back-and-forth nature of the game left Charles on the fringes at times. He got through a lot of work and tried to link play, but there was little consistency in Malaga's build-up.
Charles avoids dropping out thanks to his goal, but only just.
19. Charly Musonda, BET
3 of 21New entry
Still only half a dozen games into his Real Betis, and indeed senior football, career, Charly Musonda is continuing to impress and wow during his loan spell from Chelsea.
The winger featured heavily again in Betis' latest triumph, a 2-0 win over Granada on Sunday—though his team left it late to take the points and he wasn't directly involved in the goals.
Even so, his running at the defence, his tracking back and his ability to find and exploit space at pace makes him a dangerous opponent and an exciting young attacker to watch.
18. Iago Aspas, CEL
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No change
Celta Vigo were heavily beaten as they went down 7-1 to Real Madrid, but Iago Aspas doesn't drop in our rankings. He was on the scoresheet with an extremely composed chip over Keylor Navas for Celta's consolation.
Aspas, to be fair to him, got into good positions behind the Real defence on a number of occasions, especially in the first half when Celta were still in the game.
There was nothing he could do about the defence's collapse after the break, and he was subbed later on.
17. Filipe Luis, ATM
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New entry
Atletico Madrid's Filipe Luis has been in excellent form of late and continued that at the weekend in the 3-1 win over Valencia.
The left-back was a strong presence in defence and didn't let Sofiane Feghouli get involved in the game at all, while Luis also managed to surge forward on the overlap a number of times and linked well with the forwards ahead of him, putting in a good all-round display.
He has, of course, been part of the best defence in La Liga all season long, but Luis has impressed more of late individually.
16. Lucas Perez, DEP
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Down 1
Lucas Perez finally got back on the scoresheet this weekend as he netted Depor's third in the 3-3 draw with Malaga.
It was a first La Liga goal in over a month for the striker, and his team have really struggled since the turn of the year—they haven't won in 2016 and have plummeted down the table.
Lucas' individual performance was better from an associative point of view, as he created a few openings with his running off the ball and capacity to find gaps in the defence, but he was still nowhere near his best level.
15. Sergio Busquets, FCB
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Up 2
Sergio Busquets moves up another couple of spots after a typically assured and tactically important performance as Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 win over Eibar.
The holding midfielder stopped the home side going direct to their main attacking man Borja Baston by man-marking him off goal-kicks and possible long-ball situations, while Busquets also covered between the centre-backs in play as he usually does.
The 27-year-old continually probed and pushed Barcelona forward with his passing, and the midfield area was once again dominated by him.
14. Ignacio Camacho, MGA
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Down 2
It was a mixed game for Ignacio Camacho against Deportivo: he scored a goal for Malaga and made sure to get through plenty of work for his team, but he was overly aggressive in the challenge and ended up getting sent off for a succession of fouls.
The Spanish midfielder has already missed 13 games in La Liga this season because of injury and one because of suspension—now he'll face another sidelined.
Malaga need him on the pitch a lot more than they have managed so far this term.
13. Neymar, FCB
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Down 3
Neymar was suspended for Barcelona at the weekend and didn't play.
12. Alphonse Areola, VIL
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Up 2
Another good performance in general for Villarreal goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, though he was finally beaten to see his clean-sheet run of six La Liga games come to an end.
A goal off a corner was enough to see Villarreal lose 1-0 to Las Palmas, but even though the Yellow Submarine largely dominated the first half, Areola had still already been called into action before conceding.
More than one good intervention was called for as Areola made two early saves, and he was brave and quick off his line to thwart a one-on-one situation.
11. Mateo Musacchio, VIL
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Down 4
Mateo Musacchio was rotated and didn't play for Villarreal against Las Palmas.
10. Cristiano Ronaldo, RMA
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Up 3
A surge up the charts for Cristiano Ronaldo, who played well for Real Madrid in midweek against Levante and then racked up a four-goal haul at the weekend.
Jeers and whistles for the No. 7 fell on far-from-deaf ears as he responded to the crowd almost immediately with a hat-trick of scintillating and very different efforts, adding a fourth later in the game in the 7-1 win over Celta.
Ronaldo is now La Liga's leading goalscorer with 27 for the season.
9. Koke, ATM
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Up 2
Koke starred for Atletico Madrid as they saw off Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday, winning 3-1.
The creative midfielder started out wide and eventually moved central as Atleti went for the kill against a fragile opponent, with Koke pulling the strings and working hard in both areas of the pitch.
He set up Antoine Griezmann's opening goal with a fine run into space, and his set-piece delivery was good throughout the match, too.
8. Victor Ruiz, VIL
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Down 2
A mark against Victor Ruiz this week, who was beaten from the corner by David Garcia—who scored the goal for Las Palmas that beat Villarreal 1-0.
Ruiz was largely solid with his ground work, making a few big tackles and interceptions on the edge of the box, and it never seems to bother him who he is paired with in defence, this time with Italian Daniele Bonera coming back into the XI.
That one moment cost Villarreal, though, as they failed to find their shooting boots at the other end.
7. Luka Modric, RMA
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Down 2
Luka Modric sat out the win over Celta for Real Madrid.
6. Diego Godin, ATM
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Down 2
Diego Godin missed out on Atleti's win over Valencia through illness.
5. Lionel Messi, FCB
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Up 4
Into the top five for the first time since before Christmas goes Lionel Messi, with the Argentinian key to the victory over Eibar this weekend.
The No. 10 scored twice and was heavily involved in Barcelona's attacking play, creating space and finding those diagonal passes of his to open up the defence—as well as utilising his own pace and skill on the ball, of course.
Messi is up to third in the scorers charts this season, with 21 to his name.
4. Jose Gimenez, ATM
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Up 4
A rise for Jose Gimenez into the top four is partly thanks to his team-mate Godin not featuring—but the younger Uruguayan did particularly well without his mentor beside him.
After a shaky opening period where Valencia were able to get in between Gimenez and Juanfran down the channel a number of times, including for the equalising goal, Gimenez got to grips with proceedings and was one of the strongest players on show, making his usual big tackles and reading the game well.
A fledgling partnership with Lucas Hernandez alongside him in defence showed some promise, though it isn't likely to be oft-repeated unless injuries strike.
3. Saul Niguez, ATM
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No change
No movement for Atletico's most in-form player, with Saul Niguez steady and impressive without being at his absolute best against Valencia.
Plenty of times he was able to show his passing range and physicality to win back possession in midfield and immediately surge forward or move Atletico into offensive positions, but he also got himself into good areas with the scores tied to try to force the game.
Once more, he was tactically important to Diego Simeone's game management, playing wide, behind the striker and then finally in a central holding role.
2. Jan Oblak, ATM
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No change
Still on the podium spots is Jan Oblak, who was beaten for the first time in six games this weekend by Denis Cheryshev's strike but impressive nonetheless.
Oblak made two good saves to deny Valencia in the early exchanges of the game before later being called upon to intervene on lofted set pieces and crosses before danger could truly take form.
He remains comfortably the best goalkeeper in La Liga this term.
1. Luis Suarez, FCB
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No change
Stlll top of our pile, Luis Suarez was in impressive form for Barcelona as he led the attacking line against Eibar with enthusiasm, work rate and the ability to create space for himself.
He set up the opener in the first minutes of the game as he got behind the defence to cross low for Munir El Haddadi to score from close range, and he ended the scoring himself with a great piece of skill and a fierce drive for the fourth.
Suarez will be crucial to Barcelona's challenge on all three fronts in the final two months of the season, so he could well be rested next time out against Getafe—will he remain on top of our rankings if so?
