![]() ![]() Jose Maria Gimenez is another teak-tough centre-half hewn from the Uruguayan quarry, and he is turning into one of the world's best defenders. Isco is out of favour with Santiago Solari at Real Madrid, with his tendency to slow up the play seemingly at odds with the new coach's style, but he can still be mesmerising when he's on his game.Īn old-school central-midfield playmaker-great passer, great vision and never ruffled-Dani Parejo was instrumental in getting Valencia back into the Champions League. Koke endured a disappointing World Cup with Spain but is still an essential element of Simeone's drive for a Champions League final spot.ĭiscarded by Barcelona and following a spell with Borussia Dortmund, Marc Bartra has helped solidify Real Betis' shaky defence.ĭani Ceballos is turning into one of the best midfielders in La Liga after muscling his way into the starting XI at Real Madrid.Īn exciting wide player who-with a bit more consistency-could find himself being coveted by Barcelona or Real Madrid.Ī big year for the full-back -including a starting position in France's World Cup-winning team-who may well be on the move to Bayern Munich, per F.J. Put in such a sterling season in a rejuvenated Valencia side on loan last term that the La Liga club emptied the bank to buy him from Inter Milan. Rodrigo has been excellent all year for Valencia and could become a regular starter for Spain given Diego Costa's struggles for form and Iago Aspas' advancing years. The elegant Argentinian midfielder has been excellent this season, and he is an important element in Sevilla's tilt at the title.Īlthough he has fallen out of favour with Real Madrid coach Solari-for political reasons, according to El Confidencial (h/t Sport)-Keylor Navas will always be remembered by fans for helping the club win three European Cups in a row. He become such a dependable defender since moving from Real Madrid to Real Sociedad that he is pressing for a starting place with the Spain national team. Having come through the youth academy ranks at Valencia, Jose Gaya is set to be another great Spanish wing-back.Īfter a difficult time at AC Milan, Andre Silva-who is hugely regarded in his homeland, Portugal-has found his way to goal with Sevilla.Ĭelta Vigo will find it difficult to hold on to the young Uruguayan striker, who has been in scintillating form for the Galician side. The former Real Madrid youth academy player has been so solid in the middle of the Espanyol defence that he earned the first of possibly many full international caps with Spain in November. The Brazilian full-back has been on the road for a long time, but he is as energetic (and tenacious in the tackle) as ever. Roger Marti has been around a long time-having spent several seasons playing in Spain's second division-but he is finally grabbing the headlines with the goals that have pushed Levante into the top half of the table. He couldn't find his feet at Barcelona but has been reborn at Sevilla, where he is an essential part of their rapid counter-attacking play. ![]() ![]() He needs to find his confidence again.Īfter his controversial move from Real Sociedad to Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao, Inigo Martinez has been kept busy in a defence that has been leaking goals. ![]() Marco Asensio's stock is tumbling at Real Madrid, but he still has shown moments of genius during the early part of the year. The early-season performances of Marcos Llorente, a Real Madrid blue blood (both his father and his grand-uncle, Paco Gento, played for Los Blancos), suggest a Spain star is in the making.īorja Iglesias is now a different man after scoring a lot of crucial goals for Espanyol since moving from Celta Vigo during the summer. Most of all, we believe our top 50 will prompt some heated debate. It also has some surprises, such as Marcos Llorente, who we predict could be in the top 20 next year if he continues playing so effectively. Diego Costa, for instance, returned to Atletico Madrid at the start of the year, but his form has fallen off a cliff since the spring. The list will no doubt ruffle a few feathers. We've also taken national-team duty into account for our criteria, as several players won FIFA World Cup winners' medals with France, for example, but we've weighted players' positioning in favour of their performances at club level. It has been another momentous year for football in La Liga, with the shock departure of one of the greatest players in the history of the league, Cristiano Ronaldo, leading the headlines.įor this year's list of La Liga's best performers, the former Real Madrid goal machine is omitted because he left mid-2018. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |