Real Madrid maintained their spot on top of the La Liga standings this past weekend with a dominant 3-0 home victory over Leganes. The result keeps Los Blancos two points clear of second-place Barcelona.
Real Sociedad upset Atletico Madrid 2-0 at home on Saturday, while Barcelona battled to a 2-1 victory over Sevilla on Sunday.
We take a look around La Liga and highlight the top performers from Matchweek 11.
GK – GUILLERMO OCHOA – GRANADA CF
Although currently at the bottom of the table, Granada have played well during the past two weeks. Mexican international goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has been an integral part of their improved form.
Ochoa organised the defence and made four saves in Granada’s 1-1 draw with Deportivo de La Coruna on Saturday.
LB – MARCELO – REAL MADRID CF
Real Madrid left-back Marcelo turned in another excellent performance to help keep Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
The Brazilian defender’s ability to get forward and provide quality crosses into dangerous areas offers another level to the incredible Galacticos attack.
CB – SAMUEL UMTITI – BARCELONA
Alongside Javier Mascherano in central defence, French centre-back Samuel Umtiti was a key component to Barcelona’s comeback victory at Sevilla.
Looking more comfortable with each passing match, Umtiti’s positioning and defending have been outstanding for the Blaugrana.
CB – PEDRO BIGAS – UD LAS PALMAS
A second consecutive season in La Liga has gone well thus far for Las Palmas, as the club currently sit in the top half of the league table. Their 1-0 home victory over SD Eibar on Saturday was made possible by the stellar play of centre-back Pedro Bigas.
The 26-year old defender cleared out several scoring opportunities and helped to push the ball forward to the midfield when needed.
RB – FACUNDO RONCAGLIA – CELTA VIGO
After a tough start to the 2016-17 campaign, Celta Vigo and manager Eduardo Berizzo have been rapidly improving league results. Argentine defender Facundo Roncaglia’s play in their 2-1 victory over Valencia was crucial on both sides of the pitch.
Roncaglia scored the equalising goal with a scintillating move to find space and beat Diego Alves with a curling effort. His defensive work in the second half helped secure three points for Os Celestes.
MF – TONI KROOS – REAL MADRID CF
Even when the Real Madrid attack has struggled at times this season, manager Zinedine Zidane has been able to count on the consistently strong play of midfielder Toni Kroos.
Kroos controlled possession throughout Real’s victory over Leganes on Sunday and provided an assist.
MF – BRUNO SORIANO – VILLARREAL CF
Villarreal responded well to their first league defeat last weekend with a 2-0 home victory over Real Betis on Sunday. Midfielder Bruno Soriano was a critical part of the success.
Along with teammate Manu Trigueros, Bruno controlled the midfield throughout the evening. The Spanish international registered an assist in the match as well.
MF – CARLOS VELA – REAL SOCIEDAD
Whether in the midfield, on the right wing or in a centre-forward position, Carlos Vela absolutely took over proceedings in Real Sociedad’s 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid.
Vela stretched the Atletico defence with his pace, displayed accurate passing and scored the opening goal of the match in the 55th minute.
FW – GARETH BALE – REAL MADRID CF
Gareth Bale was an unstoppable force for Real Madrid in their 3-0 victory over Leganes on Sunday afternoon. The Welsh international scored two first-half goals to give his side a comfortable halftime lead.
Bale’s form has been impressive recently, now with eight goals and one assist across all competitions this season.
FW – ALVARO MORATA – REAL MADRID CF
In only his fifth start of the La Liga season, Spanish international Alvaro Morata showcased the skills that make him one of the most efficient strikers in world football.
With a goal and an assist, Morata certainly has added a cause to the idea of manager Zinedine Zidane increasing his playing time.
FW – LIONEL MESSI – BARCELONA
Lionel Messi put in another masterclass performance on Sunday in Barcelona’s 2-1 victory at Sevilla. The win puts Barcelona two points behind Real Madrid in the league standings.
After initially going down 1-0 in the first half, Messi levelled the match in the 43rd minute and provided the assist to Luis Suarez for the winning goal in the second half.
Manager Luis Enrique now prepares his Barcelona squad to host Malaga on November 19th.
