This is the Spanish La Liga team of the week in a 4-3-3 formation following Barcelona’s win on Tuesday night.
Goalkeeper – Diego Alves of Valencia
This man made the most of an injury to first team regular Vicente Guaita to show coach Unai Emery and the rest of the La Liga what an outstanding keeper he really is. Although Alves has largely been restricted to appearances in the Champions League, he made a strong case for himself with an outstanding display on the weekend, where he pulled off some fantastic saves to earn the full three points for Valencia.
Right Back – Juan Valera (Getafe)
He scored the only goal in the victory over mighty Barca on Saturday. Reason enough for him to qualify on the list. Aside from the goal, he was excellent defensively and also provided a lot of support in attack for Getafe, who pulled of a huge upset in front of their home fans.
Center Back – Pepe (Real Madrid)
Although he was given a hard time by Adrian of Atletico Madrid, he managed to hold his own over the course of the match. While it is true that Atletico were down to 10-men in 20 minutes, let us not take anything away from the Portuguese central defender for what was a great display in defense.
Center Back – Emir Spahic (Sevilla)
A brilliant display in defence from Emir Spahic proved to be the difference between the two teams as Sevilla won 1-0 over Real Zaragoza after a strike from Alvaro Negredo. Spahic was imperious in the backline as he gave his all to protect the team’s lead throughout the match.
Left Back – Eric Abidal (Barcelona)
Although he was rather shoddy in his defending against Getafe, he produced a wonderful performance against Rayo Vallecano. An assured display from the veteran French left-back, who finally seems to be back in his elements after a while now.
Defensive Midfield – Medhi Lacen (Getafe)
He kept the midfield organized against Barcelona. Sprayed the ball around particularly well and broke down Barcelona’s play time and time again with a number of intersections and tackles. A complete performance from the Algerian was why Getafe prevailed over the Catalans on Saturday.
Central Midfield – Isco (Malaga)
The talented 19 year old playmaker was unplayable at some moments of the match as defenders had a torrid time containing him. His footwork was great on the night – something that Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi would be proud of. Scored the winning goal on the night for Malaga.
Central Midfield – Jose Javier Barkero (Levante)
The 32 year old has been the force behind Levante this season. His performances have ensured that they continue to remain high in the league standings despite not being the best of teams. He has grown accustomed to making the killer pass for Arouna Kone to finish up front while also getting on the score sheet on Sunday.
Right Wing – Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona)
That first goal from the Chilean effectively sealed his berth on this list actually. He was a constant menace that Vallecano failed to deal with. Our man of the match for the day, Sanchez scored a brace for the Catalans, who now appear to have hit top gear.
Left Wing – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
No praise is enough for this man. The Portuguese captain totally terrorized Atletico’s defence on the night. Atletico could not deal with his speed, power, or trickery. Converted two penalty kicks in clinical fashion and also laid an assist for Angel di Maria to finish off. A great game indeed for Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday.
Striker – Arouna Kone (Levante)
Kone scored the third and the fourth goal for Levante on the night as they defeated Sportin Gijon 4-0 at home. An accomplished performance from the striker who finished well for the goals. Also worked tirelessly all night to create space for his teammates.