Matchday 13 - Round-up

Barcelona demolished Real Madrid 5-0 in the Gran Clasico on Monday night, firmly re-establishing themselves as favourites to win the league title. Jose Mourinho cut a forlorn figure at the Camp Nou but had no complaints after the game as Barca put in a spell-binding performance to humiliate their bitter rivals. Xavi, Pedro, Villa (2) and Jeffren scored the goals that settled the tie on this historic night for the Catalan club.

Rewind two days and Villarreal’s quality shone through at the Romareda on Saturday evening as they sentenced Real Zaragoza to a 0-3 defeat thanks to goals from Marcos Senna, Santiago Cazorla and Nilmar. It was Javier Aguirre’s first home game in charge at Zaragoza and his first defeat; dragging the Aragonese club off the bottom of the table is going to take all the Mexican’s managerial guile.

Gregorio Manzano’s midweek motivational speech had little effect on his Sevilla team, who suffered a second consecutive home defeat against Getafe at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan this weekend. To confound matters, the Andalusians threw away a half time lead they had earned thanks to a Fredi Kanoute goal as Manu del Moral, Miku and Pedro Rios all struck in the second half. This 1-3 win ended a miserable run for Getafe and eased the pressure on under-fire coach Michel.

Espanyol have enjoyed a sensational start to the 2010-11 season but none of their results hitherto have been as spectacular or impressive as the 2-3 reverse they meted out to Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Mauricio Pochettino’s team went ahead not once, not twice, but three times as Tiago and Sergio Aguero cancelled out goals from Luis Garcia and Joan Verdu during the game but a stunning winner from Pablo Osvaldo eventually won it for Los Pericos to keep them among the top four.

Markus Rosenberg finally found the back of the net to help Racing Santander to a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna at the Sardinero on Sunday, but Miguel Angel Portugal still has the worrying conversion rate to fret over. Racing missed a string of chances against a bland Deportivo side, including their third penalty blunder of 2010-11.

Esteban Vigo’s big guns fired Hercules to glory in the east coast derby against Levante on matchday thirteen. Two goals from Nelson Valdez and one from David Trezeguet helped the Alicante-based club to a 3-1 victory over Luis Garcia Plaza’s injury-hit side, who were able to respond just once with a goal from Ruben Suarez.

Sporting de Gijon suffered another crisis of confidence at the Molinon this weekend as they fell 1-3 to Real Sociedad. Despite taking an early lead through centre back Gregory Arnolin Manuel Preciado’s men showed a worrying lack of composure. Real took control of the game and went on to enjoy themselves as goals from Xabi Prieto, David Zurutuza and Mikel Aranburu turned the tie on its head. In 9th position, Martin Lasarte’s team continue to distinguish themselves as the most impressive promoted club.

Two goals in the space of four minutes from Pierre Webo and Chori Castro handed Real Mallorca a comfortable sounding 2-0 victory over Malaga at the Iberostar stadium on Sunday evening. Michael Laudrup will be satisfied with the points but, truth be told, neither team really deserved a win after a dour ninety minutes of football.

A second half stoppage-time winner from Carlos Gurpegui gave Athletic Bilbao a 1-0 win over Osasuna at San Mames. Gorka Iraizoz and Ricardo Lopez both made telling contributions in goal for their respective teams but aerial bombardment was the strategy of choice for both clubs and Joaquin Caparros’ men are the league’s supreme side in that regard.

Jose Luis Oltra was subjected to defeat in his first game in charge or Almeria as Roberto Soldado struck twice to lead Valencia to a 2-1 win at Mestalla. Unai Emery’s team survived a late scare as Leandro Ulloa hit an 89th minute consolation goal; this win keeps them within spitting distance of the top four.

Matchday 13 - Player to Watch

Lionel Messi (Barcelona) / Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

The coming together of Barcelona and Real Madrid pits the two best players in world against each other. The last two winners of the FIFA World Player of the Year award will be under the spotlight on Monday and the outcome of the Clasico could be determined by which of these global icons comes out on top at the Camp Nou.

                                                2010-11 Statistics

                                                Lionel Messi                           Cristiano Ronaldo                         

League Appearances:                10                                                 12                                 


League Goals:                             13                                                 14


League Assists:                          6                                                   5


Total Appearances:                    18                                                 19


Total Goals:                                 23                                                 18


Total Assists:                              9                                                   6

Matchday 13 - Featured Preview: Barcelona vs Real Madrid

Parliamentary elections in Catalonia were scheduled on the same weekend as the Gran Clasico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou so, for security reasons, the LFP decided to move the game to a Monday night. Criticism of this decision has been widespread, but it will not take the gloss off what is undoubtedly the calendar highlight of the league season. With twelve games played, one point separates Real and Barca in 1st and 2nd place respectively and, with both teams dropping fewer points than ever, this match could have a genuine influence on the outcome of the title race. The two Spanish giants have an unfair advantage over their domestic and European rivals due to a financial disparity in the distribution of La Liga's television rights and, technically speaking, that has turned Barcelona and Real Madrid into the supreme clubs in world football.   

BARCELONA

Player to Watch: Lionel Messi

Barcelona warmed up for the biggest game of the season so far with a 0-3 win over Panathinaikos in the Champions League. That win in Athens guarantees Barca's place in the last 16 of the Champions League and they will be seeded in December's draw as group winners. The blaugrana have won their last five matches in all competitions and their last six in La Liga so they arrive at Monday's decisive clash with Real Madrid in excellent form. Last season they beat Real 1-0 at home in the league thanks to a goal from substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is no longer with the club.

Lionel Messi will be the centre of atention this time around and; the current FIFA World Player of the Year has scored in the last nine matches he has appeared in and he has a very good record against Real Madrid, with nearly a goal a game against Los Merengues. He has never scored, however, against a Jose Mourinho-led team and that is a statistic he will be looking to change on Monday night. Pep Guardiola's side will effectively be at full strength because only support centre back Gabi Milito is currently injured. Jose Manuel Pinto will return to the bench after a European ban kept him out in midweek and Jeffren is fit enough to be named in the squad. Messi will be the main danger man in the front three alongside David Villa, who is new to the Clasico experience, and Pedro Rodriguez, who is starting to find some goal scoring form after a slow start to the 2010-11 campaign. Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergi Busquets are expected to line up in a midfield three, with the latter coming in to replace Argentina captain Javier Mascherano, who played in Denmark. Mascherano will be fighting tooth and nail for a starting role, however, and, along with the left back slot, the defensive midfield role will probably be the most hotly contended of all the positions. Maxwell and Eric Abidal are competing to play next to Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and Dani Alves in front of Victor Valdes; I expect the defensive strengths and speed of Frenchman Abidal will prove decisive in Guardiola's final decision. Maxwell offers more going forward but, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel di Maria pressing down the wings, Abidal would be the more conservative option.

Possible starting XI: (4-3-3) Victor Valdes; Eric Abidal, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves; Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta; Lionel Messi, Pedro Rodriguez, David Villa;

REAL MADRID

Player to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid could not be in better form heading into this crunch encounter with Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Apart from being unbeaten so far this season under Jose Mourinho, Los Merengues have also won seven consecutive league games and scored a whopping twenty-seven goals during that run. They warmed up for the trip to Catalonia with a 0-4 away drubbing of Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League to confirm their position as group winners and ensure a seeded spot in next month's last 16 draw. Madrid would probably be out and out favourites against any team in the world at the moment with the exception of Barcelona, who are in just as devastating form. This fixture stands head an shoulders above its foreign equivalents as the biggest club game in world football and, with Real revived under Jose Mourinho, it will be the most eagerly anticipated Clasico clash in years.

Ezequiel Garay, Fernando Gago and, most notably, Kaka, will sit it out because of long running injury problems. Ricardo Carvalho, Gonzalo Higuain and Sami Khedira sat out the Champions League win on Tuesday due to niggling problems but Mourinho is hoping to have all of them available by Monday. Portuguese defender Carvalho is back in full training and will line up next to Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo in the back four. Higuain and Khedira are more of a concern as their return to training has been delayed slightly, but they are expected to take their places in holding midfield and attack respectively; Lassana Diarra and Karim Benzema will be working intensely just in case. There have been rumours in the press that Mourinho will change the habitual 4-2-3-1 formation to play with three defensive midfielders, as he did with Inter Milan against Barcelona in the Champions League last season, but that would mean a new set of instructions and the inevitable gamble that goes with it. In that case, either Angel di Maria or Mesut Ozil would have to make way for Lass. Real's team has picked itself so far, and a repeat of the regular eleven in the 4-2-3-1 is still the most likely option.

Possible starting XI: (4-2-3-1) Iker Casillas; Marcelo, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Sergio Ramos; Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso; Mesut Ozil, Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel di Maria; Gonzalo Higuain;

La Liga - Matchday 13

Saturday 27th November
Real Zaragoza vs Villarreal (18:00)

Sevilla vs Getafe (20:00)

Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol (22:00)

Sunday 28th November

Sporting de Gijon vs Real Sociedad (17:00)

Hercules vs Levante (17:00)

Racing Santander vs Deportivo La Coruna (17:00)

Real Mallorca vs Malaga (17:00)

Athletico Bilbao vs Osasuna (19:00)
Valencia vs Almeria (21:00)
Monday 29th November
Barcelona vs Real Madrid (21:00) 

Matchday 12 - Player of the Round

Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

When it comes to Lionel Messi, I don't mind repeating myself. Just because he won last time, it doesn't make him ineligible for the Player of the Round accolade for a second week running. Messi was the outstanding player of matchday twelve, scoring a hat-trick and assisting two Bojan goals in Barcelona's historic 0-8 hammering of Almeria at the Juegos Mediterraneos. The Argentine forward is not the favourite to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award this year because the trophy is expected to go to a world cup winner - or if not a Spaniard, probably a finalist called Wesley - but he deserves it.

Matchday 12 - Round-up

Barcelona geared up for next weekend's Gran Clasico with an incredible 0-8 win over Almeria at the Juegos Mediterraneos. It was the first time in fifty years that Barca have won by such a comprehensive score line. Almeria president Alfonso Garcia was so incensed that he sacked manager Juanma Lillo on the spot just minutes after the final whistle. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick, Bojan came off the bench to grab a double and the other goals came from Andres Iniesta, Pedro and a Santiago Acasiete own-goal.

Despite that phenomenal result, it was not enough to put Pep Guardiola's men top of La Liga, as Real Madrid responded with a 5-1 thumping of Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu. Athletic started well and could have been ahead early on but Jose Mourinho's men weathered the storm and eventually won comfortably thanks to Gonzalo Higuain's opener, a Sergio Ramos penalty and a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick. Fernando Llorente continued his fine scoring run with Athletic's only goal just before half time. Real lead Barcelona by one point heading into next Monday's showdown and it promises to be an exhilarating spectacle for a global audience.

Earlier on Saturday night, Villarreal and Valencia lost further ground on the top two as they played out a 1-1 draw at the Madrigal. Unai Emery set his team out to defend with five at the back and they nicked an early lead thanks to a clever flick from Aritz Aduriz. Villarreal were the better team throughout, though, and they deserved their second half equaliser from Giuseppe Rossi. They could have won the game after Marius Stankevicius' red card gave them a big advantage in the last ten minutes but Valencia held on for a draw to increase the gap between second placed Barcelona and third placed Villarreal to seven points.

Deportivo La Coruna’s five man defence has become very hard to break down and it served them well on Sunday as they beat Malaga 3-0 at the Riazor. The scoreline flattered Miguel Angel Lotina’s team slightly, but Manuel Pellegrini’s side suffered for their weakness at defending set-pieces. Adrian, Diego Colotto and Pablo Alvarez scored the goals which condemned Malaga to another week in the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, former Malaga striker Felipe Caicedo put in a superb display to help Levante to a 3-1 victory over Racing Santander at the Ciutat de Valencia. Two first half goals from the Ecuadorian followed by a direct red card to Racing left back Domingo Cisma decided the Cantabrian's fate with three quarters of the game left to play. Christian Stuani also got in on the action with a goal before half time but Mehdi Lacen scored a late consolation goal to reduce the final deficit to two. Several top flight managers have lost their jobs in recent weeks and the pressure on Miguel Angel Portugal's head is starting to mount.

Espanyol made it six out of six home wins this season with a 3-0 victory over Hercules at the Cornella El Prat on matchday twelve. Joan Verdu gave the hosts an early lead but the result was only safe after Juan Calatayud's 80th minute red card and Pablo Osvaldo's subsequent penalty. Another spot kick in stoppage time converted by Luis Garcia completed the rout.

Iranian midfielder Masoud Shojaei scored the only goal for Osasuna as they beat Sporting de Gijon 1-0 at the Reyno de Navarra. After the intensity of last week's bitter clash with Real Madrid, Manuel Preciado's side looked drained and uninspired and they effectively gifted Jose Antonio Camacho's team three points due to their lack of intensity. 

Real Mallorca caused the shock of the weekend as they upset former manager Gregorio Manzano's Sevilla with a 1-2 win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. The Balearic visitors led for a long time thanks to Michael Pereira's first half goal but Luis Fabiano's strike three minutes before the end threatened to ruin Michael Laudrup's day. Justice was eventually done, however, as Mallorca responded immediately to Sevilla's equaliser by going up the other end and scoring via the head of Cameroonian forward Pierre Webo. This was Gregorio Manzano’s first home loss in the league since he took over at Sevilla and, after beating Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia at the Pizjuan, he was not expecting his old team, who are notoriously poor on the road, to come here and triumph.

Sunday's action concluded with Atletico Madrid staging a late comeback to beat Real Sociedad 2-4 at Anoeta. The Basque side led from the 12th minute, when Joseba Llorente put them in front, until the 71st minute when Diego Forlan equalised. Two goals in three minutes from man-of-the-match Sergio Aguero completed the turn around and sentenced the tie, even though an 85th minute goal from Diego Rivas gave Real a slim hope of a draw until Simao's stoppage time penalty re-established a two goal cushion.

Getafe did underfire boss Michel no favours as they were held to a 1-1 draw by bottom of the league side Real Zaragoza at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Monday night. The Madrilenos had to come from behind after Nicolas Bertolo put Javier Aguirre's side in front. Adrian Coluna equalised from the spot but Getafe wasted chances to win the game after Zaragoza defender Leonardo Ponzio was sent off midway through the second half.  Under the circumstances, it was a satisfying debut for Mexican manager Aguirre, but he still has a lot of work to do at the Romareda.

Matchday 12 - Featured Preview: Sevilla vs Real Mallorca

Real Mallorca will come face to face with their old mentor on Sunday when they visit Gregorio Manzano's new side Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Manzano is unbeaten at home at his new club having dispatched close rivals Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia in recent weeks. Just like at Mallorca, the Andalusian coach's main priority is to build a strong home base from which to launch a top four assault. Standing in his path on matchday twelve is his old club and his shrewd managerial successor in Palma, Michael Laudrup. 

SEVILLA

Player to Watch: Antonio Luna

A last minute Alvaro Negredo winner gave Sevilla a 1-2 win over Real Zaragoza at the Romareda on matchday eleven and that win puts the Andalusians on the brink of a return to the top four. They currently sit 5th but they are level on points with Valencia, who are just above them, heading into Sunday's clash with Gregorio Manzano's former employers Real Mallorca. The Balearic club will want to show up their former boss but, with Manzano's inside knowledge of the club and most of the players who used to be under his tutelage, you would expect Sevilla to triumph. Added to that is the fact that Mallorca are awkward travellers and lack the quality that Manzano's new team boasts, on paper at least. Sevilla are LWLWW in their last five matches and this is the first of back to back home matches in La Liga from which they will hope to garner six points.

Fernando Navarro has to serve his second domestic suspension of the season on Sunday, which sees him come out of the Sevilla back four. Last time he was banned, Antonio Luna came in from Sevilla Athletic and started ahead of Mouhamadou Dabo and that could be the case again, with young Luna joining Martin Caceres, Alexis Ruano and Abdoulay Konko in defence. Federico Fazio and Ivica Dragutinovic are not physically apt to compete in that area, while further up the field injuries also keep Diego Capel, Jesus Navas and Tiberio Guarente sidelined. Romaric and Andres Palop have proven their fitness and both could start at the Pizjuan. Romaric was very nearly cast out by Antonio Alvarez but a deadline day loan to Real Zaragoza fell through and he has come back to prominence under Gregorio Manzano, even replacing Didier Zokora as the preferred midfield hardman for now. Renato, just ahead of the Ivorian, and Alejandro Alfaro and Diego Perotti in wide areas, will provide the attacking impetus from midfield, with Fredi Kanoute and Luis Fabiano hoping to continue up front with Alvaro Negredo confined to the bench despite his fine goal-scoring form.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Andres Palop; Abdoulay Konko, Alexis, Martin Caceres, Antonio Luna; Alejandro Alfaro, Renato, Romaric, Diego Perotti; Luis Fabiano, Fredi Kanoute;

REAL MALLORCA

Player to Watch: Gonzalo Castro

Real Mallorca were held to a 0-0 draw at the Iberostar Estadi by Deportivo La Coruna last weekend and those dropped points restricted them to 10th position in the league table after matchday eleven. On matchday twelve they are back on the road as they visit Sevilla's Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, the new home of their former boss Gregorio Manzano. Manzano is remembered fondly by the Balearic fans for steering the club to 5th last season on a shoe-string budget, but Mallorca will be hoping to tarnish his record on Sunday with a rare away win. Michael Laudrup's team are LWWLD in their last five matches but they felt their performances deserved more from the last two games, having fallen to late goals in the 3-2 defeat at Real Zaragoza and having drawn a blank against Deportivo. Despite feeling hard done by, one of Michael Laudrup's strengths is that he knows his side's limitations so he will urge caution heading to Andalusia against a technically superior team.

The return of Enrique Corrales and Sergi Enrich this week has left the Mallorca medical room empty so Laudrup has a full compliment of players to choose from. He has opted not to rush Enrich and Corrales back into the squad and due to the surplus of numbers that goes hand in hand with a fully fit squad, they, as well as Tuni, Marti Crespi and Sergio Tejera, are left out of the travelling group. He is most likely to play with just one striker in the Pizjuan, with Fernando Cavenaghi and Pierre Webo competing for the right to lead the attack. In that case, Jonathan de Guzman, Chori Castro, Jose Luis Marti, Emilio Nsue and either Michael Pereira or Joao Victor would start in the midfield five in front of the regular back four of Pau Cendros, Ivan Ramis, Jose Nunes and Ayoze Diaz. Duda Aouate will continue in goal. One possible variation in personnel could see Ratinho start ahead of Cendros in defence, while a switch to the 4-4-2 would mean both Cavenaghi and Webo starting - unless Victor Casadeus is brought in - which would mean no place for Pereira or Victor from the outset. A fit-again Chori Castro is the main danger man as far as Sevilla are concerned; he will be looking to make up for lost time after a couple of weeks watching on from the stands.

Possible starting XI: (4-2-3-1) Duda Aouate; Pau Cendros, Ivan Ramis, Jose Nunes, Ayoze Diaz; Pep Luis Marti, Joao Victor; Emilio Nsue, Jonathan de Guzman, Gonzalo Castro; Fernando Cavenaghi;

Matchday 12 - Player to Watch

Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao)

Rumour has it, Real Madrid have made enquiries about the potential signing of Fernando Llorente, but have been discouraged by Athletic Bilbao president Fernando Garcia Macua, who has no interest in selling and has told Real that he will not negotiate. Athletic's refusal to do business apparently means the player would have to pay massive taxes on the remainder of his contract, a bill which Florentino Perez would have to foot in addition to the release clause, the combined sum of which would amount to over 63 million euros. Surely that prices even Real Madrid out of a move for the centre forward, who will line up against them at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night. Llorente is currently third in the Pichichi race behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi with eight goals and he will be the the sole focus of Joaquin Caparros' attack in the absence of support striker Gaizka Toquero. At 6ft 5in, Llorente provides an aerial threat that is difficult for even the best defenders to cope with and the Basque side know how to cater to his abilities. Jose Mourinho and his team have proved most vulnerable at set-pieces this season, so Athletic Bilbao, spear-headed by Llorente, could prove the most genuine threat to Real's unbeaten record to date.

La Liga - Matchday 12

Saturday 20th November
Villarreal vs Valencia (18:00)

Almeria vs Barcelona (20:00)

Real Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao (22:00)

Sunday 21st November

Osasuna vs Sporting de Gijon (17:00)

Levante vs Racing Santander (17:00)

Espanyol vs Hercules (17:00)

Deportivo La Coruna vs Malaga (17:00)

Sevilla vs Real Mallorca (19:00)
Real Socidedad vs Atletico Madrid (21:00)
Monday 22nd November
Getafe vs Real Zaragoza (21:00) 

Ibrahim Afellay - A January bargain for Barcelona with big boots to fill

PSV Eindoven and Barcelona confirmed this week that they have struck a deal which will see Holland international Ibrahim Afellay join the Catalan giants in the January transfer window for a reported fee of 3 million euros.

It is an absolute bargain for a player of his undoubted quality. Afellay has been one of the brightest young stars in the Eredivisie for several seasons, winning the prestigious Johan Cruijff Young Player of the Year award in 2007. Now, at 24 years old, the time has come for him to fly the nest and seek to develop his prodigious talent abroad in one of the top European leagues.

The Utrecht-born attacking midfielder was a supporting member of the Dutch squad that got to the World Cup final in South Africa and, although he was confined to substitute appearances and did not appear after the second round win over Paraguay, he had a positive impact coming off the bench when given the opportunity by Bert van Marwijk. With over 150 games under his belt for PSV and having already accummulated 30 caps for his country, Afellay has the experience both at domestic and international level to compete for a starting role in Pep Guardiola's team but, given the competition in his favoured position, is he likely to get the chance to blossom at the Camp Nou?

Afellay is an attacking midfielder/winger with pace and trickery whose role in Guardiola's Barcelona team is most likely to be in one of the high wide positions of the 4-3-3 formation. With David Villa and Lionel Messi clearly automatic first choices in the offensive line, Pedro Rodriguez looks like the most likely candidate to provide immediate competiton. Afellay has been likened to Andres Iniesta in his playing style but he is unlikely to play as deep for Barcelona as Iniesta does in the midfield three next to Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets or Javier Mascherano.

As far as Guardiola is concerned, the signing appears to be an excellent one. He is getting one of Europe's best young players for a paltry sum and he will provide vital cover at the end of a long season in which injuries could become an issue. Barca still have one of (if not) the best starting elevens in Europe but, with only 19 players registered with the first team squad, any injuries could hit them hard. Afellay could potentially cover the absence of Villa, Pedro, Messi or Iniesta, which is crucial given that the current attacking reserves amount to youngsters Bojan Krkic, Jeffren Suarez and, behind them, an even younger crop from Barcelona B.

At the same time, the Dutchman has not just come to provide back-up on the comfortable Barcelona bench. The hope is that, over the next few seasons, he will develop into a world beater and the antecedents are very encouraging. Ibrahim Afellay is the 7th player to sign for Barcelona from PSV Eindoven and he has some gargantuan boots to fill; his predecessors are listed below.

Ronald Koeman (1989)

Revered figure in Barcelona folklore after scoring the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final.

Romario (1993)

One of the all-time greats who scored over a 1000 goals in his career including 32 in one season for Barcelona. Only surpassed by...

Ronaldo (1996)

Arguably the greatest out and out centre forward of all time, certainly of the modern era. The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner scored 47 goals in 49 appearances in his one and only season at the Camp Nou.

Philip Cocu (1998)

This long-serving defensive midfielder holds the Barcelona appearance record for a foreign player having made 292 outings between 1998 and 2004.

Boudewijn Zenden (1998)

Perhaps the least successful of the PSV recruits but still holds the distinction of having ousted Barca legend Sergi from the team while playing out of position at left back.

Mark van Bommel (2005)

Served at Barcelona for just one season but perfectly complemented the technical talent elsewhere in the team with his role as the midfield hardman, helping the club to a La Liga and Champions League double in 2005-6.

Matchday 11 - Player of the Round

Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Lionel Messi struck twice to prove the difference between Barcelona and Villarreal at the Camp Nou and, as Pep Guardiola's team start to find their rhythm in the run up to the Gran Clasico later this month, Messi still stands head and shoulders above his team mates despite playing for a side which won the last FIFA Club World Championship and is peppered with players of the highest calibre in the game. When he scored 49 goals in all competitions last season it looked like a one-off, but with 19 already to his name, Messi has more goals than any player in Europe in 2010-11 and, with 19 in 16 appearances, his goal to game ratio is better now than it was at the end of last term. He also already has half as many assists as he provided in 2009-10 with only a quarter of the campaign played. Messi is the best in world and he appears to be getting better. Watch out Real Madrid.

Matchday 11 - Round-up

All the talk at the beginning of the weekend was about the spat between Manuel Preciado and Jose Mourinho in the run up to Real Madrid's trip to the Molinon to play Sporting de Gijon and Mourinho came away smiling but also relieved after his side squeezed out three hard fought points with a 0-1 win in Asturias. Gonzalo Higuain scored the only goal ten minutes from time after a heated physical battle; the encounter threatened to boil over when Alberto Botia was sent off for a lunging foul on Cristiano Ronaldo in stoppage time but the real stand-off apparently came in the cark park after the game where Preciado made some unseemly gestures at the Real team bus. Unfortunately there were no cameras on hand to capture the incident so events vary depending on who describes them.

Twenty-four hours earlier, matchday eleven got underway in the Basque country where Athletic Bilbao struck early through Fernando Llorente and then held on to beat Almeria 1-0 despite having a man sent off at the end of both halves. Joaquin Caparros' men could have had an even earlier lead if Mikel San Jose had converted his penalty effort but they did not have to wait long for Llorente to convert Igor Martinez's fine cross. Koikili and Xabi Castillo both saw red for fouls on Henok Goitom but Almeria failed to put up much resistance at San Mames are were incapable of mounting a comeback.

Diego Forlan hit top form for the first time this season to help Atletico Madrid end a run of four league games without a win at home to Osasuna. The Uruguayan star scored twice and provided an assist for Sergio Aguero as the rojiblancos triumphed 3-0 at the Vicente Calderon. Osasuna were not push-overs on this occasion but were denied by some telling interventions from David De Gea and were handicapped by the second half dismissal of their international left-back Nacho Monreal.

Lionel Messi stole the show in the matchday eleven centre piece as he scored twice in the second half to guide Barcelona to a 3-1 win over Villarreal at the Camp Nou. Nilmar cancelled out David Villa's early goal with a fine individual effort in the opening period but Messi eventually proved to be the difference between two of the most exciting attacking teams in Europe.

A last minute Alvaro Negredo goal gave Sevilla a 1-2 victory over Real Zaragoza at the Romareda on Sunday. Gregorio Manzano's team started well, going ahead through Luis Fabiano in the course of a quiet first half but their grip on the game was loosened when Nicolas Bertolo levelled with his head and then Fernando Navarro was sent off for a professional foul. However, Sevilla's attacking superiority eventually shone through and substitute Negredo pounced on Jiri Jarosik's mistake to provide the late winner. 

Deportivo La Coruna extended their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions thanks to a bit of luck and the fortuitous intervention of the woodwork on a couple of occasions at the Iberostar stadium. Emilio Nsue headed onto the post and Michael Pereira slammed the crossbar in the first half but Daniel Aranzubia's workload was otherwise relatively light as Real Mallorca were held to a 0-0 draw in Palma. 

Carlos Kameni was the main protagonist of Racing Santander's 0-0 draw with Espanyol at the Campos de Sport del Sardinero on Sunday as he pulled off a string of important saves, including a penalty stop to deny Ariel Nalhuelpan from eleven yards, to earn Mauricio Pochettino's side a useful point on the road. Both goalkeepers deserve credit for the clean sheets but under fire Racing boss Miguel Angel Portugal was the more disappointed of the two managers as his side wasted the clearer chances.

Malaga recorded a 1-0 win over Levante at the Rosaleda to give the Andalusians their first points at home this season and maintain Manuel Pellegrini's 100% record at his new club but they did not deserve a draw, much less a win, as Luis Garcia Plaza's men created far more chances but were denied by poor fortune and the Malaga crossbar. Eliseu's winning goal, at least, was an absolute cracker from twenty-five yards.

Hercules ended a run of seven matches without a win when they came from behind to beat fellow promoted club Real Sociedad 2-1 at the Jose Rico Perez. Electric French teenager Antoine Griezmann gave the visitors the initiative but Esteban Vigo was left pleasantly surprised by a second half turn around that saw high profile summer signings David Trezeguet and Royston Drenthe both get on the scoresheet.

Valencia moved back into the last Champions League qualification spot on matchday eleven as they inflicted a 2-0 defeat on a woefully inept Getafe side at Mestalla. Tino Costa scored Valencia's 4000th goal in the Primera Division to open the scoring and Unai Emery's captain David Navarro finished Michel's men off in the second half after a dominant display by Los Che.

Matchday 11 - Player to Watch

Roberto Soldado (Valencia)

On Sunday night Roberto Soldado will line up against his former club Getafe for the first time since his summer switch from the Coliseum Alfonso Perez to boyhood club Valencia. Ever since his days as a youth player at Real Madrid, Soldado has shown an instinctive, predatory eye for goal. The Valencia-born hitman was never given a proper chance at Real, but he has proved himself to be a prolific goal scorer everywhere else. With two goals in eight matches so far for Los Che, he has not quite found his rhythm at Mestalla or matched the form of last season when he scored twenty goals in all competitons for Michel's men. Unai Emery's deployment of just one striker for the majority of Valencia's games so far has hindered Soldado's progress as he has had to share attacking duties with Valencia's other summer signing, Aritz Aduriz. Together they have the making of a great partnership, and tonight both could be given the green light to unleash chaos on Getafe's fragile travelling defence.

Matchday 11 - Featured Preview: Barcelona vs Villarreal

Saturday night's clash between Barcelona and Villarreal at the Camp Nou could be a landmark game this season. The Yellow Submarine is currently two points behind Barca in the league standings and three behind leaders Real Madrid. With the other big teams alread falling well behind, Juan Carlos Garrido's side hold the last hopes for a three way championship contest but, if they lose against Barca here, La Liga is likely to narrow to a two-horse race with three quarters of the season still ahead of us.

BARCELONA

Player to Watch: Eric Abidal

Barcelona have not been their usual impeccable selves at home this season, but they will need to be on matchday eleven as Villarreal come knocking at the Camp Nou in one of the biggest games of the league calendar. A victory would pile the pressure on Real Madrid ahead of their trip to the Molinon on Sunday. Defeat would deal the blaugrana a bitter blow in their personal struggle for power with Jose Mourinho's current league leaders. Barca warmed up for this match with a 5-1 win over Ceuta in the second leg of the Copa del Rey 4th round, which confirms their place in the last 16. Guardiola's team are WWDWW in their last five and they will be hoping for a similar performance to the one they put in when Sevilla came here two weeks ago, rather than the last time Villarreal visited the Camp Nou and came away with a 1-1 draw.

Pep Guardiola's main concern on Saturday will be replacing suspended defender Gerard Pique at centre back. An injury to Gabriel Milito means that he is not in contention so the manager has two viable options: either to move Eric Abidal over from the left (with Maxwell at left back) or bring in either Marc Barta or Andreu Fontas from Barcelona B. The French veteran is the more likely option as he has already played that role this season and he offers more experience than the talented youngsters. His integration will be crucial, of course, as Villarreal's mobile forwards Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi will look to exploit any weaknesses. Elsewhere, the "gala" midfield and attack is likely to be reunited after several big names were left out in the cup. Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi is the preferred midfield despite the high profile signing of Javier Mascherano this summer, although said Mascherano and Seydou Keita offer more defensive alternatives in case Guardiola errs on the side of caution. Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa will start in attack barring any problems; Messi has 17 goals in all competitions so far this season, making him Europe's joint top scorer alongside former Barcelona colleague Samuel Eto'o, now of Inter Milan.

Possible starting XI: (4-3-3) Victor Valdes; Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Eric Abidal, Maxwell; Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta; Pedro Rodriguez, David Villa, Lionel Messi;

VILLARREAL

Player to Watch: Joan Capdevila

Villarreal dispelled any fears of an early cup exit with a 2-0 win over Poli Ejido at the Madrigal on Wednesday. That second leg result gave Juan Carlos Garrido's side a comfortable 3-1 aggregate win, which guarantees their place in the 5th round draw on the 18th of November. That objective achieved, attention now turns to Saturday night's matchday eleven show piece against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Barca and Villarreal are 2nd and 3rd respectively in the league standings, with only two points between them. If the Yellow Submarine could sink the blaugrana juggernaut here it would deal Pep Guardiola's team a huge blow in the title battle with Real Madrid ahead of the Gran Clasico at the end of the month. Villarreal's form does not look that impressive on paper; they are DDLWW in their last five matches in all competitions but the fact remains they are the only one of the supposed Spanish giants who have kept pace with Barca and Real up until now. There is a lot at stakes in La Liga this weekend and Villarreal have to shoulder a big burden. Defeat in Barcelona could end their own slim title hopes and turn it into another two-horse race with three quarters of the season still to play. The corresponding fixture ended last season in a 1-1 tie and Garrido would probably take a draw if you offered it to him before 10pm on Saturday.

Marcos Senna is back in the squad after a minor injury so Villarreal are back at full strength this weekend. However, given Senna's recent problems and the efficaciousness of the Borja Valero/Bruno Soriano partnership in central midfield on matchday ten, the Brazilian-born former Spain international could possibly start on the bench. If he does come back into the fold immediately to add his weight of experience then Borja will switch back to the wing and Ruben Cani will be the casualty as he drops to the bench. Bruno Soriano and Santi Cazorla would complete the midfield four, with impressive strike duo Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi looking to feed off them up front. Gonzalo Rodriguez was suspended in the league last weekend and, even though he is available, he will only be on the bench as Mateo Musacchio and Carlos Marchena start at centre back, with Angel Lopez on the right and Joan Capdevila on the left side of defence. Capdevila is a former graduate of the Espanyol academy, a blanquiazul Catalan, who has more reason than most to want Barcelona to fail. He could have a big say in the outcome of the game because he will be marking megastar Lionel Messi and keeping the Argentine quiet will be one of the keys to Villarreal's potential success.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Diego Lopez; Angel Lopez, Carlos Marchena, Mateo Musacchio, Joan Capdevila; Santi Cazorla, Bruno Soriano, Marcos Senna, Borja Valero; Nilmar, Giuseppe Rossi;

La Liga - Matchday 11

Saturday 13th November
Athletic Bilbao vs Almeria (18:00)

Atletico Madrid vs Osasuna (20:00)

Barcelona vs Villarreal (22:00)

Sunday 14th November

Hercules vs Real Sociedad (17:00)

Racing Santander vs Espanyol (17:00)

Malaga vs Levante (17:00)

Real Mallorca vs Deportivo La Coruna (17:00)

Real Zaragoza vs Sevilla (17:00)

Sporting de Gijon vs Real Madrid (19:00)
Valencia vs Getafe (21:00)

Matchday 10 - Player of the Round

Borja Valero (Villarreal)

It is hard to believe that this is the same player who failed to make a positive impact during a full season with West Bromwich Albion. The midlands club still own the rights to this player and they could make a tidy profit on the 7 million euros he cost them when they eventually come to sell him after a stunning season with Real Mallorca in 2009-10 and an equally impressive 2010-11 with Villarreal so far. Borja was playing in centre midfield against Athletic Bilbao rather than taking up his usual position on the flank because Marcos Senna was not fit enough to start following a minor injury. Juan Carlos Garrido will now have real doubts about whether to bring back the Senna-Bruno Soriano partnership after Valero's man-of-the-match performance at the Madrigal. The Madrileno unlocked the Basque defence time and again with his vision, intelligent movement and wide range of passes. Other than hitting the post after a brilliant solo run, Borja provided two assists and would have had a couple more if Rossi had taken all the chances he made for him.

Matchday 10 - Round-up

Joseba Llorente's fine scoring run continued on matchday ten as his early first half goal gave Real Sociedad a 1-0 win over Racing Santander at Anoeta. Sociedad's excellent home form has helped them rise to 6th in the league standings, putting them inside the Europa League qualification bracket at this early stage.

Espanyol occupy a Champions League qualifying position (4th) thanks to their 1-0 win over Malaga at the Cornella El Prat on Saturday night. Javi Marquez scored with a blistering strike in the first minute and Mauricio Pochettino's side held on but it was an evenly fought tie and Malaga may even feel a little hard done by that they couldn’t get the draw their superior possession deserved. Manuel Pellegrini, who was watching on from the stands, takes over at Malaga this week and he has a lot of work to do to get Los Boquerones out of the relegation zone where they currently reside in last place.

Villarreal came from a goal down to thrash Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at the Madrigal. Fernando Llorente squeezed the Basque club into an early lead but Juan Carlos Garrido's team continues to prove unassailable at home and they came back with goals from internationals Nilmar, Santiago Cazorla, Giuseppe Rossi and Jefferson Montero.

Real Zaragoza recorded their first win of the season in a topsy-turvy 3-2 win over Real Mallorca at the Romareda on Sunday afternoon. Mallorca led twice thanks to goals from Pierre Webo and Michael Perreira, with an Angel Lafita equaliser sandwiched in between and that was how the game was poised with just over five minutes left on the clock. An explosive finish, however, which saw Nicolo Bertolo equalise and then Zaragoza skipper Gabi slot home a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time, shifted the game in the Aragonese club's favour.

Consecutive wins on matchday nine and ten have lifted Deportivo La Coruna away from the relegation zone and alleviated some of the pressure on Miguel Angel Lotina. The second of those back to back victories came at the Ciutat de Valencia on Sunday as the Galicians beat Levante 1-2. The return to full fitness of Riki has been instrumental in Depor's resurgence. He scored the first and was involved in the build up for Aythami's second. Juanlu cut the deficit midway through the second half but Levante were not convincing and their punishment is to be re-acquainted with the relegation zone.

A woeful defensive performance from Hercules saw them crash to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Osasuna at the Reyno de Navarra. Jose Antonio Camacho's men might win the award for inconsistency so far this season but their glimpses of quality continue to keep the drop zone at arms length. Nacho Monreal, Lolo and Krisztian Vadocz were on the score sheet as the Pamplonans did untold damage at set plays. Esteban Vigo's men failed to produce anything in attack.

Almeria are yet to win at home and Sporting de Gijon are yet to win on the road so it should have come as no surprise that these two teams shared the spoils on matchday ten with a 1-1 draw. Pablo Piatti failed to convert a one on one which would have buried the game after Corona had given the Andalusians the lead and Manuel Preciado's second half changes paid off as Miguel de las Cuevas gave Sporting a big lift before Nacho Novo hit a volleyed equaliser.

Lionel Messi was unplayable again this weekend as he helped Barcelona to a 1-3 win over Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Messi, David Villa and Pedro propelled Barca into a three goal lead before Getafe's all time leading scorer in the top flight Manu del Moral cut the margin from the penalty spot. Gerard Pique saw two yellows and a subsequent red in the second half but the Madrilenos only held a numerical advantage for about ten minutes as Derek Boateng was also dismissed for a second bookable offence late on.

Jose Antonio Reyes suffered a disappointing return to the Santiago Bernabeu as two errors in the opening twenty minutes led to two goals which won the game for Real Madrid. Ricardo Carvalho, who is fast becoming the bargain of the season, scored the first and was a rock in defence as Sergio Aguero threatened plenty of menace. Mesut Ozil scored the other to give Real a 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, which was too comfortable for this to be remembered as a derby classic. Jose Mourinho's team, who are still unbeaten, are clearly laying down the gauntlet to their rivals.

Alexis stole the headlines in the build up as he faced his former team but it was his central defensive partner Martin Caceres who put on a man-of-the-match display to help Sevilla to a 2-0 win over Valencia. Mehmet Topal saw a straight red for a foul on Caceres midway through the first half but that was not the Uruguayan's only contribution. He was solid in defence and surprisingly dangerous in attack. At half time the game was still deadlocked by Gregory Manzano threw caution to the wind in the second period and goals from Alvaro Negredo and Alejandro Alfaro eventually did the trick against a team which suffered with the personnel deficit.

Matchday 10 - Player to Watch

Alexis (Sevilla)

Alexis Ruano Delgado spent three seasons at Mestalla and this will be his first appearance for his new club Sevilla against his former employers. Alexis was brought in to replace Arsenal-bound Sebastien Squillaci and he and fellow new-comer Martin Caceres have relegated Squillaci's regular partner Julien Escude to bench-warming duty for the time being. The Andalusian centre back is 25 now but, despite appearing for Spain at almost every level in the lower categories, he has never been capped for the senior side. There was a lot of fuss made about Alexis when he was a teenager and the feeling is that hasn't quite lived up to his world class potential. Alexis is hoping that he will finally step up to the big boy's table under Gregorio Manzano at Sevilla, where beating the likes of Valencia to Champions League qualification is currently first priority.

Matchday 10 - Featured Preview: Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid

In terms of intensity, significance and pure derby passion, Sunday night's clash between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu may be the closest thing that Jose Mourinho gets to a dress rehearsal before the Gran Clasico showdown with Barcelona later this month. Los Merengues are unbeaten under the "Special One" but Quique Sanchez Flores' side are one of a handful of clubs in Spain who have the quality to do Real serious damage even if the white giants are on top of their game.

REAL MADRID

Player to Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid came away from the San Siro on Wednesday with a sense of relief after earning a late 2-2 draw but, in reality, they were the better team in Milan and should have beaten the Italian giants after cruising into the lead just before half time. A brief dip in concentration allowed veteran rossoneri striker Filippo Inzaghi to end Real's 100% run in the Champions League, but the important thing for Jose Mourinho is that his unbeaten record remains intact heading into Sunday's derby with Atletico Madrid. Real are WWDWD in their last five matches in all competitions and that translates to four straight wins in the league. They remain a point above Barcelona in 1st place and they have the recent memory of a 3-2 victory against the Colchoneros in the corresponding fixture last season to provide them with an encouraging antecedent.

Mourinho's team selection has been extremely consistent so far this season and it could be that we see the same eleven that faced Milan on Wednesday at the Bernabeu on Sunday. There will be changes in the squad because Jerzy Dudek became the latest injury casualty this week, confining the Polish keeper to the sidelines next to Kaka, Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago who, although training now, is some way off match sharpness. Antonio Adan and Isaac have both been called into the preliminary squad from the B team, but it is Adan who will make the final eighteen instead of Dudek. Lassana Diarra has been overlooked again despite his apparent fitness, which will fuel further speculation about an increasingly likely exit in January or June. Pepe was at fault for David Trezeguet's goal last weekend, forcing Real to come from a goal behind to beat Hercules 1-3, and again he failed to track Zlatan Ibrahimovic in midweek as he provided the first assist for Inzaghi. The Portuguese defender was substituted in both of those matches as Mourinho was characteristically damning with his changes. Any more mistakes like that could see Pepe forfeit his place to Raul Albiol, who is waiting for his chance to exploit any mistakes. Cristiano Ronaldo has eleven goals so far in the league and he will be the danger man for Atletico given his form but, with Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria completing the offensive force, the rojiblancos are well aware that a match-winning intervention could come from anywhere at any time.

Possible starting XI: (4-2-3-1) Iker Casillas; Marcelo, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Sergio Ramos; Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira; Angel di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Cristiano Ronaldo; Gonzalo Higuain;

ATLETICO MADRID

Player to Watch: Jose Antonio Reyes

After a brief scare at the start of their European campaign, Atletico Madrid are back on track in their bid to retain their Europa League title thanks to consecutive wins over Rosenberg. Quique Sanchez Flores' team are still second in the group behind Bayer Leverkusen but one win in either of their remaining two matches should see them through to the last 32. This weekend Atletico appear in the showpiece in La Liga as they visit Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu for arguably the most important city derby in Spain. Real lead the league classification at the moment, while the rojiblancos are below where they would expect to be in 6th. A shock win at the Bernabeu, however, could push them back up into the top four if results elsewhere go their way. Atletico are WLWDW in their last five matches in all competitions and they will be especially motivated for the derby, a fixture they lost 3-2 last season.

Although Diego Godin and Sergio Asenjo are still injured and Luis Perea is suspended, the good news for Quique heading into the weekend is that Jose Antonio Reyes, Diego Forlan and Alvaro Dominguez are all fit again and should start on Sunday. With Godin and Perea out, Juan Valera will probably come into the back four, maybe on the right as powerful Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi steps over to partner Dominguez in the centre and Filipe Luis or Antonio Lopez start on the left. Filipe is starting to replicate the exceptional form he showed as captain of Deportivo La Coruna last season before injury struck and currently has the edge over Atletico club captain Lopez. For the first time since his first six months at Arsenal, Jose Reyes is back to his best form and he should start on the right against his former club after returning from injury; he has a bit of a point to prove as inconsistency meant that he was never taken into the hearts of the Real Madrid faithful. Simao, Tiago and Paolo Assuncao should complete the regular midfield four with Fran Merida, Ignacio Camacho, Raul Garcia and Mario Suarez offering back-up on the bench. Diego Costa has been the most consistent Atleti forward this year but, despite his fine form of late, reputation could play a part as Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan are expected to resume their partnership at the head of the 4-4-2 formation. Both have the quality to harm Real's defence and they will have to be marshalled very carefully by Mourinho's back four.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) David de Gea; Filipe Luis, Alvaro Dominguez, Tomas Ujfalusi, Juan Valera; Simao, Tiago, Paolo Assuncao, Jose Antonio Reyes; Diego Forlan, Sergio Aguero;

La Liga - Matchday 10

Saturday 6th November

Real Sociedad vs Racing Santander (20:00)

Espanyol vs Malaga (22:00)

Sunday 7th November

Real Zaragoza vs Real Mallorca (17:00)

Villarreal vs Athletic Bilbao (17:00)

Almeria vs Sporting de Gijon (17:00)

Osasuna vs Hercules (17:00)

Levante vs Deportivo La Coruna (17:00)

Getafe vs Barcelona (19:00)
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid (21:00)
Monday 8th November

Sevilla vs Valencia (21:00)

Eleven unsung heroes

We are a quarter of the way through the season already and the league is starting to take shape as expected, with Real Madrid and Barcelona leading the way ahead of a chasing pack of around half a dozen ambitious European hopefuls. Beyond that, following the trend of recent seasons, there are at least a dozen clubs who could potentially be drawn into a relegation battle at some point during the campaign. In 2009-10 there were still at least half that many playing for their top flight status heading into the last couple of matches and I suspect that could be the case again come May.

As far as individuals go, there have been few surprises there either. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi lead the goalscoring charts and stand out as the best two players in La Liga, just as they did last year. Iker Casillas has conceded the fewest number of goals (per minute played), Ronaldo has scored the most goals and provided the most assists, but what about the lesser known stars of the league who consistently perform to a high level without receiving the plaudits of the international household names? Below is a list of eleven under-rated players who have quietly gone about the business of starring for their respective teams this season without hogging column space.

Diego Alves - Goalkeeper (Almeria)

Diego Alves is one of the most under-rated players in La Liga. Although, granted, I was singing his praises after his performance at the Vicente Calderon last weekend, he doesn't get close to the recognition he deserves. At 25, the Brazilian is still very young for a goalkeeping and I am convinced he will go on to play for one of Europe's top clubs. In Spain his options may be slightly limited as most of the big teams already have excellent goalkeepers who have plenty of years left in them. Sevilla or Valencia could be possible destinations, though, as Andres Palop and Cesar are fast approaching 40, but it is just as likely that he'll move abroad. It is no secret that Manchester United and Arsenal are actively searching for goalkeeping alternatives and it would be no exaggeration to say that Alves is good enough to play for either English giant.

Andoni Iraola - Defender (Athletic Bilbao)

Andoni Iraola has been capped four times by Spain, which makes him something of an international veteran compared to most of the other players on this list. Iraola is one of the first names on the Athletic Bilbao team sheet and is one of a handful of players in that team - alongside Gorka Iraizoz, Fernando Amorebieta, Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente - who has earned himself an uncontested starting berth in an otherwise extremely competitive squad. Joaquin Caparros commands a group of young improving players and this team will go from strength to strength of the next couple of years if they can hang on to their best stars. Iraola possesses a good balance of technique and strength at right back and he is not afraid to get forward in support of the attack, as demonstrated by his powerful goal against Getafe on matchday nine.

Jose Angel - Defender (Sporting de Gijon)

Jose Angel is the only player mentioned here who is not an automatic starter for his club but he will change that shortly if he continues on his rapid path of development. Roberto Canella's injury problems at the start of the campaign have allowed Angel to play a key role so far in his preferred position at left back and, if newspaper reports are to believed, the under-21 international has already attracted attention from Manchester City's scouts with his confident displays. The Asturian defender is more comfortable on the flank but can deputise at centre back if necessary. It is that versatility, coupled with his natural defensive instincts, which make Jose Angel extremely valuable to Sporting manager Manuel Preciado.

Mateo Musacchio - Defender (Villarreal)

Mateo Musacchio is a future Argentina international in the making. He made his debut for River Plate at the age of 16 and now, at 20, he is already a regular at one of Spain's biggest clubs. Gonzalo Rodriguez expected to replace Diego Godin as the club's main centre back this season but the summer capture of Carlos Marchena and the blossoming of young Musacchio have left Rodriguez as third choice under Juan Carlos Garrido. Musacchio will learn a lot from Marchena but it is clear that his education has already come quite some way. Since he made his debut for the first team back in February - after being brought in temporarily as cover from Villarreal B - the Rosario-born defender has not looked back and the fact that he never returned to the reserve side is testament to both his quality and maturity.

Alberto de la Bella - Defender (Real Sociedad)

It is funny how football works out. Alberto de la Bella spent his formative years playing for various reserve sides until he was snapped up by Real Socidad in the summer of 2009 to replace the highly rated Xabi Castillo, who had been signed by neighbouring giants Athletic Bilbao. Castillo failed to establish himself with Athletic and is now third in the pecking order at left back behind Koikili and Jon Aurtenetxe. Meanwhile De la Bella quickly became first choice, helped Real Sociedad to promotion and is now attracting admirers in La Liga with some terrific performances, particularly at Anoeta where he has become a firm fans' favourite. The Catalan-born defender has been linked with a big money move to Sevilla but he has re-iterated his desire to sign a new contract in San Sebastian.

Derek Boateng - Midfielder (Getafe)

Derek Boateng's style of play resembles that of his better-known international team mate, Michael Essien. Boateng is a tough tackling, physically imposing central midfielder, whose composure on the ball and excellent passing authority make him ideal for a holding role in defensive midfield. Like Essien, however, Boateng is a player who attracted attention not for his conservative consistency but for the dynamic combination of speed, dribbling skills and attacking flair that used to terrorise defenders in Greece during his time with Panathinaikos. Boateng exhibits determined work-rate, strength, an excellent passing range and clever feet, making him the perfect all-round midfielder and, after several peripatetic years spent in Greece, Cyprus, Israel and an ill-fated spell in Germany, he has finally found his feet as one of the most consistent anchormen in La Liga.

Sergio - Midfielder (Levante)

Sergio Gonzalez Soriano is another player to have been capped by Spain, although his last international appearance was some five years ago now. After a decade at Deportivo La Coruna, during which time he revelled in his central midfield role while Depor were regular participants in the Champions League, it looked like Sergio's career was winding down when he was released by the Galician club this summer. A move to Levante, however, has revived his passion for the game and he has been one of the Valencia club's best players as they have surprised many with a competitive return to the top flight. It is still likely to be an arduous season for Luis Garcia Plaza's team but in Sergio they have a rich source of quality and experience. The Catalan's form has been excellent so far in 2010-11 and he has already chipped in with two goals from a withdrawn midfield position. 

Royston Drenthe - Midfielder (Hercules)

Royston Drenthe was one of the best signings of the summer, albeit only on loan. Any doubts about the Dutchman's quality, which understandably surfaced after three forgettable seasons spent well down the pecking order at Real Madrid, have been categorically dismissed after an electric start for Hercules this year. Drenthe has benefited from a permanent move into attacking midfield, where his new-found confidence and hitherto latent techincal quality has seen him replace Tote as the main play-maker in what is a very exciting team. Drenthe has always been quick, but not since his Feyenoord days has he had the freedom to express himself as he is now doing, linking the defence and attack and providing ammunition for the formidable forward pairing of Nelson Valdez and David Trezeguet.

Gonzalo "Chori" Castro - Midfielder (Real Mallorca)

Every summer Real Mallorca's financial restraints force them to cash in on their best midfield talent. Juan Arango, Jose Manual Jurado, Cleber Santana and Mario Suarez are now part of the club's history and, if the trend continues, Michael Laudrup will have some difficulty hanging on to Gonzalo "Chori" Castro come June. Having fought hard to wrestle Fernando Varela's place off him last year, Castro is now the undisputed star of this Mallorca team following the departure of Aritz Aduriz last summer and he has been justifying that mantle with some match-winning performances for the Balearic club in 2010-11, during which time he has registered three goals in eight appearances. Castro is injured at the moment but his work-rate and influence has set a good example to deputising youngsters like Emilio Nsue and Sergio Tejera, who one day may be forced to step into the Urugayan's shoes on a permanent basis.  

Jose Callejon - Forward (Espanyol)

If Jose Callejon can increase his goal economy he will become one of the best strikers in this league. Reared in the furtive environment of Real Madrid's youth ranks, he was once their B team's top scorer. So far he has been unable to translate that goal scoring pedigree to La Liga with Espanyol but his quality does shine through in a team full of exciting young talent. Cajellon's poor scoring record with Los Pericos can be explained in part by his change of position. The 23-year-old has always operated as a striker but now he finds himself out on the wing in Mauricio Pochettino's 4-2-3-1 formation. It may not lead to as many goals but, to be fair to Pochettino, he has recognised the fact that Callejon's pace and fantastic dribbling ability make him a nightmare for defenders when he has space to run at them, thus making him a formidable weapon when hugging the touchlines.

Diego Costa - Forward (Atletico Madrid)

Diego Costa was a big hit at Real Valladolid last season, emerging as by far their best player and the least deserving of the club's relegation back in May. Atletico Madrid activated a buy-back clause to re-sign the Brazilian striker during the summer, but there was a fear that his career would stagnate as he finds himself behind established stars Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero in the Colchonero queue. The initial signs, though, are that those fears a premature. Costa has been the most consistent Atletico forward so far as Forlan has not returned to top form and the partnership with El Kun looks as though it could blossom into something truly formidable. Unlike Forlan, who likes to drop deep in search of the ball, which clashes with Aguero's own similar tendencies, Costa is a striker who is happy to play on the shoulder of the last man and, despite just turning 22, he is strong enough to impose the sort of physical threat that strikes fear into the hearts of his markers.

Matchday 9 - Player of the Round

Diego Alves (Almeria)

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Markus Rosenberg and David Villa all helped themselves to braces at the weekend, young stars Antoine Griezmann and Iker Muniain were also in fine fettle for Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao respectively, but the star of matchday nine without a doubt was Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Alves, whose numerous interventions guaranteed Almeria a point at the Vicente Calderon against a frustrated Atletico Madrid side. The 25-year-old has been consistently one of the best keepers in La Liga for a couple of seasons now and if he continues in this vein it will not be long before he makes a move to a top European side, where his form is unlikely to go unnoticed by the Brazilian national set-up. In Alves - the first Brazilian goalkeeper to play in La Liga who continues to ply his trade in this unfashionable Andalusian city - I  think we are looking at the long-term replacement for Julio Cesar.

Matchday 9 - Round-up

Valencia's stuttering form carried over into matchday nine as they were held to a 1-1 draw by bottom of the table side Real Zaragoza at Mestalla on Saturday evening. The Aragonese club took a very early lead through Maurizio Lanzaro but the Italian defender scored an own goal at the other end just before half time to level the scores. Jose Aurelio Gay's team actually outplayed Unai Emery's, even after Ander Herrera was harshly sent off in the second half by Delgado Ferreiro.

Hercules also struck early to shock Real Madrid at the Jose Rico Perez but David Trezeguet's goal was not enough in the end as Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo (2), scored to turn the match on its head in the second half and ensure all three points in a 1-3 victory for Jose Mourinho's men. Ronaldo continues to break scoring records for Real; he now has eleven goals in nine league games so far in 2010-11.

Barcelona finally won with some style on Saturday as they demolished Sevilla 5-0 at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi made it seven goals in his last three matches at home to the Andalusians with a brace and David Villa also struck twice to banish doubts about his form. Dani Alves scored the other and then refused to celebrate against his old club, although I'm sure it meant little to Sevilla's embarrassed travelling fans. 

Deportivo La Coruna recorded their first win of the season thanks to a solid defensive performance at the Riazor, halting Espanyol's fine run with a 3-0 victory on Sunday afternoon. Depor's set-piece machine was well-oiled and played a part in all three goals from Adrian, Alberto Lopo and Diego Colotto. Mauricio Pochettino's team, who offered very little in response, were unrecognisable from the side that has shot up the table in recent weeks.

Malaga's dismal run at the Rosaleda continued as they made it five out of five defeats at home this season with a 1-2 reverse to Real Sociedad. Despite a strong start for the hosts, Martin Lasarte's team opened up a two goal lead through Antoine Griezmann and Joseba Llorente and Malaga responded too late. Juanmi eventually cut the deficit but Antonio Apono missed a penalty before that and now the pressure is really mounting on Jesualdo Ferreria, with reports that he could be replaced by Manuel Pellegrini beginning to surface.

Racing Santander had their Swedish contingent to thank for their 4-1 win over Osasuna at the Sardinero this weekend. Kennedy scored a free-kick and Markus Rosenberg grabbed a brace before Marc Torrejon completed the rout to hand under fire boss Miguel Angel Portugal a lifeline. Osasuna were outplayed and only managed to respond with one goal courtesy of a penalty scored by Iranian midfielder Javad Nekounam.

A 93rd minute penalty from Giuseppe Rossi salvaged a point for Villarreal at the Molinon as Juan Carlos Garrido's side drew 1-1 with Sporting de Gijon. The Asturian hosts were under the kosh in the first half but took the lead at the start of the second when Diego Castro scored from the spot after Gonzalo Rodriguez's handball. Rodriguez was sent off for a second booking a little later and Sporting should have killed the game but were guilty of wasting chances. Carlos Marchena was pushed over in the box to earn Villarreal a late penalty and a point, which was the least they deserved after dominating for long periods.

Diego Alves' stock went up again on matchday ten as he pulled off more than half a dozen wonder saves to deny Atletico Madrid victory at the Vicente Calderon. Quique Sanchez Flores' side took a first half lead through Sergio Aguero but were pegged back just before the break by Pablo Piatti (aka "the scourge of Atletico Madrid") and Alves' acrobatic goalkeeping made sure of a 1-1 final scoreline and a valuable point for Almeria.

Athletic Bilbao were utterly convincing in their 3-0 win over Getafe at San Mames on Sunday night. The game was over before it really got started as Andoni Iraola and a Mikel San Jose penalty put Joaquin Caparros' side two up within twelve minutes. Igor Gabilondo came off the bench to rub salt into Madrileno wounds with a powerfully struck goal late on in the game.

A late Pierre Webo goal completed a comeback for Michael Laudrup's Real Mallorca at the Iberostar stadium on Monday night. The Balearic club beat Levante 2-1 in Palma despite the visitors going ahead through Christian Stuani in the first half. Marcos Perreira equalised just after the hour mark and Cameroonian forward Webo put the finishing touch on the winner as a reward for Mallorca's faith in their home consistency.