Matchday 20 - Player of the Round

Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal)

Giuseppe Rossi scored twice to seal Villarreal's comeback against Real Sociedad at the Madrigal and the Italio-American forward, formely of Manchester United, celebrated his brace by agreeing a deal to stay in Castellon until the summer of 2016. Tying Rossi down to a long term contract extension is a major coup for the Valencian club, as speculation of a big money move back to Italy or England was beginning to surface due to the striker's exceptional form this season. Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted in the past that letting Rossi leave Old Trafford was a big mistake and it is not hard to see why.

Matchday 19 - Player of the Round

Jose Callejon (Espanyol)

Jose Callejon scored twice to lead Espanyol to a 1-2 win over Sevilla at the weekend. It was a landmark victory for Los Pericos, a six-pointer against one of their immediate rivals for European qualification spots which puts them back in the hunt for Champions League football. Callejon joked after the game that he hadn't scored a brace in a competitive match since his days with Real Madrid Castilla and it is true that the forward does not chip in with the quantity of goals that his vibrant talent deserves. Neither, however, does he play as an out and out striker in Espanyol's 4-2-3-1 system and he offers a whole lot more than just goals to Mauricio Pochettino's exciting young team.

Matchday 18 - Player of the Round

Fredi Kanoute (Sevilla)

Gregorio Manzano could be heard eulogising Malian striker Fredi Kanoute after the 2-3 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend. The former Tottenham striker scored two goals and was the key to Sevilla’s link-up play at Anoeta; without him the side surely would have slumped to a defeat in San Sebastian. Kanoute was one of the few players whose reputation was not harmed by Sevilla’s poor form at the back end of 2010 as, unlike the majority of his team mates, his level did not drop during that dark period. The fans voted him joint-Player of the Year for 2010 alongside Jesus Navas, which shows just how highly he is regarded on the “terraces” at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Perhaps the greatest testament to his development is the plain fact that he has crept ahead of Brazil’s number nine, Luis Fabiano, in the Sevilla pecking order. 

Matchday 17 - Player of the Round

Jesus Navas (Sevilla)

Sevilla lost five consecutive league matches in the run up to Christmas and they were not helped by the fact that their best player was injured for the duration of that unhappy sequence. Jesus Navas was a doubt in the build-up to the Osasuna game on Sunday due to a lack of match fitness but he was thrown straight into the starting eleven at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and Gregorio Manzano's decision was entirely justified. If Alvaro Negredo had been on top form, Jesus Navas probably would have had a couple of assists to go with his dazzling comeback in front of the home crowd. He was undoubtedly the best Sevilla player on the pitch and, even though he tired in the second half - which is understandable given that he hasn't played in two months - it was his energy, incision and desire which inspired his team mates to victory.
 

Matchday 15 - Player of the Round

Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid)

After a slow start to the campaign, "El Kun" is back to his best form and keeping Atletico Madrid in with a chance of qualifying for Champions League football next year, even if they are some way off the pace just ahead of the halfway stage in the season. The Argentine forward hit two goals to help the rojiblancos to a 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend. Diego Forlan has not been nearly as prolific this term as in recent years so Quique Sanchez Flores could come to rely more and more on Aguero for goals. If he can inspire his team to victory against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League on Wednesday, Atletico still have a chance of qualifying for the last 32 as long as Aris slip up against Rosenberg.

Matchday 14 - Player of the Round

Pedro Rios (Getafe)

Getafe are looking for new heroes to step into the boots of departed talismen Roberto Soldado and Pedro Leon and Pedro Rios is emerging as one of the prime candidates to carry the torch at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. After barely featuring in his first season at the club, Rios has emerged ahead of the likes of summer signings Borja Fernandez and Javier Arizmendi to nail down a regular place on the right wing where, thanks to the deployment of two defensive midfielders, the Jerez-born player has licence to commit himself far up the field without worrying too much about defending. This plays to his strengths and he took full advantage on Sunday with two brilliant first half goals to effectively kill off Real Mallorca's challenge within the first forty-five minutes at the Coliseum. We finally saw a glimpse of the attacking potential of Michel's team at the weekend and Pedro Rios is likely to be central to Getafe's plans to qualify for Europe once again next year, after the disappointment of last week's early Europa League exit.

Matchday 13 - Player of the Round

Xavi (Barcelona)

Barcelona were recently named the most successful team of the century by the Spanish Research Centre of History and Statistics, beating Manchester United into second place. It is hard to argue with that claim, which is based on numerous statistical criteria. It is no coincidence that Xavi Hernandez has been at the heartbeat of the Barcelona midfield for the entirety of that decade. He has enjoyed some spectacular results since his full debut in 1998, but none of them is likely to eclipse Monday night's 5-0 win over Real Madrid, in which he played a sublime starring role. The foundation of Barca's victory was the unplayable passing of the midfield triumvirate, which Xavi commands with imperious authority. In this form he is impossible to dispossess, barely ever misses a pass and plays balls that 99.9% of players would not even see, let alone be able to pull off. Lionel Messi will continue to attract the plaudits for his dazzling skill and incision and will rightly go down in history as one of the greatest if not the greatest footballer of all time. Yet the beauty of Xavi's game is simplicity. If he wins the Ballon D'or / FIFA World Player of the Year award in January, it will be a monument to one of the most under-rated players in recent memory. 

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 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 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 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 8 - Player of the Round

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid are in sublime form at the moment and Cristiano Ronaldo has been at the heart of their devastating attack, the best of the best in a white shirt so far this season. The Portuguese megastar broke his own scoring record with four goals in one game against the hapless Racing Santander in Saturday's 6-1 win and he now holds a four goal advantage in the race for the Pichichi trophy. With 43 goals in 46 games for Real Madrid, it is no wonder that the debate has begun to rage again as to whether Ronaldo is as good as world beater Lionel Messi. At this rate, it is very possible that, by the end of this campaign, he will have surpassed the 42 goals he scored for Manchester United during the 2007-08 season. 

Matchday 7 - Player of the Round

Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)

The Barcelona doctors warned Pep Guardiola against playing Xavi Hernandez at the Camp Nou on Saturday due to his continued problems with tendinitis which saw him miss Spain's EURO 2012 qualifiers over the international break. It was a good thing for Barca fans that Guardiola ignored that advice and fielded the superstar in central midfield. With his team a goal down at half time, Xavi masterminded the blaugrana comeback with two perfectly weighted assists for Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol but that was just the half of it. His passing impeccable, his vision unrivalled, Xavi bossed the Valencia midfield in the second half, thwarting the industry of Ever Banega, David Albelda and Manuel Fernandes to switch the game in Barcelona's favour. Xavi complained after the game that he could still feel his injury. Relatively straightforward matches against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League and Real Zaragoza in the league could provide the perfect opportunity for Guardiola to finally rest his midfield dynamo.

Matchday 6 - Player of the Round

Dani Parejo (Getafe)

Watching Dani Parejo in the Real Madrid youth academy some five or six years ago, Alfredo di Stefano stated categorically that he was convinced the youngster would go on to become a global megastar in the white of Real Madrid. That prediction has not come to fruition – yet – but surely the octogenarian legend was anticipating performances such as Parejo’s sublime display against Hercules on Sunday. Real Madrid, QPR and Getafe fans will all testify to the fact that Parejo is extremely gifted and I have no doubt he has a future as a full international. He scored one and had a hand in both of the others in the 3-0 win over Esteban Vigo’s side at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Parejo, more than any other player in blue, will be the man Atletico Madrid fear ahead of the derby on matchday seven.

Matchday 5 - Player of the Round

David Trezeguet (Hercules)

Many cynics thought David Trezeguet was taking an easy option by moving to Hercules this summer. His wife is from Alicante and there was a suggestion that the former France international was keen on one last payday on the Costa Blanca before finally hanging up his boots. Trezeguet, however, has not come to sun himself on the beach and he has already reached more than a quarter of the tally of goals he scored in his last two seasons for Juventus combined. He will always be remembered by Antonio Alvarez as the player who precipitated the end of his managerial tenure at Sevilla. A brace from Hercules' most famous name was enough to send Sevilla crashing to a 2-0 defeat at the Jose Rico Perez on Sunday and Alvarez was sacked by Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido in the immediate aftermath of that embarrassing loss. Trezeguet's cultured finishing could be the difference between a relegation struggle and a comfortable mid-table finish for Esteban Vigo's side this season.

Matchday 4 - Player of the Round

Nilmar (Villarreal)

Nilmar signed for Villarreal from Internacional in the summer of 2009 and the former Lyon forward had a mixed first season here in Spain. The Brazilian was competing for places with Joseba Llorente and Giuseppe Rossi and a poor year for the club on the whole did not help the Brazilian's reputation. There have been ups and downs for Nilmar in his career. He moved to Europe to join Lyon at a very young age and, despite some success, he failed to settle and eventually moved back to his homeland. Not many players would have been given a second chance but the Bandeirantes-born forward obviously had the talent to succeed in Europe so Villarreal took a gamble on him last year and their investment is starting to pay dividends. Former Brazil manager Dunga kept faith with Nilmar during his tenure as national coach, calling him up to play at the World Cup ahead of some big names like Ronaldinho, Neymar and Alexandre Pato. Now we are starting to see why as the Villarreal striker has got off to an excellent start to the 2010-11 season. On Thursday night, Nilmar ran the show and scored the only goal as the Yellow Submarine inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Deportivo La Coruna at the Madrigal. With four goals already, Nilmar currently heads the Pichichi charts and, if he continues in this vein, he could still be in contention come the end of the season.

Matchday 3 - Player of the Round

Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)

Okay, so he missed a couple of clear chances which could have put Real Sociedad ahead in the first half against Real Madrid at Anoeta, but his overall impact in his first start for the San Sebastian-based club this season was exceptional. Expectations have been high for the French teenager in his debut year in the top flight but no guarantees can ever be made about a player, especially such a young one, who is stepping up a division for the first time. Martin Lasarte has eased Griezmann in with a couple of substitute appearances in the first two games but the Uruguayan coach felt he was ready to start against Real Madrid and any doubts about his ability to perform at this level have been well and truly put to bed. Griezmann was lively and daring against his main marker Sergio Ramos - one of the best right backs in the world - whom he gave quite a fright on more than one occasion with his pace and guile. He was involved in most of Real Sociedad's best moves and his first start in La Liga could have been even more sensational if he had buried his first half header from the centre of the area and/or the shot he stabbed wide after being fed on the edge of the box by Xabi Prieto. In the second half he demonstrated his set-piece prowess by assisting Raul Tamudo's goal and moments later he whipped a dangerous free-kick just past Iker Casillas' far post, which had Spain's World Cup winning captain scrambling. The home team deserved more from this match and Griezmann deserved to be the one who provided it. One thing is for sure, with so many dimensions to his game, there is a lot more to come from the 19-year-old.  

Matchday 2 - Player of the Round

Nelson Valdez (Hercules)

Nelson Valdez's arrival at Hercules at the end of August was overshadowed by the signing of former France and Juventus striker David Trezeguet. While the addition of Trezeguet represents something of a coup in terms of increasing the global profile of the promoted Alicante club, let us not forget that the Frenchman has not played for his country since being left out of Raymond Domenech's EURO 2008 squad and only scored eleven goals in his last two injury-ravaged seasons in Turin. Nelson Valdez, on the other hand, appeared in all (and started all but one) of Paraguay's World Cup games in South Africa, despite competing for striking berths with more recognised European club stars Roque Santa Cruz, Oscar Cardozo and Lucas Barrios. It should come as no surprise, then, that Valdez looked sharp on his debut at the Camp Nou in Saturday's 0-2 win, while David Trezeguet fluffed his lines and pretty much missed an open goal towards the end. Former Borussia Dortmund forward Valdez seems to have an innate positional sense and he used that strength to score twice against Spanish giants Barcelona, helping Hercules on their way to a famous victory at the Camp Nou.   

Matchday 1 - Player of the Round

Duda Aouate (Real Mallorca)

Tote's return to the top flight on Saturday night was very impressive despite his side's defeat. The former Real Madrid veteran has had to make adjustments since switching from his preferred central striking role to a position on the left wing but his incisive passing very nearly unlocked the Athletic defence on various occasions on Saturday. Many people are asking why David Trezeguet would want to move to Hercules but Tote's assisting ability is one very good reason. Tote is not my player of the weekend, however. That honour goes to Real Mallorca's Israeli international goalkeeper, Duda Aouate, who ruined Jose Mourinho's La Liga debut by keeping a clean sheet against Real Madrid at the Ono Estadi on Sunday. Despite picking up a nasty head injury early on, Aouate was patched up and put in an epic 90 minutes between the sticks, blocking Real's attempts time and again and particularly frustrating Gonzalo Higuain. Pep Guardiola owes him a firm pat on the back.