Matchday 21 - Player to Watch

Aritz Aduriz (Valencia)

Aritz Aduriz has enjoyed a positive start to his Valencia career, scoring eight La Liga goals and receiving a first international call-up for Spain's EURO 2012 qualifiers in October as a result. He has not yet hit prolific heights, though, partly because he has to share playing time with Roberto Soldado as Unai Emery doesn't always opt to play them together. They are expected to both line up at the Sardinero on Monday, however, where their objective is to unravel a stubborn Racing defence which, before the Barcelona defeat last weekend, had conceded just three goals in the last five games.

Matchday 20 - Player to Watch

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Karim Benzema's relegation to the bench last weekend led to some guarded criticism of Jose Mourinho's team selection by Real Madrid's sporting director Jorge Valdano and Mourinho, not one to bow to public, directorial, presidential or any other kind of outside pressure, kept the Frenchman out of the starting eleven against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey on Thursday as well. Despite his generally underwhelming form this season, Real Madrid do seem more complete with a number nine in the side, even if it is the form of the attacking midfield players which benefits rather than Benzema directly. The 23-year-old is set to return up front against Real Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday evening and, with Real Madrid now actively and openly seeking another striker in the transfer market (Ruud van Nistelrooy is purportedly the first choice), Benzema is running out of time to prove his worth to this team.

Matchday 19 - Player to Watch

Akihiro Ienaga (Real Mallorca)

Only the failure to secure a work permit prevented Akihiro Ienaga from joining Plymouth on a permanent deal in 2009. Now, after a loan spell at Cerezo Osaka where the Kyoto-born midfielder came to prominence as one of the most exciting young players in Japan, Ienaga has been snapped up by Real Mallorca. As I can't pretend to be an avid follower of J-League football, Ienaga arrives as something of an unknown quantity for me. An injury to Josep Luis Marti has opened up a place in Michael Laudrup's squad for the trip to the Vicente Calderon on Monday night and hopefully we will see something of the Japanese midfielder against Atletico Madrid.

Matchday 18 - Player to Watch

Elias (Atletic Madrid)

Elias signed from Corinthians at the beginning of the month as a replacement for departing winger Simao Sabrosa but he is not a like-for-like swap for the Portuguese international. The seven million euro Brazlian is being lined up as an eventual replacement for Paolo Assuncao in central midfield. Quique Sanchez Flores has called Elias up for the first time for the trip to Hercules on Monday night and we will hopefully see something of him in the second half. Tiago is currently injured and Paolo Assuncao had a head scare at the end of last week but Mario Suarez and Raul Garcia are standing in the way of a starting position for the 25-year-old. Elias has a reputation as a box-to-box midfielder but he has more of an eye for goal than Assuncao and some of that Brazilian flair you would expect from a player who learned his trade on the streets of Sao Paolo.

Matchday 17 - Player to Watch

Kaka (Real Madrid)

Despite reports in Marca at the weekend that Emmanuel Adebayor has been offered to the club, it is still looking unlikely that Real Madrid will dip into the transfer market in January. Jose Mourinho shrugged off concerns about a shortage of forwards a few weeks ago and pointed out that Kaka will be like a new signing when his is finally fit. That moment has now arrived as the Brazilian maestro has been named in Mourinho's matchday squad for the first time after a miserable four months on the sidelines nursing his pubalgia problems. Due to an understandable lack of match fitness, the former World Player of the Year is likely to start on the bench but hopefully he will get some minutes to make what would undoubtedly be the most eagerly anticipated appearance of the jornada. Given the emergence of Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria this season, Kaka will have to fight for his place at the club and cannot afford to be as inconsistent as he was in his first season at the Bernabeu. If he does find his best form under Mourinho, he will be among an exclusive pool of truly world class players plying their trade in La Liga.

Matchday 16 - Player to Watch

Kiko Femenia (Hercules)

Royston Drenthe and Nelson Valdez are among four players suspended for Hercules' clash with Racing Santander on Monday night, so there will be attacking midfield places up for grabs. Even if those two were fit, Kiko Femenia's name might have been on the team sheet at the Sardinero. Femenia is the youngest member of Esteban Vigo's first team squad and one of the youngest regulars in La Liga. The 19-year old native of Alicante made his debut more than two years ago and was an exciting new addition to La Liga this season following Hercules' promotion. The right winger is incisive and direct in his style and likes to take on defenders and find shooting positions. Domingo Cisma or Christian Salas will be marking him if he starts in Cantabria and either one will have a busy evening trying to keep up with the energetic teenager.

Matchday 15 - Player to Watch

Marco Ruben (Villarreal)

Giusuppe Rossi is suspended this weekend so, after some impressive substitute performances and some successful outings in the Europa League, 24-year-old striker Marco Ruben is expected to replace the pint-sized Italio-American up front alongside Nilmar against Getafe at the Coliseum on Saturday night. The Argentine forward will struggle to break into the first team at the Madrigal as long as Nilmar and Rossi are around but he is a tricky, energetic player who could quickly explode to prominence if provided with a window of opportunity. That nearly came earlier in the year when Wigan agreed a fee in principle to sign the player but the deal fell through so he continues to warm the bench under Juan Carlos Garrido in his first full season with the Villarreal first team squad. Ruben is yet to score in La Liga but he should have plenty of opportunities if he plays this weekend with the likes of Borja Valero, Ruben Cani and Santi Cazorla providing him with ammunition.

Matchday 14 - Player to Watch

Tote (Hercules)

His bad boy attitude may have held him back at times in his career, but Tote is a player of impeccable quality, another example of the techincal fomentation process at Real Madrid's academy which is rarely given an opportunity to blossom at first team level. Tote started the season very well but quickly fell behind fitter, younger players like Kiko Femenia, Tiago Gomes and Olivier Thomert in the battle for the third and final attacking midfield slot next to Nelson Valdez and Royston Drenthe. An excellent game against Levante last weekend should prompt Esteban Vigo to start the former Real Madrid player at the Riazor and he has the vision and passing range to unlock even a five-man Deportivo defence.

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 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.

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 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 9 - Player to Watch

Alvaro Vazquez (Espanyol)

Pablo Osvaldo's suspension gives Alvaro Vazquez an opportunity to keep his place as Espanyol's lone striker after a brace helped his side to a 0-2 win over Real Valladolid in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. Vazquez has some stiff competition with veterans Sergio Garcia and Ivan Alonso also pushing for starts but Mauricio Pochettino has shown he has no qualms about favouring youth over experience as the Espanyol academy continues to churn out exciting young talent. Vazquez is just the latest in a long line of impressive cantera graduates but, as a skilfull forward with a natural eye for goal, he will attract more immediate attention than the likes of Victor Ruiz, Jordi Amat, Javi Marquez, Raul Baena and Didac Vila, who are all established first team members now. Even if he doesn't start at the Riazor, he is bound to get some second half playing time and Deportivo La Coruna's vulnerable defence should be wary of his presence.

Matchday 8 - Player to Watch

Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick and won a penalty against Real Zaragoza at the Romareda last season. The Argentine gem magnanimously stepped aside to let Zlatan Ibrahimovic take the penalty, helping him to end an unhappy dry spell in front of goal, so really the current World Player of the Year could have had four. Every single goal was a work of art and indeed Messi’s performance that day was one of the most impressive individual displays I have ever seen. On Wednesday he warmed up for this encounter with a brace against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League and, as always, he will be the most eagerly anticipated player to step onto the pitch on Saturday night. 

Matchday 7 - Player to Watch

David Villa (Barcelona)

After some initial doubts it looks like David Villa will be fit to face his old club Valencia on Saturday. Pep Guardiola's squad is about as thin as his hair so he will start with Villa up front even if he is not 100%. The Asturian striker, who scored 108 goals in 166 games for Valencia, is unlikely to celebrate if he scores against his former employers but with his record, no one would be surprised if he did. Villa took the opportunity to notch up his 44th goal for Spain during the international break, which makes him the highest scoring Spanish international of all time (level with Raul having played far fewer games). Having fired Spain to World Cup glory in South Africa this year, it is fitting that Barcelona's central striker now carries this mantel.

Matchday 6 - Player to Watch

Raul Tamudo (Real Sociedad)

Raul Tamudo is used to scoring goals in a blue and white strip but it will be a first if he does so against Espanyol when they visit Real Sociedad at Anoeta on Saturday evening. Tamudo captained Catalonia's second biggest club for the best part of a decade and made 340 league appearances for Los Pericos between 1996 and 2010, scoring 129 goals in the top flight along the way. Despite a contract wrangle and subsequent fallout with chairman Daniel Sanchez Llibre, Raul Tamudo remains a legend at Espanyol, where he holds a prestigious place in the record books as the club’s all-time leading scorer. The striker’s declining influence on the pitch in his last two seasons in Barcelona seemed to suggest that his career was winding down, but Tamudo has enjoyed an immediate renaissance at Real Sociedad, scoring three goals in four games at the start of the 2010-11 campaign. Martin Lasarte has to decide whether to play two forwards against Mauricio Pochettino’s young side or go with a lone striker again in the in-favour 4-2-3-1 formation. Either way, Raul Tamudo is likely to be the first name on the team sheet having muscled in front of Joseba Llorente to establish himself as the preferred target man for now.

Matchday 5 - Player to Watch

Pablo Osvaldo (Espanyol)

Pablo Osvaldo has been a key figure for Espanyol ever since they signed him on loan from Bologna in the January transfer window. He arrived at the club as back-up for Ivan Alonso but his powerful displays at the back end of the 2009-10 season saw him established as the first choice striker for Los Pericos and Mauricio Pochettino's most important bit of summer business was securing the Argentinean on a permanent deal. Osvaldo got off to a great start this season with a couple of goals on the opening day against Getafe but he was injured in the very next match against Villarreal and has not played since. On Sunday he returns to lead the Espanyol attack and, with the Catalans expected to beat Osasuna at the Cornella El Prat, Osvaldo will be regarded as the main threat to the Pamplonan defence.

Matchday 4 - Player to Watch

Alberto Botia (Sporting de Gijon)

On Wednesday night there will be something of a homecoming for Sporting de Gijon defender Alberto Botia, as he returns to the club who signed him as a 14-year-old and where he spent six of the most important years of his footballing education. As fate would have it, the centre back only made one substitute appearance for Barcelona despite cutting his teeth for three seasons with the B team. At the beginning of the 2009-10 season Botia was loaned to Sporting de Gijon and the Murcia-born player was such a success - playing twenty-six games in his debut season at the age of 20 - that the Asturian club made it one of their priorities this summer to secure the defender's services on a permanent deal. Despite his tender age, Alberto Botia is now one of the first names on Manuel Preciado's team sheet amidst what has evolved to become a very consistent back four line-up, which also includes Roberto Canella, Alberto Lora and Botia's central defensive partner, Gregory Arnolin. With midweek fixtures sandwiched between weekend games in a frantic schedule, Preciado has decided to rotate eight of his eleven players from Sunday's draw with Athletic Bilbao, but it says a lot for Botia's influence that he is one of the three - and the only defender - to survive the cull. How he deals with former team mates Pedro, Bojan and Andres Iniesta, as well as Spain's World Cup hero David Villa, could have an important bearing on how well Sporting stand up at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Matchday 3 - Player to Watch

Jefferson Montero (Villarreal)

There's no guarantee that he will start at the Ciutat de Valencia on Sunday - he hasn't done so in the league as yet for Villarreal - but during his two substitute outings against Real Sociedad and Espanyol Jefferson Montero has shown glimpses of a talent which could offer midfield equilibrium to Juan Carlos Garrido's team by balancing Santi Cazorla's technical talents on the right with the Ecuadorian's explosive energy on the left. Jefferson did start against Dynamo Zagreb in an ill-fated European excursion for Villarreal on Thursday and, despite a poor all-round team performance, the number twenty-three did himself justice, proving to be easily the most dangerous player in yellow. He is an athletic left winger with a remarkable turn of pace, as Javier Chica found out to his cost last weekend; Chica got fed up of chasing the Ecuadorian at the Madrigal and resorted to kicking out on the final occasion that Jefferson breezed past him, deservedly earning himself a red card in the process. Jefferson has remarkably close ball control for a man who travels at such speed. When taken into consideration with his tendency to take on at his marker at every opportunity this makes him a nightmare to defend against. Borja Valero currently holds sway on the left flank of Villarreal's starting eleven, but he could also be accommodated in the middle of the pitch at the expense of Bruno Soriano. If that were the case, Jefferson would still have Ruben Cani to compete with for a starting berth but the Ecuadorian, who has already been capped ten times for his country, scoring twice along the way, has the advantage of being eight years younger and much faster than Cani. Of the six players promoted to Villarreal's first team after convincing with the B team last year, Jefferson Montero is, on the basis of early season form, by far the most exciting. Levante beware.

Matchday 2 - Player to Watch

Joaquin (Valencia)

Over the last couple of seasons there have been indications that Joaquin Sanchez's Valencia career was beginning to wind down. The former Spain international was not an automatic first choice in Unai Emery's team last season as Pablo Hernandez, Juan Mata and David Silva were the manager's preferred trio of attacking midfielders behind David Villa. The departure of the two Davids this summer, however, has opened up more space in the Valencia midfield and the signing of Aritz Aduriz and Roberto Soldado will probably lead to a return to a 4-4-2 formation in which Joaquin will thrive on the right hand side. The Andalucian winger was one of the most impressive players on show on matchday one, scoring two goals and demonstrating glimpses of the form that had him linked with all of Europe's major clubs while he was at Real Betis. Racing Santander visit Mestalla on Saturday and, judging by the early signs of form, they are going to be in for a tough ride in Valencia. It could be the perfect platform for Joaquin to increase his goal tally.