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La Liga pulled the curtains on a fabulous 2020-21 season on Sunday, with Atletico Madrid crowned the champions for the 11th time in their history.
Diego Simeone's charges fought back from a goal down to beat Real Valladolid 2-1, with Luis Suarez netting a late winner on a day of redemption for the former Barcelona star.
His old club finished outside the top two for the first time in 13 years, coming third following a disappointing La Liga campaign, while holders Real Madrid were second by a close two points.
Lionel Messi finished as the La Liga top-scorer for a record-extending eighth time with 30 goals, although he didn't play on the final day. Meanwhile, Atletico's indomitable custodian Jan Oblak took home yet another Zamora Trophy for his exploits between the sticks.
With the campaign now done and dusted, it's time for us to look back on the season. On that note, let's have a look at the ten best defenders in the 2020-21 La Liga:
#10 Emerson Royal (Real Betis)
Real Betis qualified for the Europa League but may have to participate in the competition next season without one of their key players. Emerson Royal, who was on loan from Barcelona and is likely headed back to his parent club.
That's because the Brazilian had a fine La Liga campaign, coming of age with his mature performances. He contributed one goal and four assists for Los Verdiblancos but made a bigger impact in defence, stopping attackers in their tracks with perfectly-timed tackles and showing good reading of the game.
#9 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Sergio Ramos may not win many popularity awards outside the Santiago Bernabeu, but his importance to Real Madrid cannot be understated. The veteran Galactico was blighted with injuries during the second half of the campaign, so he doesn't make it further than ninth position on this list.
In 15 La Liga games he played, Real Madrid lost only twice. The Spaniard marshalled his backline with aplomb and also scored twice, doing so against Real Betis and Barcelona. Los Blancos, though, surely missed him during the home stretch of their campaign, as they failed to defend their crown, finishing two points behind Atletico Madrid.
#8 Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
His season was curtailed with injuries, and he has generally been on the decline since last year. But Gerard Pique remains a key player in the Barcelona team as he's been for the last decade or so.
In the 18 La Liga games he started, the Spaniard looked decent. He completed over 94% of his passes and dominated his aerial duels too, averaging 3.2 per game. Pique looks like he could play for Barcelona for a few more years.
#7 Jose Gaya (Valencia)
It's easy to forget Jose Gaya is only 25 as he just wrapped up his ninth season with Valencia. But it was also his best La Liga campaign yet. The full-back registered his career-best tally of seven assists, the most in the league by a defender, with Gaya outperforming the usual suspects.
Most of his assists were decisive in helping the Bats win points as he led his team from the front. Thanks to his terrific all-round performances, Gaya has attracted interest from Barcelona, who're scouting the player as the club seeks a new left-back.
#6 Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid)
Ferland Mendy missed his last eight La Liga games. But it speaks volumes about his quality, as he has displaced a club icon, Marcelo, to become the team's first-choice. That's exactly what Mendy has done at Real Madrid since joining in 2019 and continued into the 2020-21 season as well.
His attacking contributions were minimal, netting just one goal in La Liga and producing no assists. But Mendy played a key role in carrying the ball into the attacking third and generally added quality to Real Madrid's defence. Unfortunately, his campaign was curtailed by injuries, as the Frenchman missed the last few league games of the season.
#5 Jordi Alba (Barcelona)
Jordi Alba is from a spent force. If anything, he was a player reborn this season. Sure, he can make an odd mistake or two, but with three goals and seven assists in La Liga, the Spaniard proved his worth to Barcelona again.
His piercing runs down the left and devastating link-ups with Lionel Messi reminded everyone of what he is capable of. Alba also came up trumps in the left midfield position in the last few games to silence his critics.
#4 Keiran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
After enduring something of a slump following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he helped England reached the semi-finals, Keiran Trippier recaptured his mojo after joining Atletico Madrid in 2019. He has now clinched the first major honour of his career.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star excelled in a hybrid role, alternating between wing-back and full-back. He also contributed six assists while looking accomplished in defence. In other words, Trippier was key in Simeone's team winning their first La Liga title in seven years despite missing ten games in the season.
#3 Jules Kounde (Sevilla)
Jules Kounde had a fine 2020-21 La Liga campaign. He is one of France's best emerging defenders, certainly in a ball-playing role. Kounde built on his outstanding debut La Liga season to firmly establish himself among the league's best centre-backs with another fine campaign in the competition.
Strong, commanding and technically adept, Kounde also demonstrated the attacking side of his game, registering two goals and an assist. At 22, he'll only get better going forward. Didier Deschamps might as well start him in the upcoming Euros.
#2 Stefan Savic (Atletico Madrid)
Diego Godin's departure in 2019 left the door ajar for Stefan Savic to come into the side. The Montenegrin star has since made the centre-back position his own, even upstaging the multi-faceted Jose Gimenez this season.
Once again, Los Rojiblancos built their La Liga title success on a resolute backline. Savic was an integral part of the league's meanest defence, giving opposition attackers a tough run for their money. However, his poor disciplinary record was a cause of concern for Diego Simeone.
#1 Pau Torres (Villarreal)
Villarreal were unlucky to miss out on the Europa League after a defeat to Real Madrid on the final day of the La Liga season. But they couldn't have made it that far without Pau Torres marshalling their backline, as the Spaniard was a revelation this season with his stupendous performances.
Pau Torres demonstrated remarkable athleticism to keep up with the paciest of attackers and read the game brilliantly, making several vital clearances while also timing his tackles to perfection. Thanks to his heroics this season, Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly interested in his services.
