La Liga Team of the Week – Gameweek 4

Diego Lopez is between the sticks this time

The league has started to heat-up, as teams start to drop points, play some desperate football and have their character tested. Atletico Madrid and champions Barcelona still maintain their lead at the top of the table after securing maximum points as Real Madrid and Villareal cancel each other out, resulting in their first dropped points of the season.

Time though for us at La Liga Blog to run through the league and duly reward the top performers by naming them in our Matchday 4 La Liga Team of the Week.

In goal this week is Real Madrid goalkeeper, Diego Lopez, who admirably served time and again as the last line of defence for his Real Madrid side that were cut open by his former club Villareal at the back.

The defence is laden with players who got goals and assists this week. At left-back, Malaga’s Vitorino Antunes is our man. The Portuguese man put in a fantastic shift, playing almost flawlessly throughout. He bagged two assists, and according to whoscored.com had more tackles than anyone (5) in his sides 5-0 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano.

At centre back, Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano takes centre stage. The ex-Liverpool man barely put a foot wrong as he jumped into tackle after tackle in his side’s victory last weekend. He is accompanied by Athletic Bilbao’s Mikel San Jose who showed great composure and finishing instinct to draw his side level against Celta Vigo as they headed for their first 3 points at the new San Mames. Barcelona’s Dani Alves who opened scoring for the Blaugrana against Sevilla completes the defence as he fills in at right-back.

Our midfield trio is led by Athletic Bilbao’s Beñat Etxebarria who scored his first goal on return to his spiritual home, the San Mames, albeit the new one. Despite being on the losing side, Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic gets the nod this week as his goal and overall performance was key to bringing Sevilla back into contention against Barcelona.

Atletico Madrid’s Tiago completes the midfield with crucial tackles, passes, and even a goal to stamp his authority on proceedings last weekend. The former Chelsea man showed how key he could be when fit and given playing time.

Up front, World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi showed how much of a game changer he is, scoring to give his side a two goal lead, as well as going on a late mazy run that ultimately ended in Alexis Sanchez’s late winner. Getafe’s Miku joins the Barcelona man in the forward trio. In what was almost a one man show, Miku revived his side after falling to an early Roberto Torres goal.

With four shots, two hitting the back of the net, he bagged a brace and nearly claimed a deserved hat trick after hitting the woodwork on occasion and earning him the Man of the Match prize and a coveted position on our team.

Finally, leaving the best for the last. The overall top performer of matchday four and easily man of the week in all of Europe’s elite leagues was Malaga forward, Mounir El Hamdaoui. The striker was in riot mode, scoring three and assisting one as his Malaga side hosted Rayo Vallecano in a one-sided goalfest.