5 things we learned from gameweek 14 in La Liga

It was an action filled weekend from the 14th round of matches in La Liga with Atletico Madrid the big winners on a strange weekend where only three of the top ten teams recorded victories (though CD Leganes, Atleti, and Getafe got these wins against fellow top ten teams).

Here are the key takeaways from the weekend's action:

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#5 Samuel Umtiti will be a big miss for FC Barcelona

Cules have every right to be incensed by refereeing mistakes in the 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo. The wrong offside call for Luis Suarez’s goal for instance (Video Assistant Referee cannot come soon enough) affected the outcome of the game.

However, the injury to French centre-back Samuel Umititi should be of greater concern to the fans. The 24-year-old French international has been a rock at the back for the Blaugrana and an extended absence will be hard felt.

His composure and brilliance at the back have been integral to Barcelona’s unbeaten run this season and being out for 8 weeks with a hamstring injury means that Javier Mascherano’s rumoured move in January may be blocked by the board.

Coach Ernesto Valverde will have to reshuffle the pack with Thomas Vermaelen expected to continue in the First XI after the Belgian’s calm displays at the heart of the defence in recent games.

Valverde has shown that he understands how to organize a defence so Barcelona fans can rest easy in the belief that things should continue like before but in their hearts of hearts, most fans would be praying for a miraculous recovery for the Cameroonian born Umtiti.

#4 Valencia lose unbeaten record but ...

Valencia was beaten by a street-smart Getafe side but should bounce back soon

It had to happen finally but the most impressive side in this league, (Barcelona are Barcelona after all) Valencia finally had their unbeaten run halted after a 1-0 loss to Getafe.

In a tough, ill-tempered game at Getafe’s Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, it became very obvious that Los Che missed the presence of coach Marcelino Toral who was serving the last of his two-match ban.

The absence of injured trio Ezequiel Garay, Jeison Murillo and Goncalo Guedes negatively affected the side (Simone Zaza played with an injury).

However, it is not all doom and gloom to the Andalusian side as they still sit in second place though now five points behind La Liga leaders Barca.

The team did look menacing even with all the injuries and had the Getafe goalie Vicente Guaita (former Valencia goalie) not had a fantastic game, Los Che might have grabbed something via the exquisite dead ball deliveries of captain Dani Parejo.

#3 Villarreal are not delivering in the big games

The Yellow Submarines need to up their game against the big sides

Following the sack of former coach Fran Escribá after the mauling by Getafe, El Submarino Amarillo (The Yellow Submarine) have had a decent run under new coach Javier Calleja.

However, the side has faltered in games against the big teams in La Liga and will have to improve to be able to get that coveted UEFA Champions League spot.

While there have been some credible results; a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano and another 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao, there have been three-goal margin losses to Real Sociedad (0-3) and Sevilla CF (2-3).

These kinds of results can be blamed on the fact that except in the game against Sevilla, the team has adopted a more defensive approach inviting the opposition to attack.

Coach Calleja will have to get the team to play to its strengths against high calibre opposition. Villarreal are a better team when they are on the front foot and in players like Cedric Bakambu, Nicola Sansone, and Samu Castillejo, they have the players needed to hurt the opposition.

Next up is a visit from league leaders FC Barcelona and with the news that Samuel Umtiti will be out for the Catalans means there is a chance that Barca can be hurt if Villarreal plays to their strengths.

#2 Atletico Madrid are finding form at the right time

Atletico Madrid are finding form at the right time

Whisper it quietly but it seems Atletico Madrid have turned a corner and are now playing as they have been expected to play.

The 2-0 victory over AS Roma in the Champions League has seen an upswing in form for Los Colchoneros with two wins in La Liga on the bounce with seven goals scored and just one conceded.

Antoine Griezmann has been on fire with three goals and an assist in these two games and is in perfect form for Atletico Madrid’s must-win visit to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the UCL.

Diego Simeone seems to have taken the shackles off his attacking players and its now paying dividends with Kevin Gamiero, Saúl Ñíguez, Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco also delivering some of their best performances of the season in these games.

Atletico Madrid was the only team of the top four in La Liga to win this weekend and this would serve as encouragement for the team going forward with Diego Costa and Vitolo to join after the Christmas break.

#1 Real Madrid need to spend in January

The attacking verve of last season seems to have deserted Real Madrid, January buys are a must now

Lifeless, insipid and uninspiring. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind when one wishes to describe Real Madrid’s attacking performance in the 0-0 draw with an equally poor Athletic Bilbao side.

Los Merengues have struggled for goals this season and from an outsider’s perspective, the problem seems to be more of a system issue than being blamed on a particular set of players.

Manager Zinedine Zidane will take the blame for this though (although president Florentino Perez also shares in this). The French manager seemed befuddled by the team’s poor form at times and is struggling to come up with a strategy that will get the best out of the misfiring forward line.

Getting a couple of attacking players in January would help in giving the team a new attacking dynamic but the best players seldom move in January especially given the impending World Cup so the club will need to be smart in getting in the attacking quality needed.