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The holiday period is upon us for the Spanish top flight, as teams reflect on what has been accomplished and plan for the future ahead in 2019. Although, perhaps some clubs already had their thoughts on Christmas meals and time away from the pitch.
Four separate 1-1 scorelines were seen this past weekend. No side scored more than two goals, and no fixture produced more than three. You want to enter the break, building off momentum, and nobody wanted to start the new year following a loss.
The action began on Friday in Catalonia, as Girona battled Getafe to a 1-1 draw. A Basque derby followed at the Estadio Anoeta, although the home fans left disappointed. Alavés earned a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad, with La Real tumbling to 15th in the table.
Saturday’s games started with a 1-1 home draw for Real Betis versus Eibar. Atlético Madrid and manager Diego Simeone were able to stay within striking distance of the league’s top spot thanks to a 1-0 win over Espanyol. Los Rojiblancos are second, three points away from first place.
Barcelona remain at the top of LaLiga, earning a 2-0 victory against Celta Vigo at the Camp Nou. As they continue to put points between themselves and the rest of the division, the Blaugrana should definitely feel confident about lifting the league title once again in the coming months. The day concluded with a 1-1 draw between Athletic Club and Real Valladolid.
Sunday’s matches saw late drama for Valencia, securing three points versus Huesca (2-1). The result moved Los Che up to eighth place.
Leganés were on the verge of a vital and impressive win, only for Sevilla to find an equaliser in the dying moments for a 1-1 draw. The day finished with a 2-1 home victory for Rayo Vallecano versus Levante, providing crucial positivity in their fight against relegation. Rayo are 19th, three points away from safety.
Due to Real Madrid’s FIFA Club World Cup commitments, their match at Villarreal was postponed. Los Blancos will visit El Madrigal on January 3.
We offer up the best players in LaLiga from Matchweek 17:
Goalkeeper
GK - Jan Oblak - Atlético Madrid
Consistency is important, especially for a goalkeeper. Atlético Madrid have the luxury of that with Jan Oblak, and he put in another fine performance this past weekend against Espanyol.
The 25-year-old made four saves, earning his league-leading eighth clean sheet of the 2018-19 campaign.
Defenders
RB - Cristiano Piccini - Valencia CF
Valencia left it late versus Huesca, and luckily for them, Cristiano Piccini was there in stoppage-time to deliver the winning goal.
The Italian defender also recorded three tackles during the game.
CB - Emiliano Velázquez - Rayo Vallecano
Rayo’s 2-1 victory on Sunday against a good Levante side was extremely important, and Emiliano Velázquez was seemingly everywhere at once.
The 24-year-old was strong at the back, making five tackles and winning two aerial duels. Velázquez took matters into his own hands as well with four successful dribbles.
CB - Bernardo Espinosa - Girona FC
Girona and manager Eusebio Sacristán would have liked more from their meeting with Getafe on Friday, but it was Bernardo Espinosa who played a key role in at least getting a point.
The Colombian international scored the team’s only goal of the night and was accurate with his passing throughout the match.
LB - Jordi Alba - FC Barcelona
Barcelona continued their winning ways on Saturday, with Jordi Alba supplying a sensational moment that ultimately put the game out of reach for Celta.
A fantastic pass from his left boot set up team-mate Lionel Messi perfectly for Barça’s second goal in the 2-0 victory.
Midfielders
MF - Daniel Parejo - Valencia CF
While Valencia did require a late goal to secure all three points against Huesca, captain Daniel Parejo was doing absolutely everything that he could to secure a win throughout the entire match. The 29-year-old netted the opening goal of the game in the first half and provided excellent service from free-kicks.
He recorded three tackles and six successful dribbles, exhausting the opposition at times. Parejo will look to continue his fine form when Valencia return to league play on January 5 at Alavés.
MF - Ivan Rakitić - FC Barcelona
Celta had difficulty creating many chances at Barcelona this past weekend, and part of that was due to the strong play of Ivan Rakitić.
The Croatian international positioned himself well during Saturday’s encounter, as his vision and passing helped to control the middle of the pitch.
MF - Óscar Plano - Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid have been one of the surprise stories of the 2018-19 LaLiga season. At Athletic Club on Saturday evening, Óscar Plano helped to bring about another good result with a spectacular showing.
The midfielder scored a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw and his six tackles frustrated the home side.
Forwards
FW - Lionel Messi - FC Barcelona
It was yet another fantastic performance from Lionel Messi, as he helped Barcelona to another victory to remain at the top of LaLiga. The Argentine forward netted a scintillating goal off a wonderful pass from Jordi Alba.
Messi made it tough for Celta defenders constantly, with four successful dribbles.
FW - Antoine Griezmann - Atlético Madrid
Espanyol did not necessarily make it easy for Atlético Madrid on Saturday. The 1-0 win for Los Colchoneros came thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s sharp runs at the defence and a cool finish from the spot.
The 27-year-old striker’s penalty kick in the second half ended up being the difference in the game.
FW - Jonathan Calleri - Deportivo Alavés
Alavés had not won a league match since November 11 coming into Friday’s derby at Real Sociedad. Jonathan Calleri’s work up front ensured that fact would change.
The forward scored a goal in the first half of a 1-0 victory and helped to keep possession by winning six aerial duels. Calleri is currently on a season-long loan from Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado.
Manager
Mauricio Pellegrino - CD Leganés
Yes, Leganés did not win on Sunday at Butarque against Sevilla. The home side was so close to a major victory, only for Wissam Ben Yedder to strike in stoppage-time for a 1-1 draw. However, that should not take away the overall result or what has been accomplished by manager Mauricio Pellegrino during the past few weeks.
Los Pepineros are unbeaten in their last nine matches across all competitions, and Pellegrino is putting his players in the right position to see out key results. Tipped by some to be at the bottom of the table this season, Leganés enter the holiday break in 16th and four points above the drop zone.
At the back, Dimitris Siovas and Allan Nyom have been outstanding contributors. Midfielder Mikel Vesga netted the goal against Sevilla, while Rubén Pérez also enjoyed a fine showing. One of the league's best summer signings has turned out to be Guido Carrillo, providing a spark up front for Pellegrino's team.
After impressing the former Southampton boss while on-loan at the St. Mary’s Stadium, Carrillo is now making a true impact in the Spanish capital this year.
Leganés and Mauricio Pellegrino will also meet Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey next month. They have eliminated them before, and maybe they can do it one more time.
