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With over a quarter of the season played so far, the 2017/18 La Liga season has already seen a few surprises. Defending champions Real Madrid are already 8 points off the pace (a huge gap this early in the season has never been closed down) while Barcelona, the team they destroyed in the Spanish Super Cup, are top of the league and undefeated.
Two other teams remain undefeated - Valencia have been resurgent while Atletico Madrid have played out far too many draws. Sevilla are struggling to get in the top four while one-time Champions League participants Malaga are bottom of the league with just one win in 11 games.
But the biggest surprise of all has been misfiring forwards, especially among teams at the top. Here are five forwards from Spain's top teams who are struggling to find the back of the net.
#1 Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Goals in La Liga: 3
It's hard to imagine that a Pichichi winner in 2015/16 and runner-up in 2016/17 has so far scored just three times in the league.
Of the three goals scored, only the equaliser against Atletico Madrid stands out. The others were a stoppage time goal in a 5-0 thrashing of Espanyol and the third in a 3-0 win over Girona - games in which Barcelona were comfortably ahead and the opposition had no choice but to attack.
A major reason for his poor form has been because Ernesto Valverde has deployed him as a wide forward instead of a striker so he can accommodate Lionel Messi in a false-nine role. As a result, Messi has been able to carry forward his rich goal scoring form from last season into this, leading La Liga with 12 goals.
However, Suarez has suffered as a result as he isn't always at the end of chances. But that doesn't mean he isn't deprived of them. He still averages the same number of shots on goal in a game ever since his move to the Camp Nou.
Suarez has had a near-equal number of shots on and off target this season. Excluding the 11 blocked shots, he has had 10 shots on target so far this season.
It's just the quality of his shots and, at times, the angle that has worked against him. His struggles in front of goal have been attributed to an injury he is still recovering from but the Uruguayan striker has still missed a few golden chances to get on the score sheet.
#2 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Goals in La Liga: 2
“When he scores goals, the team has a great chance of winning. But when he does not score, obviously it’s more difficult.
“We have to divide this responsibility, which is not the sole responsibility of Griezmann.” - Diego Simeone
At least Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone admits he needs more than one goalscorer if they are to win matches, let alone trophies. After 11 games, Antoine Griezmann is third in the Rojiblancos' goalscorers list - behind Angel Correa (4) and Yannick Carrasco (3).
Griezmann's season started in the worst possible manner - a red card in the opening fixture against Girona. But since then, he has only scored one 'crucial' goal - the winner against an unlucky Malaga side - the first goal at their new home, the Wanda Metropolitano.
Despite having taken 22 shots on goal, the French forward has only two goals to his name. He is getting into good positions and he is able to get a shot off when he can.
However, his lack of goals is not because he has been wasteful; it's just that he hasn't been clinical enough. He has had 12 shots on target already with three others blocked.
But what he has lacked in the goals column, he has made up for with his chance creation. No player in the Atletico squad has created more chances than Griezmann (15). Although a forward with a keen eye for goal, his hold-up play and decisive passing are sometimes overlooked.
Which is why Simeone is right when he says he needs more goalscorers. And judging by their five draws in 11 fixtures, he needs match winners too.
#3 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Goals in La Liga: 1
It is safe to say that Karim Benzema has reached a crossroads in his career at Real Madrid. Ever since his explosive 2015/16 season when he scored 24 goals in the league, he has regressed and now looks a shadow of his former self.
Last season saw Benzema's contributions decline and this season has only seen his stock fall further than ever before, even sparking a debate between television pundit Gary Lineker and manager Zinedine Zidane.
"It bothers me when people talk badly about my players. For me, Benzema is the best. For me, a striker doesn’t only need to score goals. Karim has everything, not only the goals." - Zidane
Except that Benzema isn't performing well in other aspects of the game either. As the centre-forward, he is expected to take more shots on goal.
Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo's role has evolved into that of a strike partner than a wide forward and it has affected Benzema's ability to find space in the box. Teammates prefer to find Ronaldo who always seems to find the better position.
Benzema's injury early in the season may have hampered his form but this has been a theme since the 2016/17 season. The number of shots he has on goal has reduced drastically and with whatever chances he does get to take shots on goal, his conversion rate has been deplorable.
There was a time when Benzema's name used to be the first name on the scoresheet for Real Madrid before the game opened up and allowed Ronaldo to do his thing. Sadly, those days are few and far between now.
The Frenchman's lack of drive should also be questioned. While Ronaldo is doing everything in his power to get involved, Benzema cuts a disinterested figure at times - highlighted by his non-commital attitude to counter-attacks while everyone else is busting a lung to get up field.
If injuries are hampering his form, perhaps he should recover completely before Zidane starts him more often. But with a lack of squad depth, that looks unlikely.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Goals in La Liga: 1
The two players to have taken the most shots on goal in La Liga are the usual suspects. Lionel Messi is top of the list with 69 shots followed by Ronaldo with 48.
But where Messi has scored 12 times, Ronaldo has found the back of the net just once - a sole winner against mid-table side Getafe.
How a goal scoring machine in seasons past and three-time Pichichi winner has only managed to score just one goal in La Liga is almost beyond comprehension. A man who has averaged more than 35 league goals a season since his move to Real Madrid has only scored once in seven games (630 minutes).
One cannot fault him for a lack of effort, though. No matter what formation Zidane employs, it is to ensure Ronaldo is as close as goal as possible - be it a 4-3-1-2 or 4-4-2 (alongside Benzema) or a 4-3-3 (up front in Benzema's absence).
But no matter what Ronaldo has done, he has been denied by the goalkeeper, the woodwork, and some very good defending to keep him quiet.
Ronaldo has had 13 shots on target and 11 shots blocked. He has also been unlucky to hit the bar or post on a number of occasions.
While he has absolutely no problems scoring in the Champions League (6 goals in 4 appearances), it took him 28 shots to net his first (and so far only) La Liga goal of the season. Nobody else in Europe had taken as many shots without scoring.
He has attempted shots with his right foot, his left foot, and his head. He has made the right runs in behind the defence, he's switched wings on occasion to exploit defensive weaknesses, and he has even moved out wide to facilitate attacks. He actually has more assists (2) than goals in the league so far.
Ronaldo maybe FIFA's 'Best' Player in the world but he is no longer a force to reckon with when he's standing over a free-kick. His poor conversion rate from set-pieces where he either hits the wall or misses the target altogether has seen goalkeepers gain confidence.
The goals will come, though. It is only a matter of time.
"We believe that he will make a difference. He is not doing it now by scoring in the league, but he is in the Champions League and he also does other things. He is helpful to the team and in the end he will make a difference." - Zidane
#5 Carlos Bacca (Villarreal)
Goals in La Liga: 3
Carlos Bacca had been linked to a number of clubs around Europe that coveted his signature. Maybe not the elite clubs, considering he is now 31, but Villarreal managed to get him on loan from Serie A side AC Milan.
This is not his first time in La Liga. The Colombian hit-man had two fruitful seasons with Sevilla where he had scored 49 goals and won two Europa League titles. After playing for the "worst Milan side ever" (his words), Bacca was back in La Liga for a year-long loan.
Although he wears a no.9 shirt and starts up front, he tends to drift wide which aids him when cutting in from the left to use his favoured right foot.
The Yellow Submarine usually play a flat 4-4-2 or a 4-4-2 with a diamond in midfield. But up front their man man is Cedric Bakambu. The 26-year-old Congolese forward has already scored 8 La Liga goals this season - behind only Messi (12) and Valencia's Simone Zaza (9).
As a result, Bacca plays in a withdrawn forward role at times, almost like an attacking midfielder bringing the ball forward. Unless the wingers provide width and support, Bacca does not make his way into the box.
His poacher's instincts allowed him to pounce on a rebound against Alaves while a horrible mix-up at the back saw Real Betis gift him a goal. His third goal was most notable, a header from a corner against Atletico Madrid.
We are yet to see the Bacca of old that used his tearaway pace to counter (sometimes all on his own) but give him some time to adapt to La Liga once again and he could help Villarreal seal a Champions League spot this season.
