La Liga Team of the Season 2017-18

Midfielders

Joaquin rolling back the years and taking on Filipe Luis

RM: Joaquin Sanchez

Before you throw your mobile onto the floor, let me explain. Romance must at times triumph over cold-hard objectivism.

Joaquin's story is unlike any other, playing some of his best football at the ripe old age of 36, still playing on the wings, playing for his hometown club - he's the heartbeat of a team that no-one expected to do well and his usual incisive dribbling has been supplemented by an under-rated ability to control the tempo of the match in the now-well-known Quique Setién way.

CM: Geoffrey Kondogbia

Laughed out of Inter Milan, Geoffrey Kondogbia looked all set to join the ranks of those who were hyped up far too early, far too easily, but at Valencia, the Frenchman has refound the form that had so many people raving over him. Strong, almost impossible to dispossess, smart in his positioning and possessed of an underrated footballing brain, Kondogbia has been a big reason behind Valencia's smashing resurgence this season

CM: Saul Niguez

The Atleti favourite has been quietly brilliant all season - comfortable across midfield, he's been used predominantly in the center where his immense ability to dribble his way out of trouble, astute reading of the game, and no-holds-barred tackling are put to best use.

He's one of those who embody Diego Simeone's fighting spirit on the field - and he's been consistently excellent all season.

LM: Andres Iniesta

It had looked like we had seen the best of Iniesta a long time ago, and whenever we thought of the great man we did so with a touch of sadness... was he really past it?

Ernesto Valverde refused to conform to those notions and putting all of his trust in the slight Spanish wizard has paid off for him. Playing at the left of an unorthodox 4-4-2, Iniesta has been playing some of the best football he's played for quite a long time now - making those incredible eye-of-the-needle passes, ensuring the Barca passing carousel goes round and round and generally being almost as unplayable as he was at his peak.

Honourable mentions:

Toni Kroos being Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos

Like almost all of his teammates, the German midfielder started off rather slowly... but he's picked up since then and is playing close to his mesmerizingly efficient best - at his peak, there's no better central midfielder on the planet.

Sergio Busquets

The Catalan just misses out on the team this season - if it had been three in the middle, there's no way he's missing out. He'd gone missing last season - like the whole of Barca's midfield - but he's almost back to his incredible best this time around.

Dani Parejo

Valencia's captain and heartbeat, Parejo's midfield mastery has enabled Marcelino to weave his magic, building one of Europe's most exciting teams around the Spaniard's undoubted talents.