Match Week seven, and it’s still 7 for 7 for the top two as champions Barcelona and Atletico Madrid defy difficult situations to maintain their 100 percent streaks, club records for both sides.
Time for our Team of the Match day here at La Liga Blog, and it’s no surprises that the team has great representation from the ‘big two’……yes, big two.
In goal this week, Levante goalkeeper Keylor Navas gets rewarded for his heroics, making save after save to keep Levante in their game away at the Pamplona against Osasuna. The 26 year-old Costa Rican laid the platform for Levante to snatch a late winner and seal all three points.
This week’s three-man defence is led by Atletico Madrid stalwart, Diego Godin who gave an almost flawless showing against local rivals Real Madrid. The Uruguayan was always available to throw in a tackle and make a clearance, winning all his aerial duels as he marshalled a disciplined roji-blanco defence.
Barcelona man Adriano joins Godin in the three-man defence. The Brazilian made sure Barcelona didn’t find themselves in trouble after talisman Messi was taken off injured, by scoring a much needed second goal for the Catalan Giants in their 2-0 away win over Almeria.
Completing the back-line is Getafe defender Roberto Lago who gave his all in a five-star performance. A Game high seven tackles, a crucial clearance off the goal line to avoid conceding a goal and a well-timed last man tackle was the hallmark of an impressive showing. Lago surely merits his position on the team.
We go with a four-man midfield this Match day, and who else but Atletico Madrid’s Koke to lead the quartet? The Spanish midfielder was almost always in control in midfield in the Madrid derby vs Real Madrid, providing a delicious ball for team mate, Diego Costa to score the only goal of the game.
In central midfield, Malaga man Fernando Tissone gets the nod after delivering an all-round display for his Andalusian side. From providing an assist for his side’s first goal, to attempting more tackles than any other player in the match (6), Tissone was unarguably the man of the match as Malaga clawed their way back in their 2-all draw with Real Valladolid. Alongside the Argentine in the centre of midfield is Elche’s Javier Márquez.
The former Espanyol and Mallorca man was on hand to score a vital winner for Elche in their crucial 1-0 away scoreline away at Celta Vigo as they effectively buried the hurt from their unfortunate loss to Real Madrid last week.
Completing the cast in this week’s midfield is Real Betis midfielder, Nosa Igiebor. The big man from Nigeria scored the only goal for Real Betis as they toiled to secure all three points against Marcelino’s Villareal. In what was quite a tough match for Pep Mel’s Betis, Nosa’s goal proved a big difference!
Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa makes it 3 Atletico Madrid players in our Matchday team as he’s picked for the second straight week. The uncertainty about which country he will represent still looms, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from driving a sharp knife into the hearts of Madrid fans all over the world, showing he could be an able replacement for Radamel Falcao who left in the summer. Joining Costa is Granada’s Youssef El-Arabi who was instrumental, scoring a brace as Granada punish Athletic Bilbao for some poor defending in the late game on Monday night.
Finally, It’s Getafe forward Adrian Colunga that completes our Team of Matchday seven. The Spaniard was in clinical form for Getafe as he finished off 2 of the 3 shots he was served in his side’s 2-0 win over Espanyol .