MX23RW : Monday, May 20 16:06:21| >> :120:14230:14230:

Sports Mole's La Liga Team of the Week

Sports Mole picks out its 11 star performers from week three in La Liga.

Real Madrid's disappointing start to the new La Liga season continued this weekend as Carlo Ancelotti's side lost 2-1 at home to Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.

It is the first time in history that Atletico have won back-to-back league games at the Bernabeu, with the result leaving Los Blancos with just three points from their first three matches.

Barcelona, meanwhile, continued their 100% start to the season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, who have also now lost two of their first three league matches.

Week three's action started on Friday evening, with Almeria and Cordoba, both of whom are expected to struggle this season, sharing the points in a 1-1 draw.

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid were in action on Saturday, while Malaga were held to a goalless draw by Levante and Real Sociedad picked up a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo.

Elche won a five-goal thriller against Rayo Vallecano in the opening match on Sunday, before Valencia and Sevilla continued their unbeaten starts to the season with victories over Espanyol and Getafe respectively. Sunday's action concluded with a goalless draw between Granada and Villarreal.

Deportivo La Coruna then wrapped up the week's football with a 1-0 win over Eibar in a battle between the top two from last season's Segunda Division.

Here, Sports Mole picks out its 11 star performers from the third week of football in Spain's top division.

Jesus Fernandez (Levante)
Levante might have lost Keylor Navas to Real Madrid this season, but the Costa Rican's replacement, Jesus Fernandez, has had a fine start to the season. The Spaniard continued his impressive run with a superb display in his side's goalless draw with Malaga on Saturday.

Sidnei (Deportivo La Coruna)
Depor managed to secure Sidnei on loan from Benfica in the latter stages of the window and the centre-back impressed during his first appearance against Eibar. The Brazilian proved a powerful presence in the air, while he was also prepared to play from the back when possible.
Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia)
Otamendi is another that is still adjusting to life in La Liga, but the Argentine made his mark in Valencia's 3-1 win over Espanyol on Sunday. The 26-year-old made a number of crucial interceptions throughout the contest and proved a sturdy obstacle at the heart of the back four.
Jeremy Mathieu (Barcelona)
The French defender continued his strong start to the campaign against Bilbao this weekend. Mathieu's form has thus far kept Gerard Pique out of the team and he now looks to be Barcelona's first-choice centre-back. Once again, Mathieu put on a defensive masterclass at the weekend.

Pedro Mosquera (Elche)
Mosquera was not exactly a regular scorer during his time with Getafe, but the midfielder got off the mark for his new club against Rayo Vallecano this weekend. His strike 20 minutes from time proved to be the winner as Elche picked up a vital three points in the Spanish capital.
Tiago (Atletico Madrid)
So often the go-to man for Atletico, Tiago was again called up against Real Madrid this weekend. The Portuguese opened the scoring with a close-range header, before completely controlling the tempo of the match from central midfield. He seems to get better and better with each passing season.
Grzegorz Krychowiak (Sevilla)
Sevilla's new midfielder certainly put his body on the line this weekend, with Getafe goalkeeper Vicente Guaita landing a punch in the face of the 24-year-old when coming for a cross. The incident inside the box gained Sevilla a penalty and sent them on their way to three points. That aside, Krychowiak provided a classy performance for his new club.
Andre Gomes (Valencia)
Another of La Liga's new boys, Gomes shined as Valencia beat Espanyol 3-1 on Sunday. The 21-year-old, who was linked with a number of clubs before moving to Los Che this summer, put on a box-to-box performance from the middle of the park, while his range of passing was brilliant.

Arda Turan (Atletico Madrid)
Turan marked his return to the Atletico team with a brilliant goal in Saturday's 2-1 win over Real Madrid. As soon as the Turkish international entered the field, his teammates were lifted. The experienced attacker just radiates class each time he has possession of the ball.
Neymar (Barcelona)
The Brazilian is still working his way back to full fitness following a back injury, but he made his mark this weekend with both goals in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Bilbao. The attacker was twice set up by Lionel Messi, but both were cool finishes from the youngster.
Fede Cartabia (Cordoba)
Fede, who is on loan from Valencia, has been a bright spark for Cordoba in the early stages of the season. The Argentine was his side's biggest threat during their 1-1 draw with Almeria on Friday, netting the equaliser after 19 minutes. Valencia will be watching his performances closely.

ID:177106: cacheID:177106:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8157:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Real Sociedad's midfielder Xabi Prieto during the Spanish league football match against Athletic Bilbao on January 5, 2014
Read Next:
La Liga Team of the Week
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CReal Madrid37297187266194
2Barcelona37257577433482
3GironaGirona37246778463278
4Atletico MadridAtletico372341068432573
5Athletic Bilbao371811860372365
6Real Sociedad371612951371460
7Real BetisBetis37141494845356
8Villarreal371410136464052
9Valencia37139153843-548
10AlavesAlaves37129163545-1045
11Osasuna37128174455-1144
12Getafe371013144152-1143
13Sevilla371011164752-541
14Celta Vigo371010174455-1140
15Las PalmasLas Palmas37109183246-1439
16Rayo Vallecano37814152947-1838
17Mallorca37716143143-1237
18CadizCadiz37615162549-2433
RGranada3749243872-3421
RAlmeria37212233774-3718


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!