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LaLiga: Gameiro's quick-fire hat-trick, Bale's return, sad Messi but joy for Valencia

THE BEST…

Player – Kevin Gamiero (Atletico Madrid)

Football is a place where you can achieve so much yet still be viewed as a failure. Since Kevin Gameiro moved to Atletico Madrid from Sevilla in the summer the verdict has been hit and miss. In his first few months he seemingly got on the scoresheet every other week and appeared to develop a good understanding with Antoine Griezmann. However a run of eight matches without a league goal saw Fernando Torres force his way into the XI to leave Gameiro on the sidelines.

Drawing 1-1 away to Sporting Gijon and Atletico in need of three points to keep ahead in the battle for the Champions League places, Gameiro was introduced just after the hour mark. It immediately added more attacking threat and we saw that understanding he has with Griezmann again. He latched onto a fine reverse pass from his teammate and coolly rounded Ivan Cuellar.

Then, perhaps spurred on by his confident finish, Gameiro didn’t need to think twice as a quick breakaway left him with plenty of options in the middle but he drilled it across goal and scored his second within two minutes of the first. He wasn’t done there though as he completed his hat-trick in less than five minutes, once again shooting across the keeper and it nestled into the far corner.

For the first time this year we saw the Gameiro who shot Sevilla to their last Europa League title.

Goal – Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo)

This week saw a lot of well worked goals scored without too many ‘Golazos’. Iago Aspas probably produced the calmest finish but then again, he so often does. Sevilla also provided a fine counterattack, coupled with quick passes that saw Pablo Sarabia pop up with another goal. Sarabia goes under the radar but he’s proven to be an absolute steal since joining Jorge Sampaoli’s team in the summer – and he cost less than €1m!

The goal of the weekend for me was Pione Sisto’s fine team goal for Celta Vigo. Marcelo Diaz is involved in two phases of play and adds that extra bit of class to a quick flowing move. His first back heel ends up at Theo Bongonda’s feet, who struggles to get it under control initially but then passes back into to Diaz who flicks it over to Sisto. He shapes to shoot which fools the defender before letting the ball run across his body and then fires it into the top corner.

The young Danish winger has established himself as first choice in the league now and we’re beginning to see why so many top European sides continue to monitor his progress.

Performance – Valencia

Valencia, Valencia, Valencia. So often in the negative section of people’s roundup columns this season – and last one’s as well to be fair – but there could be some light at the end of the tunnel. Athletic Club might’ve had an eye on the Europa League but take nothing away from Los Che’s performance against one of the strongest teams in LaLiga.

In Nuno’s first season at Valencia the Mestalla became a fortress as they only suffered one loss there, a last gasp Sergi Busquets winner for Barcelona. Since then it’s crumbled into a play thing for not only the elite sides but also anyone capable of passing a football. But there’s been a brief upturn in form since a bit of much needed stability was handed to the club.

Voro’s first foray into full-time management at the highest level has worked as intended. Three wins, two draws and just two losses mean Valencia are pulling away from the chasing pack when it comes to avoiding relegation, a place they really shouldn’t be in. The performance against Eibar aside, and that came with 10-men for 45 minutes, they’ve improved and it continued at the weekend.

Valencia ran out 2-0 winners against Athletic Club and perhaps should’ve scored more. New boy Fabian Orellana has revolutionised the attack and he’s bringing out the best in those around him. It was also important for Simone Zaza to get off the mark although he still doesn’t appear to be fully fit. And at the back it was Valencia’s third clean sheet in their last five games. Can they shut out Real Madrid too?

Comeback – Gareth Bale

The Welsh wizard’s stay at Real Madrid has been littered with injuries cropping up at the wrong time. This season was shaping up well before he fell victim to his injury curse and was missing from Madrid’s squad for nearly three months. In his absence the unbeaten streak ended and they’re out of the Copa del Rey so his return at the weekend was a timely reminder of what he brings to the side.

Cristiano Ronaldo is beginning to prove everyone wrong by becoming more of a team player. Now, that isn’t to say he was selfish before or never provided assists, as he did, but the team needs Ronaldo to evolve if he is to play a key role going forward. This is Bale’s time to shine, to be that physical beast who gallops away from defenders and finishes off chances. He just needs to stay fit!

Bale needed just 13 minutes to score on his return – and he could be the difference maker in the title race.

THE WORST…

Atmosphere – Barcelona

At Arsenal there’s discontent with Arsene Wenger after he’s failed to win a Premier League title in the last 12, soon to be 13, years. There’s a general consensus amongst the fan base of ‘Thank for the memories but cheerio old chap’ which, whether you agree with or not, tends to be respectful. I don’t think anyone under appreciates the job Wenger has done at the club throughout his tenure but perhaps the game, or the business side of things, has passed him by.

Then you switch your attention to the whistling, booing and in some parts hatred towards Luis Enrique from Barcelona fans and you scratch your head. Often seen by the mainstream media as the ‘good’ versus Real Madrid’s ‘evil’ for how they’re perceived or the way they conduct themselves, it’s only in these moments where you realise that they aren’t too dissimilar to the club they ‘hate’.

Luis Enrique has won two LaLiga titles, a Champions League, two Copa del Reys, a Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA’s Club World Cup in just two seasons at the Camp Nou. Yes, eight trophies in two seasons and he’s already into the final of the Copa del Rey this time around and in the lowly heights of second in the league. Yes, the thumping against PSG was embarrassing but how and why does a crowd turn so quickly in the face of it?

Lionel Messi’s reaction tells the story. The fans might think they have a right to question Luis Enrique’s methods this season but the manner in which they’re going about it is completely unfair. It’s imperative the Camp Nou doesn’t turn into the Colosseum and they return to backing the team, in the good and the bad. Perhaps not to keep Luis Enrique at the club – although he deserves to be treated better – but in order for that little Argentine to remain happy so he doesn’t become disillusioned with the project either.

Team – Real Betis

If you had to compare Betis to an English side, I guess it would have to be West Ham. They’re a well supported club, in a big city, who are talked up about as potentially making a challenge further up the table but who ultimately end up in the middle of the pack having done nothing special.

An away trip to Granada should be seen as one to lay down a marker, a game to break a horrible run of form on the road, a chance to prove you can do something positive this season. Or not. You could maybe forgive a loss as no one is guaranteed a victory but to get thumped by a side second-bottom in the table is unacceptable.

Victor Sanchez couldn’t halt the slump at Deportivo and it ultimately cost him his job. You sense at Real Betis, should he oversee one or two more performances like this, then it’ll result in the same outcome. He must accept his share of the responsibility for getting it tactically wrong. Playing five at the back seemed unnecessary and without Dani Ceballos’ creativity in the middle Betis were about as effective as Ralph from the Sopranos’ anger management sessions.

At the end of the game the players walked over to the travelling away fans to apologise. It was a nice touch for a fan base they constantly get short-changed but if they continue on their current run of form it might be too late to say sorry.

Other bits and pieces:

– Sevilla overcame a tough Eibar side to claim all three points at the Sanchez-Pizjuan. It was anything but easy against Sergi Enrich and company but it’s a sign of potential champions that Sevilla came away victorious. Stevan Jovetic continues to prove with each passing week what a good signing he was in January.

– Deportivo de la Coruña are proof that sometimes you don’t get what you deserve. For a few months now they’ve shown they can play decent football but it isn’t translating to results on the pitch. A loss at home to Deportivo Alaves means alarm bells are ringing following a winless start to 2017 and three losses on the bounce.

– Manchester United’s on-loan winger Andreas Pereira is finding his feet at Granada and now has three goals in his last four LaLiga matches.

– Villarreal were inspired to a fine away victory over Real Sociedad, maybe in part due to Roberto Soldado’s timely return to the squad. He was an unused substitute but is a key member of the dressing room.