LaLiga winners and losers: Yeray, rotating Barca, Real-ly bad weather and Valencia crash again

THE WINNERS

A hero returns

Now usually this section is reserved for the most important result or significant swing in either the title race or the relegation battle but this week it can only belong to one person: Yeray Alvarez. Now for those casual fans, who primarily just watch Real Madrid and Barcelona’s matches, that name might not mean too much to you but his story is worth repeating.

Yeray is the latest prospect to emerge from Athletic Club’s famed youth academy and his rise year upon year has been remarkable. Each season he’s gone up another level and this culminated with his permanent place in the senior side during the summer. It didn’t take him long to establish himself as first choice either but that road to the top hit a major bump at the end of the December when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

It’s always strange that it takes extreme circumstances for us, the fans, to remember that it’s just a game. Put down the pitchforks now! Yeray was operated on immediately and has received huge support from all over Spain. Yet almost a month later he was back on the bench against Sporting Gijon and at the weekend finally made his return to the starting line-up 46 days after his last appearance.

“I’m not scared of anything,” Yeray said less than a month after his operation. While his side might not have won this weekend, there’s no doubt who the real winner was. Welcome back, Yeray.

Rotation key to Barcelona’s fight on all fronts

Every time Luis Enrique experiments with his team selection he is dangling his legs in front of the baying masses that want him to fail. And that’s just within his own fan base, let alone his side’s rivals! Modern football is tricky to comprehend and I’ve no doubt we’ll never see a manager enjoy the longevity at a top club we saw Sir Alex Ferguson have at Manchester United in my lifetime.

To rest Luis Suarez, the then-top scorer in LaLiga, and play a heavily rotated side in the 3-0 win over Athletic Club was a gamble but a necessary one. When sides’ energy levels drop off towards the end of a season, and they did for Barcelona at one point last year, you need to utilise your squad depth more. Some players might not always perform well but if they don’t get minutes, how are they likely to improve?

It was important for Paco Alcacer to get some playing time and crucially, his first league goal for the club. He isn’t going to oust Suarez from the side, perhaps ever, but you need those backup options to have the confidence to come in and do a job. The same can be said of Aleix Vidal, Jeremy Mathieu and even Arda Turan. Over dependence on one or two players isn’t ideal and less so at a club the size of Barcelona.

The match against Athletic Club was easier than expected but it’s crucial they keep picking up points. Yes, Real Madrid have two games in hand, but the pressure is on their rivals to make sure they win them now. Football is all about momentum and right now, it belongs to Barcelona.

Eibar are the real deal

I went to the Mestalla this weekend to see Valencia host Eibar. Jose Luis Mendilibar has crafted the best team Eibar have had since their promotion to Spain’s top division. Whereas in previous years you felt their success was down to other teams underestimating them, similar to Deportivo Alaves this season, it feels different this time around. Let’s call a spade a spade: Eibar are pretty bloody good.

The coach plays a pivotal role in all of this and he’s amassed a side that fights for every single ball. There’s not a single luxury player in the squad. Players are attracted to join the club because they know if they work hard, give everything they’ve got, they’ll get a chance. They outmuscled and outfought Valencia from the opening minute, putting the pressure on their nervous opponents and forcing them into mistakes.

Sergi Enrich, arguably the star of the team, is the epitome of what this Eibar side represents. He doesn’t stop running for 90 minutes and can mix the rough and tumble with intelligent movement and finishing. A general who doesn’t need to shout at his teammates for them to listen or follow his lead. Whenever a defender stepped up for Valencia to aid an attack he moved into a position to cause damage on the counter.

Eibar are just five points behind Atletico Madrid. Write them off in the race for European football next season at your peril.

Honourable mentions: Fernando Torres – he might not be the ‘El Niño’ of old any more but came up with a tidy brace to see off Leganes. Pablo Piatti – my MVP of the season so far. Another match-winning performance against a resilient Malaga side. Alaves – the Copa is their priority but still breezed past Sporting. Real Sociedad – remain in the hunt for a Champions League place with a comeback victory over Osasuna.

THE LOSERS

Oh Valencia!

As I said previously, I was in attendance for Valencia’s match at the weekend. The mood at the club isn’t great and there’s genuine disgust from certain sections of the fan base at how things are going. Who can blame them? Either way, those nerves can be felt around the ground so I’m certain the players know each mistake will be greeted with boos and whistles. It’s a hostile environment to play in.

Voro is often seen as the saviour but even he has his work cut out for him this time around. The real damage was done in the summer with the extremely poor recruitment and, with January being a dead month, very little wiggle room was afforded to plug any gaps. Fabian Orellana is a smart signing and adds an extra dimension to the attack, something Los Che expected Nani to do but he seemingly spends more time on the treatment table than out on the pitch.

Some fans wanted Dani Parejo to be sold in January, to anyone, for any fee above €10m. Those who subscribed to that attitude are the only people with a worse eye for talent than Suso Garcia Pitarch. The game against Eibar was a brief glimpse into life without Parejo and, well, it didn’t look good. The midfield combination failed and when young Carlos Soler was sent off, the roof came falling in.

Valencia probably won’t get relegated – not because they’re too good to go down but because the sides currently below them are even worse. It’s time to stop talking about how they are going to change things and actually implement them as, right now, they’re one of the worst sides in Spain.

Osasuna throwing away leads, Sporting throwing in the towel

When you’re at the bottom of the table, in danger of getting left behind, you need to rack up points any which way possible. But the absolutely worst thing you can do is throw away leads – and both Sporting Gijon and Osasuna are guilty of that in the past couple of weeks.

Sporting were leading at Athletic Club before falling to a 2-1 defeat and against Alaves, a much changed and rotated Alaves I might add, they barely got out of first gear and were soundly beaten. You can cut off the head of the beast but the problems at the club run deep and they look dead and buried already, five points adrift of Leganes. At home they can’t afford to produce such abject performances. Next week they travel to Leganes and if they lose it’s goodnight Vienna.

Osasuna have certainly improved under their third coach of the season but for all the positive attacking work, it’s being undone by some calamitous defending. They’ve taken the lead in their last four matches but ultimately failed to win any of those. Two draws and two losses make for grim reading. Against Real Sociedad they came up against a strong side but one, considering the horrible conditions, an equal on the day. They conceded three goals in a row. Next up? A fully rested Real Madrid.

The weather

When you sign up for life in Spain you expect sun, sea and sangria – and to only need your coat for about a month and a half of the year. However this weekend saw some of the worst winds and rain for a while and it forced two matches, Deportivo’s game against Real Betis and Celta Vigo’s against Real Madrid, to be called off due to safety reasons.

Obviously there’s nothing that can be done in these circumstances and you simply have to accept that some days it isn’t possible to have a game.

The issue this presents now is trying to organise an already crammed fixture list with extra game days. Real Madrid were upset at no alternative being offered and they’ve already had to rearrange their fixture against Valencia, now the one against Celta too, and with the Champions League coming up it could force the league to finish later than usual. Yet let’s not forget that people’s safety is, was and should always be, more important than football.

Bloody rain in Spain.

Honourable mentions: Malaga – in a really bad run of form but were much the better side against Espanyol, just couldn’t score. Leganes – need to start looking over their shoulder as far from safe in the relegation scrap. Sevilla – should’ve beaten an understrength Villarreal side but couldn’t find a way past Sergio Asenjo.