It’s something of a rarity to see neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid in the top two after three rounds of La Liga matches. Valencia and Real Betis led the way in Spain’s top division after Gameweek 3, with both teams winning all of their opening fixtures. Barcelona’s 8-0 win over Osasuna at the weekend sees them dominate the WhoScored All Star XI, with as many as five of their players earning a slot in the lineup. Betis supply two of our eleven, as do Atletico Madrid, after a 4-0 home hammering of Santander earned them their first win of the new campaign. Here are some of the stand-out performers:
Victor Ruiz, Valencia. WhoScored rating 8.3
The centre half put in a superb defensive shift as Valencia ground out a 1-0 win at Gijon to stay at the summit. Ruiz saw more of the ball than any player- he had 112 touches, making 89 passes with an impressive 89% accuracy and played 24 long balls from the back, initiating many of his team’s attacks.
As mentioned, his defensive stats also shone- Ruiz won 100% of aerial duels and broke up the Gijon forward forays with 4 tackles and an outstanding 8 interceptions –the most of any player on the pitch- in addition to 7 clearances and 1 blocked shot. Valencia have chalked up 3 clean sheets in a row in all competitions now and with Ruiz at the heart of the back-four, it’s easy to see why.
Daniel Alves, Barcelona. WhoScored rating 8.48
Barcelona picked themselves up from two successive draws in all competitions with a devastating home display against poor Osasuna. Barca’s 82% possession meant little defensive work was required and Alves concentrated on lending weight to their attacks, with 41% coming down his right flank.
Alves had 103 touches but –given Barca’s total domination- this was, incredibly, only the sixth highest tally from the home side in the Nou Camp rout. The right-back made 78 passes with a 91% accuracy and from out wide, managed 1 successful dribble and 4 crosses, in addition to 6 long balls.
He produced 4 key passes- joint-top with Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi- though picked up just the 1 assist, as well as firing 1 shot at goal, as Pep Guardiola’s side got back to winning ways in the most emphatic fashion.
Jonathan Pereira, Real Betis. WhoScored rating 8.64
Despite just 20% of his side’s attacks coming from his flank, the right winger played a prominent part in his side’s 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao. Pereira was a danger to the home side throughout and was fouled 6 times-the most of any player- as Bilbao desperately tried to stop him from tearing their defence apart.
He was the game’s chief creator, with a total of 5 key passes harvesting 1 assist- given he had just 48 touches and made 23 passes (with an 88% accuracy), it’s an indication of just how effective Pereira was in possession.
He completed just 1 successful dribble and had 3 shots, with 1 on target, and the winger also hit the woodwork. Pereira also contributed defensively with a brilliant 7 tackles and picked up the man of the match award as Betis kept pace with Valencia at the top of the table.
Arda Turan, Atletico Madrid. WhoScored rating 9.27
While Falcao grabbed the headlines with a brilliant hat-trick, Turan was the main provider as Atletico thrashed Santander at home. The left winger made more passes (79) than any player from a total of 101 touches in the 4-0 win. His precise distribution (89% accuracy) also consisted of 6 crosses and 1 through ball and Turan resultantly produced 2 assists from 3 key passes.
He offered little goal threat –just 1 shot- and also made a mere 1 successful dribble but his defensive performance was just as impressive as his creativity; 5 tackles and 2 interceptions are indicative of his work-rate and desire to win the ball back as Atletico begin their climb up the table following a shaky start –just one point from their first two games- to the season.
David Villa, Barcelona. WhoScored rating 9.65
Villa showed his eye for goal in the 8-0 win over Osasuna. Due to is his role in the side, he wasn’t involved much in build-up play, with just 46 touches –only Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes had less for the champions- and made just 29 passes (with a 76% accuracy), the lowest of any outfield player in the Barca starting XI.
Villa shone in front of goal, though. He had 4 shots at goal –only Messi managed more with 8- and all 4 were on target, with 2 finding the net, as he got his La Liga goals tally off the mark in what was his first league start of the season. Villa’s fantastic match rating was not quite enough to earn him the man of the match award, though, as both Messi and Fabregas picked up a perfect 10 each.
