Who is the best player of La Liga this season so far? We name 5 candidates based on their ratings & performances. Please vote for the player who impressed you most this season.
Jan Oblak (Atletico)
Highlights: 21 goals conceded, 11 clean sheets
This La Liga season is not a good one for Atleti. They've just managed to score 31 goals in 27 games. Oblak is the reason why Atleti could stand at 5th with just 21 goals conceded. The problem is, is Oblak the best keeper of the world?
Since his LaLiga Santander debut - in which he kept a clean sheet - back in 2015, he's played 180 times in the competition. In those he's conceded 155 goals, boasting an average of 0.63 per game.
From that same starting point until February, OPTA have him as the goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues with the best saves to shots faced percentage, denying 79.55 percent of efforts on his goal. Against Villarreal in December he achieved a record-breaking 96th clean sheet for Atletico, overtaking Abel Resino's tally of 95. Now he sits on 99, waiting to hit his century when football returns.
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Highlights: 16 goals conceded, 12 clean sheets, La Liga POTM for Jan
It took some time but Thibaut Courtois now feels right at home.
Real Madrid supporters weren't always his best friend throughout a difficult 2018/19 campaign; which saw him unfortunately become a scapegoat for the club's failings, however those days are behind him and he's proven his worth this season.
The languid Belgian shot-stopper has kept the most clean sheets in La Liga (12) this season and Courtois' 74.68% save percentage is among the league's very best return.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Highlights: League-leading 19 goals & 12 assists, 8.61 average rating, 2 La Liga MOTMs
Any La Liga MVP discussion without Lionel Messi is not completed and reasonable. Although he's already turned to 32, he's still one of the best footballers in the world.
This season, with Suarez's injury and Griezmann's adaption, Barcelona is more and more like a Messi's team. And the 6-time Ballon d'Or winner can take the team over. He can play as a GOAT no matter under Valverde or Setien.
With his league-leading goals, assists, dribbles, through balls... it's not that hard to explain why Barcelona aren't as good as before but can still top La Liga.
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Highlights: 14 goals & 6 assists, 7.39 average rating
When Ronaldo was at Real Madrid, Benzema was always the one being underestimated. despite a 613-minute goal drought last months, he was totally on fire before winter break, and was the top scorer of La Liga.
Real Madrid also have a similar problem in attack as Barcelona. Hazard is new boy and always injured, Rodrygo & Vinicius are too young, Bale's still not having a clear future and enough playing time and he is always injured too, Jovic? Let's talk about the weather, man... So it's easy to say Benzema is playing a similar role as Messi at Barca.
But the only problem is he is not as stable as Messi, that's why Madrid was down to 2nd, although they were the better side in 2 El Clasico games.
Gerard Moreno (Villareal)
Highlights: 11 goals & 3 assists, highest-scoring Spaniard in La Liga, 7.32 average rating, 4 MOTMs
Valencia, Villareal, Sevilla, Sociedad... These teams are always been under the light of Madrid, Barca and Atleti. But all these teams have many interesting players to watch. In the end, Gerard Moreno squeezed in the 5-man finalist.
The fight for this spot is very fierce. Odegaard, Angel, Ocampos, Oyarzabal... But the reason Moreno's here is pretty simple: The highest scoring Spaniard in La Liga this season.