LaLiga File: Atleti's Guardian Angel
Angel Correa's second-half intervention against Real Madrid on Round 31 of LaLiga extended the Colchoneros' phenomenal run at the Bernabeu.
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Player of the Round: Malaga (The Whole Darn Squad!)
Leave it to Malaga to pull out the strongest and most outta-left-field performance of Round 31 in LaLiga.
14th on the table, Michel’s men bagged a stunning 2-0 win over Barcelona on Saturday; a day where Luis Enrique’s men had the opportunity to finally close the gap at the top of the table after a Madrid Derby draw.
Barcelona had not lost in their last 10 trips to La Rosaleda in La Liga (eight wins, two draws), last losing there in 2003. But 2017 has now been added to that list!
Malaga are the only team in LaLiga this season to have kept clean sheets both home and away against Luis Enrique’s men. Clearly being put through the acid test of facing Messi & co. brings out the best in the Anchovies.
Kameni the King - a venerable Cameroonian wall obstructing the path past the Andalusian side’s goal line - has now kept seven shutouts against Barcelona in his career.
P.S. Malaga will surely be getting a ‘thank you’ note from Mr. Florentino Perez this week!
Rising Star: Antonio Latorre
Nicknamed ‘Lato’, Valencia’s 19-year old left-back is slowly but surely assimilating to life in Spain’s top tier, under the watchful eye of Voro.
The teen picked up his first assist of the season in round 30 against Celta Vigo, which earned him his first start of the season in round 31 against Granada.
Lato played the full 90 minutes for the first time ever, proving he’s not only physically fit but also mentally ready to play alongside the big boys.
He's a left-back on the rise and one to keep a close eye on as the LaLiga season comes to a close.
Super-Sub: Angel Correa
Setting up Antoine Griezmann with the goal that salvages your side a point in the Madrid Derby pretty much locks you in as Super-Sub of the week, no questions asked.
Angel Correa did just that, coming on in the 62nd minute and providing Griezmann with an inch-perfect assist in the 85th to level the board at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This assist brings his tally for the season in the Spanish top flight to 3 goals and a whopping 6 assists; a super-sub through and through.
Goal of the Week: Santi Mina
Valencia have been storming it of late, picking up their third straight win in LaLiga in Round 31 and producing a beautifully-worked team goal along the way.
Santi Mina hit the back of the net in the 55th minute after a Simone Zaza brace to seal Valencia’s 3-1 win over Granada. It wasn’t the finish that made the goal so special necessarily, but rather the patient build up.
There were 38 passes leading up to this goal, the most before a goal in LaLiga since at least 2006/07! Boom!
And yes, feel free to count them…there are 38! We wouldn’t lie to you!