LaLiga File: The Giant Slayer
Given Alex Bergantinos' record against Barcelona, it's a wonder the Blaugrana haven't signed him up already.
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Player of the Round: Alex Bergantinos
When you score the game winner against Barcelona, your player of the round spot is pretty much assured.
Barcelona were a tale of heroes turned zeros, from Champions League history to a league loss in just a matter of days, and they have Mr. Bergantinos to thank for that.
Alex Bergantinos and Deportivo La Coruna pulled off the upset of the weekend in their 2-1 win over Luis Enrique’s men. Deportivo opened the scoring in the 40th minute but Luis Suarez leveled the board just 6 minutes later. Bergantinos towered over Jordi Alba to score the game winner in the 74th minute, bagging his side a huge 3 points under new boss Pepe Mel.
Ironically enough, Bergantinos has scored the past two seasons when Deportivo host the Catalan Club. In fact of his paltry four goals for the Galician outfit, three have come against Barcelona! Consistency at its finest!
Super-Sub: Edgar Mendez
Edgar Mendez was sidelined with a muscle injury for the past 5 LaLiga matches and the rest seemed to do him a world of good!
Mendez came on for Alaves in the 61st minute with his side up 1-0. Malaga would go on to level the board minutes later but this super-sub was the difference maker, scoring the game winner in stoppage time with a fabulous individual effort.
This goal not only marks Mendez's 8th goal across all competitions this season but also brings Alaves into the top half of the table! Progress!
Noteable Mention: Eibar’s Kike came on in the 72nd minute and scored within 90 seconds of stepping onto the pitch, playing a key role in their 1-1 draw at bottom of the table Osasuna.
Rising Star: Alen Halilovic
The 20-year old ex-Barcelona starlet is thriving with consistent playing time since his move to the Canary Island club from Hamburg.
Dubbed the next Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic (for obvious reasons), Halilovic picked up an assist in what many could argue was his best performance to date with Las Palmas in their thrilling 4-3 loss to Espanyol.
The young Croatian set up Las Palmas’ third goal with style, showing the world that he’s one to keep a very close eye on.
Goal of the Round: Sergio Ramos (AGAIN)
Ramos to the rescue...again!
Sergio Ramos and Toni Kroos have a way of connecting right when Real Madrid need them most, and Sunday evening was the latest chapter in their fairytale romance.
Kroos delivered a picture perfect free kick into the direction of Ramos (shocking) who did what he does best; smashed in a late header to win the game for Los Blancos.
Ramos has scored more headed goals than any other player in LaLiga this season with Toni Kroos providing more assists from set pieces than any other LaLiga player across all competitions.
At this point, if you don't have 3 defenders marking Ramos from minute 80 on...you're doing it wrong.
LaLiga File is your one stop shop for a look back at the latest round in the Spanish top-flight. Sometimes it’s serious, sometimes its cheeky, but it always strives to bring you a sassy synopsis of (one of) the world’s best leagues. Tweet at us @beINSPORTSUSA and @gabbyamado using the hashtag #LaLigaFile with your comments, questions and, if you must, complaints.
