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La Liga Team of the Week - Week One

Sports Mole picks out the 11 players that impressed on the first weekend of the new La Liga season.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both recorded 1-0 wins on the opening weekend of the new La Liga season, but Real Madrid were held to a goalless draw at newly-promoted Sporting Gijon.

La Rosaleda hosted the first match of the new campaign, with Malaga holding Europa League winners Sevilla to a goalless draw.

The goals did not exactly flow on Saturday as Deportivo La Coruna drew 0-0 at home to Real Sociedad, while Espanyol temporarily moved top of the table with a 1-0 win against Getafe.

A first-half free kick from Antoine Griezmann saw Atletico record a 1-0 victory over Las Palmas on Saturday evening, before Valencia could only draw 0-0 away to Rayo Vallecano.

Just two goals arrived in the first five games of the new season, but Sunday provided four more, although none of those came for Real Madrid.

Barcelona kicked off Sunday's action with a 1-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao in a game that saw Lionel Messi miss from the penalty spot. Real Madrid, however, could not break down a stubborn Sporting Gijon and were therefore made to settle for a share of the spoils in their opener.

Elsewhere, Celta Vigo recorded a 2-1 victory at Levante, before Real Betis came from behind to draw 1-1 with Villarreal on their return to Spain's top flight. Week one's action concluded on Monday evening as Eibar, who now top the table, recorded a 3-1 victory at Granada.

Here, Sports Mole picks out the XI players that impressed on the first weekend of the new La Liga season.

Ivan Cuellar (Sporting Gijon)
Teams that stop Real Madrid winning tend to need excellent performances from their goalkeepers and that was indeed the case on Sunday. Former Atletico Madrid stopper Cuellar made a series of fine stops against Los Blancos, particularly in the second period when the pressure grew. The 31-year-old's experience was also vital as he remained calm under siege.

Sergi Roberto (Barcelona)
Roberto did not start Barcelona's 1-0 win at Bilbao, but he made a serious impression after replacing the injured Dani Alves. The Spaniard was tried in the right-back role during pre-season and was thrown on in that position at San Mames. He caused a whole host of problems to the Basque outfit going forward and also impressed with his tenacity at the back.
Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid's attack might have struggled against Sporting Gijon, but there was good news defensively, with Varane having an outstanding game at the back. The Frenchman seems to have displaced Pepe in the team for the new campaign and his pace, strength and ability were all on display at the weekend. He has such a big future in the game.
Aythami Artiles (Las Palmas)
Las Palmas skipper Aythami should have scored during Saturday's clash at Atletico, having had two excellent chances from set pieces in the second period. It was not to be in terms of goals, but the Spaniard can be delighted with his overall performance at the Vicente Calderon. The 29-year-old helped restrict Diego Simeone's side to very few clear opportunities.
Alberto Lora (Sporting Gijon)
Another that had a fine match against Real Madrid was Spanish full-back Lora. Sporting Gijon would have been forgiven for remaining extremely defensive against the capital side, but the hosts were prepared to break forward when possible and it was Lora that carried a lot of the fight. The 28-year-old was up and down the line all game and also very sound at the back.

Salva Sevilla (Espanyol)
Sevilla scored the first goal of the new La Liga season when he sent Espanyol ahead in the early stages of their home match against Getafe. It was a classy free kick that sent his team on their way to all three points, while the midfielder's passing and movement were a feature of the match. It was a brilliant way to start the new campaign, personally and for his team.
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Barcelona were far from their best against Bilbao on Sunday, but still managed to secure all three points courtesy of Luis Suarez's second-half volley. Iniesta was criticised for some under-par performances last season, but the Spaniard was his team's best player at San Mames. The midfielder always looked capable of making something happen in the final third.
Gonzalo Escalante (Eibar)
Eibar are a touch fortunate to be playing La Liga football this season, but they ended week one top of the table following a 3-1 win at Granada. The catalyst for their victory was on-loan Catania midfielder Escalante, who scored their second of the match late in the first period. The 22-year-old's class in possession and movement off the ball were just excellent.

Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
It was not exactly a weekend where a whole host of forwards made a serious impression, but Griezmann deserves his spot in this team. The Frenchman secured all three points for Atletico on Saturday, with his free kick proving enough to beat Las Palmas. It is just vital that Atletico hold on to the attacker in the final week of the transfer window.
Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Barcelona were struggling to break Bilbao's rear-guard at San Mames, but Suarez's excellent volley early in the second period sent the Catalan outfit on their way to all three points. Messi, who missed a penalty, struggled to make his mark, but Suarez was in fine form as he terrorised the Bilbao defence. The sheer importance of the goal earns him a spot in this XI.
Roberto Soldado (Villarreal)
Having endured a very difficult time at Tottenham Hotspur, Soldado is now back on Spanish shores, with Villarreal taking a punt on the Spanish international. Just 31 minutes into his debut for the Yellow Submarine, Soldado found the back of the net. It did not prove to be the winner as Real Betis responded late on, but it was good to see Soldado back to full confidence.

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Matt Law
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Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CF celebrates scoring their third goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Malaga CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 18, 2015
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La Liga Team of the Week
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona17122350193138
2Real Madrid16113234132136
3Atletico MadridAtletico16105130111935
4Athletic Bilbao1795326151132
5Villarreal157532725226
6Real Sociedad167361611524
7Osasuna166642225-324
8Mallorca177371620-424
9GironaGirona166462223-122
10Celta Vigo166372527-221
11Real BetisBetis165651820-221
12Rayo Vallecano155461516-119
13Sevilla165471723-619
14Las PalmasLas Palmas165382227-518
15Getafe163761113-216
16AlavesAlaves164391827-915
17Leganes163671423-915
18Espanyol1541101528-1313
19Valencia142481322-910
20Real ValladolidValladolid1623111134-239


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