La Liga returns this weekend for the final strech of ten games. The business end of the season you could say with the battles for the title, European and avoiding the drop to increase a few notches as we get closer to the final day. Who has impressed this season so far? Well lets have a look shall we.
Valencia
Being honest I can't really think of another side that has impressed as much as Valencia this season. Los Che are in fine form and currently reside in 3rd a point ahead of defending champions Atlético Madrid. What's interesting about Valencia is the difference from last season. Over the summer they gave manager Juan Antonio Pizzi the boot after a very disappointing 8th place finish. It must be said that wasn't all Pizzi's fault as he was appointed mid-season after Miroslav Djukic was sacked.
Players left including Jeremy Mathieu and Juan Bernat and despite a takeover by Peter Lim and the arrival of Rodrigo, De Paul, an injured Negredo and Shkodran Mustafi not many would've predicted Valencia after 28 games would be 3rd and lost just 4 games all season. New boss Nuno has tinkered with various different formations but he been getting results which look set to catapult Los Che back into the champions league.
Villarreal
Position wise they haven't improved that much from last season. They were challenging for a European spot last year and are doing so once again this. However it's the way they are playing which has been particularly impressive. Up until their Europa League exit they were juggling that and the league quiet well and results were impressive especially when a "weakened" Villarreal side earned a point away at Real Madrid. Another notable result was the victory away at Atlético and they gave Barcelona a few scares in a 3-2 defeat. Unfortunately the champions league does look a little out of reach this season but the major positives have been the discovery of a little known Argentine striker who I'll go into a bit more depth later on. The likes of Denis Cheryshev and Moi Gómez have also stood out for the Yellow submarine.
Eibar
They may be without a win since January, they may be on the slide down the table but make no mistake Eibar have left an impression on La Liga. The fact that the plucky underdogs have 28 points is a major achievement when you factor in their rapid rise with largely the same players. The first half of the season was refreshing for the league to see the Eibar as the number one performaing Basque club in the league. In recent weeks with the dip in form both Athletic and Real Sociedad have overtaken them but that opening day victory over La Real is no doubt a highlight. They do have work to do if they are to prolong the dream and certainly hope they can stay up.
Luciano Vietto
Quiet possibly the signing of the season. Villarreal have had a particularly South American influence over the years so it was no surprise to see them doing some shopping in Argentina last summer. However few would've predicted the rapid rise of Vietto. Currently has twelve goals this season, Vietto has scored winners against Rayo, Atlético, Levante and Eibar this season. Without him they would be much worse off. His impact has been helped by a decent team around him. Pace is the order of the day and he will surely by attracting admirers from afar with his performances. Signed for around €5.5 million Villarreal have hit gold with this guy.
Alberto Bueno
2014-15 is turning into a very "Bueno" season for Alberto. The Rayo forward has 15 goals so far, is the highest Spanish scorer in the league and is in the sort of form that will be the difference for Rayo in their quest to stay up. One particular game stands out which is the 4-2 win over Levante in which he scored all four goals for his side to push them further away from trouble. Judging by some of the players Rayo have had in the past who have impressed, it's safe to assume that they will find it tough to hold onto Bueno in the summer if he keeps up this kind of form.
Jonathas
At the start of the season when looking through the summer signings made by La Liga clubs I for one didn't expect much from Elche's loan signing from Pescara of Serie B. The impact he has made since then has been impressive. Elche's top marksman with nine goal thus far could be the difference between Elche staying up or going down. A strong forward who has a habit of scoring some really nice goals (goal v Villarreal). In fact he was quiet impressive in that game against Villarreal (he also teed up Victor Rodríguez for a cracking goal). He won't be at Elche beyond this summer if he keeps his form and Elche up.
Antoine Griezmann
A terrific player. At €30 million I did fear it might difficult to match that price tag but as far as first seasons go at a new club, Griezmann is doing alright. He has provided a spark into the Atlético Madrid side that was needed when Costa left last summer. While he isn't a direct replacement for Costa his impact since arriving has been impressive. The first few games of the campaign were needed to bed in with new team mates but he is now a fixture in the first XI and 14 goals so far he is Atléti's top scorer. He had a fantastic season last year with La Real but he has taken everything in his stride this campaign and could surpass last season's goal tally of 16 quiet soon.
Málaga
A final mention to Málaga. Sitting pretty in 7th which if Barcelona win the Copa del Rey will be enough for a Europa league place next season. Javi Gracía and Málaga struggled last campaign, Gracía was relegated with Osasuna while Málaga began life after the dizzy height of a champions league quarter-final with a 11th place finish. Málaga have been on a roller-coaster the last few years and with Gracía at the helm they seem to be on an upward trend. At the start of the season I and I'm sure I'm not alone expected Málaga to be fighting the drop. However not once this season have they looked in any bit of trouble such has been the consistency under Gracía. They don't have the money of old but do have some exciting young players coming through like Samu Castillejo, Sergi Darder and top scorer Juanmi backed with a bit of experience in Amrabat, Weligton, Angeleri and Kameni which is certainly helping their cause.
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