Big 2015 ahead for Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Moyes
Friday 2 January 2015 08:43, UK
La Liga returns fully charged after the winter break on January 3 after a 2014 with plenty of shocks, records broken, and another well-known British invader.
Despite Gareth Bale going from strength to strength in Spain, it is David Moyes with more to prove in the second half of the campaign with his Real Sociedad side sitting in 14th.
But who has impressed elsewhere, who has flopped, and who is most likely to take the title? Here’s what we’ve learned so far and what to expect over the next five months on the continent.
The title race
As with 2013/14, the charge for the crown is three-pronged. The only difference? Real Madrid look far and away the best team in the league, so much so that Spanish newspaper Marca named nine Real players in their XI of the season so far.
Thirteen wins and two defeats has them top with a game in hand, but only by a point. Incessantly brilliant in 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo has 25 goals in 14 La Liga appearances this season, and needs 26 more in the remaining 23 games to break Lionel Messi’s record of 50 goals in a La Liga campaign.
But it’s not all about the Portuguese superstar. Carlo Ancelotti has finally got Real knitted together, something previous managers failed to do, and his side are rightly favourites for both La Liga and the Champions League.
East of Madrid, Barcelona have had a stop-start campaign by their standards, failing to win more than four games on the trot having once been used to breezing past opponents. Sitting in second place, new boss Luis Enrique will be desperate to prevent Barca ending the season without a trophy for a second time in a row.
On their side is a superb defensive record - they've conceded only seven in their 16 games - but Enrique has struggled to get Luis Suarez, Neymar and Messi fully firing, a task seemingly more difficult than it sounds.
As we learned last season, we can’t forget Atletico Madrid. Nobody expected them to keep up with the surge this season having lost big names in the summer, but Diego Simeone has performed more minor miracles to leave them four points off the lead.
The summer did not tear the squad apart; the performances of Diego Godin, Koke and Antoine Griezmann have given Atletico a robust base, and although another title challenge may be just beyond them, Simeone’s ravenous stewardship cannot be underestimated.
And elsewhere?
A pocket of four teams separated by one point – Valencia, Villarreal, Sevilla and Malaga – are battling it out for the fourth Champions League spot. Riddled by debt, Valencia are turning their fortunes around with some fine performances, making the new-look Mestalla a feared caldron once again, while Malaga are making a buzz under boss Javi Garcia.
But the story of the season sits in a tiny city in the valley of the Basque Country. Eibar, promoted from Segunda Division in the summer with a 5,250-capacity stadium and a population that could fit into the Nou Camp three times over, are ninth in La Liga with five wins. They have no stars but plenty of spirit, and though they haven’t been overawed so far, they’ll be realistic about their one aim: to stay in the division.
Who to look out for?
Luciano Vietto (Villarreal) - The Argentine, signed from Racing Club in the summer, has 12 goals in 23 appearances for the Yellow Submarine this season, and looks every bit a world class prospect at the age of 21. Neat, intelligent and a born finisher, a similar second half to the season will see the top clubs sniffing around.
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) – Ronaldo takes most of the plaudits, but Kroos could be the real difference between title or no title come May. Alongside the impressive performances of Luka Modric, currently out injured, the German has settled in with minimal fuss, the perfect vehicle in Real’s possession game in midfield.
Who needed the winter break?
David Moyes – The former Manchester United boss hasn’t moved to Spain for an easy ride in the sun. For one, it rains a lot in San Sebastian, and two, the job in hand looks tough. His start so far has been indifferent, taking six points out of a possible 15, and righting the wrongs of the previous manager Jagoba Arrasate won’t be achieved in one transfer market.
Luis Suarez – Granted, he may have been rusty having not played since June, but the Uruguayan has struggled for goals since his October debut. Barging in on Neymar and Messi’s stash was always going to be a difficult job, but three goals in 11 appearances is underachieving. He has it all to prove still, something he has never struggled to do in the past.
The story elsewhere in Europe
Bundesliga – Bayern Munich are 11 points clear already from Wolfsburg, but Borussia Dortmund are the real story so far… Jurgen Klopp’s side sit second bottom in 17th with just 15 points.
Serie A – Juventus have been dominant again, losing just once all season. Their biggest challengers should be Roma, three points behind in second, before a nine-point jump to Lazio, Napoli and Sampdoria.
Ligue 1 – Not so smooth for PSG at the half-way stage, sitting in third three points behind Marcelo Bielsa’s Marseille, despite losing just one game this season. They’ve drawn eight, two more than any other side.
Eredivisie – PSV and Ajax are battling it out at the top, but it is the team from Eindhoven with the four-point lead. Both they and Ajax have lost only two games this season.
You can watch both La Liga and Eredivisie on Sky Sports 5, starting with Atletico Madrid v Levante on January 3 and Ajax v Groningen on January 16