La Liga might have temporarily been paused by the international break, but this doesn’t mean that our La Liga fans have to feel bored. Join us as we list the Top 5 La Liga Players in recent weeks.
5. Ante Budimir
Budimir is a familiar name for most La Liga fans, and his age hasn’t slowed him down. He may not be as aesthetically pleasing as other players, but he remains a vital part of his team.
Osasuna’s current fifth-place position in the league is largely thanks to Budimir’s contributions. The Croatian striker has registered six goals and one assist in thirteen games. These are excellent stats, especially considering Osasuna isn’t the type of team to dominate possession.
After scoring for Osasuna, Ante Budimir sent a message of strength following the flash floods in Valencia 🙏 pic.twitter.com/I82ccdcRWR
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 2, 2024
Budimir scored a decisive penalty against Real Valladolid for a 1-0 win and also netted one against Real Sociedad. In Spanish football, he is known as a striker feared by defenders, and his movement in the box has been a key factor in Osasuna’s success.
4. Alejandro Baena
Baena may not be grabbing headlines this season, but Villarreal’s homegrown standout has every right to be on this list. While Baena has only scored once, he leads La Liga with five assists. Baena’s creative stats highlight his role as one of the league’s top wide creators in recent seasons.
Alejandro Baena is the Spanish Bruno Fernandes. Creative machine #10 with fantastic passing range, consistency in his playmaking, set piece taking, off-tb movement, temperament/commitment to always give his best, never misses a game. Similar physical limitations too. Top talent. pic.twitter.com/vcTHNm7miB
— Daniel (@danieIscouting) September 26, 2024
Baena doesn’t always get credited with assists, as his impact relies on his teammates’ finishing. However, this doesn’t stop him from being one of La Liga’s best wingers and one of Marcelino’s key players in Villarreal’s counter-attacks.
Baena averages 3.6 key passes per match, which underlines the creative function he holds in the team. He can count on the help of Ayoze Perez, Dani Parejo and Thierno Barry to accompany him, which has helped Villarreal climb to an impressive fourth place in La Liga.
3. Alex Muñoz
Although Las Palmas are among the lower-ranked teams in La Liga, there are still positives for the club. Las Palmas recently underwent a managerial change and have been more successful in the last three weeks than the entire season combined.
Alex Muñoz is one of the players Las Palmas fans can be grateful for, as he scored the team’s first goal in the victory against Valencia (3-2).
Álex Muñoz y Viti Rozada son dos gladiadores. Primera parte donde ejemplifican la mejoría de la UD Las Palmas desde la llegada de Diego Martínez.
Lucha, entrega y partiéndose la cara #RayoLasPalmas pic.twitter.com/95AkjOfMlw
— Jonay Amaro (@AmaroJonay) November 8, 2024
Muñoz also scored the only goal against Girona, an important win that helped Las Palmas find their way out of the relegation zone. It’s even more impressive when considering that he plays as a left-back, often behind Albert Moleiro.
Initially, Las Palmas struggled to find a leader in their offence, particularly from deeper positions. However, in their most recent games, the potential of Muñoz running up and down has been used more efficiently as a creation tool going forward.
2. Íñigo Martínez
Another Barcelona player and perhaps a less obvious choice for our Top 5. Martínez started the season with modest expectations, especially after Hansi Flick’s arrival. Although Martínez didn’t impress last season, Flick found the perfect role for him. Martínez became Pau Cubarsí’s partner in the absence of Ronald Araújo and Andreas Christensen, and he’s shown Barcelona fans why the club already had been wanting to sign him since 2017.
💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/2T83UQDazl
— Iñigo Martinez (@InigoMartinez) October 26, 2024
Martínez willingly sacrifices himself for the team with tactical fouls and makes smart decisions. In a system like Flick’s, the offside trap is a crucial element of the game.
With Cubarsí being less risk-averse, Martínez cleans up after his younger partner, making sure he’s ready to commit as the last line of defence.
Martínez isn’t the fastest, but he has managed to keep his line and stick to the discipline Flick demands of him. Few players have the patience required for such a demanding system, but Martínez does.
🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/8TKxaWB6zm
— Iñigo Martinez (@InigoMartinez) October 26, 2024
Additionally, he still manages to find the line-breaking pass, which accelerates the tempo of the team’s counterattacks.
1. Robert Lewandowski
This list is incomplete without the inclusion of Lewandowski. Crowned ‘La Liga Player of the Month’ for October, Robert Lewandowski has found his form again under Hansi Flick. The Polish striker struggled last season, but Flick’s adjustments at Barcelona coach have allowed him to shine again.
Supported by Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski only needs to find space in the box, where he has been nearly unstoppable. In thirteen games, Robert Lewandowski scored 14 goals and assisted two, claiming the spot of most prolific goalscorer in the 24/25 La Liga season.
Robert Lewandowski under Hansi Flick:
• 87 matches
• 101 goals
• 24 assists125 goal contributions in 87 games 🥶🔥 pic.twitter.com/TtbrXVz6ss
— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) November 6, 2024
Lewandowski scored a brace against Young Boys in the Champions League, which was followed by a hat-trick against Deportivo Alavés. He also scored in the Champions League against his former club Bayern Munich. Seemingly unstoppable, he also scored two of Barcelona’s four goals against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. Finally, ‘Lewy’ scored two of Barcelona’s five goals in Belgrade against Crvena Zvezda. This is the version of Lewandowski Barcelona initially hoped to see when they signed him—better late than never.
