La Liga Fans' Top Five: Barca absent, Westermann the best man

Sport360 staff 17:20 05/10/2015
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  • Each week, Sport360 will bring you the best five players from La Liga, as chosen by you the supporters through our ValoraFutbol fan ratings tool.

    YOU have direct influence on who appears in each Top Five so be sure to rate each weekend.

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    Do you agree with this week’s Top Five? Have your say by using our Valora Futbol tool or on Twitter using #360Fans. ​

    1) HEIKO WESTERMANN (Real Betis) – 8.21

    A surprise inclusion perhaps at the top but the centre-back’s magnificent goal was one of the most memorable moments of the weekend in La Liga. Striding out of defence with the poise of Franz Beckenbauer in his prime, Westermann exchanged passes with Ruben Castro before continuing his lung-busting run into the Rayo Vallecano penalty box. He met Castro’s return ball and slotted the ball expertly past goalkeeper Tono. Not content with opening the scoring, the German also helped Betis keep a clean sheet, thus securing a vital 2-0 win for his team. 

    2) CHARLES (Malaga) – 8.10

    Malaga’s start to the season was becoming a bit of a joke: six games played and not a single goal scored. Of course when it rains, it pours, and Javi Gracia’s side FINALLY netted their first goals and first victory of the season, beating Real Sociedad 3-1. The man they had to thank for it was Brazilian striker Charles. Signed from Celta Vigo in the summer, Charles scored three La Liga goals last season and has now already equalled that tally with his hat-trick against Sociedad. The first was particularly impressive, an acrobatic scissor kick a fine way to open Malaga’s account for the season. 

    3) ARITZ ADURIZ (Athletic Bilbao) – 9.10

    It was a classic ‘player haunting his former side’ story for Aduriz against Valencia, the Athletic striker helping to put Los Che to the sword at San Mames. Athletic found themselves behind but Aymeric Laporte equalised before Aduriz set about putting the hosts ahead. A bustling second-half display saw him twice denied – Shkodran Mustafi blocking his goalbound shot and goalkeeper Jaume Domenech saving smartly at his feet –  before he set up Susaeta and then capped off the victory himself, arrowing a shot into the bottom corner. 

    4) KEYLOR NAVAS (Real Madrid) – 7.91

    Keylor Navas’ popularity is growing at the Bernabeu and its easy to see why. His fantastic penalty save from Atletico’s Antoine Griezmann gave Real a share of the spoils in the Madrid derby, while Navas also saved impressively from Jackson Martinez. The Costa Rican keeper – who is ensuring the departure of Los Blancos hero Iker Casillas is barely being felt – added another pair of sublime stoppage-time saves from Martinez to his showreel, sealing a man of the match performance at the Vicente Calderon. 

    5) KEVIN GAMEIRO (Sevilla) – 7.86

    Sevilla produced the most noteworthy result of the weekend as they put former table-toppers Barcelona to the sword. Having scored against Barcelona in the same fixture last season, as well as in August’s Supercopa, Kevin Gameiro had every reason to be confident against the Catalans. Although he didn’t get a goal this time, the Frenchman put in a tireless display at the Sanchez Pizjuan – exemplified by his asssist for Michael Krohn-Dehli’s opener. Gameiro scampered at pace beyond Jordi Alba before cutting it back to put it on a plate for his Danish team-mate. 

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