Each week, Sport360 will be bring you the best five players from the La Liga, as chosen by you the supporters through our ValoraFutbol fan ratings tool.
YOU have direct influence on who appears in each Team of the Week so be sure to rate each weekend.
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– Exclusive: Q&A with Gianluigi Buffon
– #360View: Pellegrini has chance to prove his worth in Europe
– #360win: A trip to watch Bayern Munich vs Dortmund
So who makes up this week’s top five?
1) CRISTIANO RONALDO (Real Madrid) – 9.26
Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal drought this season may have been the talking point heading into Real Madrid’s match with Espanyol on Saturday. However, by the end of the encounter attention had turned to breaking records as the Portuguese overtook Raul as the side’s all-time record La Liga goalscorer with yet another five-goal haul.
.@Cristiano leads @LaLiga goals for @realmadrid. What an incredible goals to appearance ratio! #LaLiga pic.twitter.com/9R0JHdL3aa
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) September 13, 2015
2) KARIM BENZEMA (Real Madrid) – 8.21
France striker Karim Benzema was in fine form for Real Madrid against Espanyol, contributing greatly to his teammates’ success while getting on the scoresheet himself on the half-hour mark. Despite being rested with 30 minutes of the game remaining, Benzema was one of the game’s leading lights and has firmly cemented himself at the fulcrum of the Madrid attack after a summer of transfer speculation.
Benitez: “I want Karim Benzema & Isco to continue working with their teammates – but while adding goals for themselves.”
— SocialRMadrid (@SocialRMadrid) September 14, 2015
3) LUKA MODRIC (Real Madrid) – 8.17
Luka Modric was another Real Madrid star to be removed with half an hour of the game remaining but showed once again the quality he has in orchestrating his side’s attacks from the base of midfield. His pinpoint raking through-ball set up Cristiano Ronaldo for the first goal of the tie and crushed Espanyol hopes within just minutes of the kick-off. From then on the game was a non-contest.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal. What a ball by Luka Modric! #HalaMadrid! pic.twitter.com/U52neSGWob
— BlancoEdition (@BlancoEdition) September 12, 2015
4) LIONEL MESSI (Barcelona) – 8.14
Lionel Messi may have been consigned to a role from the bench after a tiring week of international travels and, of course, fatherhood for the second time. However, even those exertions were not enough to subdue the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as he emerged from the sidelines to score a 78th minute winner against potential title rivals Atletico Madrid.
Juanfran (Atletico): “In the end, you don’t know if it’s better for you that Messi plays from the start or that he comes on as a sub.”
— barcastuff (@barcastuff) September 14, 2015
5) GARETH BALE (Real Madrid) – 8.05
The 2014-15 season may have been difficult for Wales star Gareth Bale but he has begun the new campaign refreshed under the management of Rafael Benitez at the Santiago Bernabeu. On this occasion Bale turned provider with two assists for Cristiano Ronaldo on the night, enjoying his freedom in Real Madrid’s interchangable striking quartet.
MARCA | Only 4 players have played every single minute for Real Madrid this season so far: Cristiano Gareth Bale Marcelo Keylor Navas
— SocialRMadrid (@SocialRMadrid) September 14, 2015