Forgotten Stars of La Liga 2016-17 Season

UpdatedMonday, January 2, 2017

Spain is a country blessed with talented footballers. The Spanish football league called La Liga is competing with the English Premier League (EPL) as the best league in the world. The comparative advantage of the EPL over the La Liga is that, there is huge financial investment in the EPL which benefits all the clubs thereby increasing player quality (through signings) in each club which tend to make the EPL more competitive. The La Liga do not have enough financial investments which benefits all the clubs and the little investments goes to Barcelona and Real Madrid so players often depart the La Liga for greener pastures in England.

The La Liga is always focused and revolved around Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona. These three clubs have been the nucleus of the La Liga so as their players. Immense press attention is given to players of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Talented, skilful and quality players are always overlooked and acknowledged because of over focused and over coverage of players for only three clubs. Some of the over rated comparisons between players which affect the coverage of other players include; Messi v Ronaldo debate, Neymar v Bale debate, and Rakitic v Modric debate etc.

The La Liga has a lot of talented and performing players who are unacknowledged for their performance. The first round of the 2016-17 La liga just ended, and this article will be discussing some talented and performing players in the La Liga this season who do not play for either Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. This article will consider Iago Aspas, Vicente Iborra, Pablo Piatti and Dani Parejo.

Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo)Forgotten Stars of La Liga football Statistics
The 29 year old striker was born in Moana, Spain. In the 2011-12 La Liga season, Iago Aspas scored 23 goals in 35 appearances and the following season he scored 12 goals in 34 La Liga games.
In 2013-14, Aspas joined Liverpool and played 14 EPL matches with no goal.
Aspas reunited with Celta Vigo in the 2015-16 season. Aspas played 35 La Liga games and scored 14 goals. In the last 3 seasons, Iago Aspas have played 64 La Liga games and scored 23 goals, in the Copa Del Rey, Aspas have played 10 games and scored 11 goals.

This season, Iago Aspas have scored 10 goals in the la liga on equal pegging with Cristiano Ronaldo. Iago Aspas have hit 3 doubles this season and only Messi has scored more doubles than him this season. Iago Aspas have been involved in 12 goals this season for Celta Vigo, Suarez is leading the chat with 16 involvement in goals for Barcelona.
Aspas is performing so incredibly but less acknowledged because he is in not in Barcelona or Madrid.

Vicente Iborra (Sevilla)Forgotten Stars of football StatisticsLa Liga 2016-17 Season
Vicente is a Spaniard born in Moncada, Spain. The 28 year old is a youth product of Levante. Iborra played for Levante in 2007 to 2013, a period of 6 years. Iborra as a defensive midfielder scored 9 goals in 164 La Liga appearances. Vicente Iborra joined Sevilla in 2013. The experienced midfielder have scored 17 goals in 88 La Liga appearances for Sevilla.

As a defensive midfielder, Iborra have scored a hat-trick this season for Sevilla. In the world of football it often happen that a defensive minded player scores a hattrick. Ronaldo is the only played who precede Iborra in terms of hattricks this season.

Few or less notations is given to the defender who is always on the scoring sheet but his counterpart Ramos is well acknowledged for same exploits.

Pablo Piatti (Espanol)Forgotten Stars of La Liga 2016-17 Season football Statistics
Piatti is a 27 year old Argentine plying his trade in Spain. Pablo Piatti joined Valencia from Almeria in 2011. The winger made 110 La Liga appearances and scored 15 goals, 21 appearances in Copa Del Rey scoring 4 goals in the process. Pablo Piatti was loaned to Espanol this season (2016-17).

This season, Pablo Piatti is the leading the assist chart with 7 assists. With all the world class midfielders in the La Liga, Piatti is the top assist maker. Apart from Messi and Luis Suarez, Pablo Piatti is next on the chart in terms of involvement in goals. Piatti have being involved in 12 goals that Espanol have scored.  Because the top assist maker is not playing in Madrid or Barcelona, he is less acknowledged and recognition. If this achievement was made by a Barcelona or Madrid player, he would be talking for increase in wages.

Dani Parejofootball Statistics Forgotten Stars of La Liga 2016-17 Season
Parejo is a former youth product of Real Madrid. The 27 year old Spanish international was born in Coslada, Spain. Dani Parejo played for Real Madrid B and he made only 5 appearances for Real Madrid in the La Liga. After series of loans, Parejo settled at Valencia in 2011. The midfielder have made 141 La Liga appearances for Valencia with 25 goals. Parejo is a highly experienced midfielder in the La Liga.

Parejo have made 5 assists in the La Liga this season and apart from Toni Kroos and Neymar, no player from Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid have made more assists than Parejo.

Statistics of the First Round of La Liga 2016-17

Total Matches Played: 159 games.
Total Goals Scored: 468 goals.
Average Goals per game: 3 goals per game.
Total Home Wins: 75 games.
Total Away Wins: 42 games.
Total Drawn Games: 42 games.

  • Most Goals Scored (Clubs)
    1. Barcelona:41 goals scored.
    2. Real Madrid: 40 goals scored.
    3. Sevilla: 32 goals scored.
    4. Atletico Madrid: 29 goals scored.
    5. Real Sociedad: 28 goals scored.
  • Least Goals Scored (Clubs)
    1. Leganese:13 goals scored.
    1. Osassuna: 13 goals scored.
    3. Granada: 14 goals scored.
    4. Alaves: 15 goals scored.
    5. Sporting Gijon: 17 goals scored.
  • Best Defense (Clubs).
    1. Villarreal CF:11 goals conceded.
    2. Atletico Madrid: 14 goals conceded.
    2. Real Madrid CF: 14 goals conceded
    4. Barcelona: 16 goals conceded.
    5. Alaves: 17 goals conceded.
  • Weak Defense (Clubs)
    1. Osassuna:34 goals conceded.
    2. Sporting Gijon: 33 goals conceded.
    2. Granada: 33 goals conceded
    4. Celta Vigo: 31 goals conceded.
    5. Valencia CF: 29 goals conceded.
    5. Real Betis: 29 goals conceded.
  • Top Scorers (Players)
    1. Lionel Messi(Barcelona):12 goals scored.
    1. Luis Suarez (Barcelona): 12 goals scored.
    3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 10 goals scored.
    3. Iago Aspas(Celta Vigo): 10 goals scored.
    5. Willian Jose (Real Sociedad): 9 goals scored.
  • Most Assists (Players)
    1. Pablo Piatti(Espanol):7 assists.
    2. Toni Kroos(Real Madrid): 6 assists.
    2. Neymar Jr(Barcelona): 6 assists.
    4. Moi Gomez(Sporting Gijon): 5 assists.
    4. Dani Parejo(Valencia): 5 assists.
  • Player Involved in Most Goals (Assists and Goals)
    1. Luis Suarez (Barcelona): involved in 16 goals.
    2. Lionel Messi(Barcelona): involved in 15 goals.
    3. Pablo Piatti (Espanol): involved in 12 goals.
    3. Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo): involved in 12 goals.
    3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): involved in 12 goals.
  • Most Hat-tricks Scored (Players)
    1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid):2 hattricks.
    2. Luis Suarez (Barcelona): 1 hattrick.
    2. Vicente Iborra(Sevilla): 1 hattrick.
    2. Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco (Atletico Madrid):1 hattrick.
  • Most Doubles Scored (Players)
    1. Lionel Messi(Barcelona):4 doubles scored.
    2 Iago Aspas(Celta Vigo): 3 doubles scored.