How the month of December went in the Liga BBVA

December of the 2014/15 Liga BBVA season consisted of three matchdays during which there was no let up in terms of new records being set or great performances. A grand total of 30 enthralling and nail-biting encounters took place.

Highlights

During December Gerard Piqué stood out on an individual level. The FC Barcelona defender managed to score during the three matchdays that took place in December two of his five goals in total from the 2014/15 season. The first of which came in the Catalan derby against RCD Espanyol, a game which finished 5-1 in favour of Barcelona. The second would arrive two matchdays later, in the 16th game of the season against Córdoba CF, another match in which the Azulgranas ended up scoring five times.

The defensive work of Villarreal CF was another highlight. The Yellow Submarine were the only team in the Liga BBVA to keep a clean sheet during matchdays 14, 15 and 16, the three which took place in December. A key figure in ensuring this took place was goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo. The Villarreal number 1 showed his capabilities in this month, but also during the rest of the season as he made a total of 94 saves in the 34 games he played.

Moreover, a stand out fact from the Castellonense side's 4-0 thrashing of Real Sociedad was that in that game all three goalscorers were midfielders: Bruno Soriano, Denís Chéryshev and Moisés Gómez.

Star of the month

Argentine striker Luciano Vietto was the main star of the month for his good performances in the three games that took place in December. He scored a total of three vital goals for Villarreal, in particular the goal that gave his side victory against Atlético Madrid. With his help the Yellow Submarine managed to pick up the nine points in play. In his first season in the Liga BBVA, the young striker at just 21 years of age has become a reference in attack for the Castellonense side and, therefore, was a deserving winner of the BBVA prize for player of the month in the Liga BBVA in December

Coach of the month

Valencia CF coach, Nuno Espírito, was again awarded the BBVA prize for best coach in the Liga BBVA for December after having also received it in September. During the last month of the year, the coach of Los Che remained unbeaten with two wins and a draw winning seven points from the nine in play, with five goals scored and only one conceded. His good work ensured that the Valencianos remained in the fight for the top four places.

Best goal

The goal of the month for December was scored at the Riazor on matchday 14. The scorer was Sergi Darder of Málaga CF in the match against RC Deportivo. The midfielder managed to control a clearance from the Galicians' goalkeeper and fire in a wonderful goal from outside the area.

Outstanding team

During the last three matches of 2014, the work of FC Barcelona should be highlighted. The team managed by Luis Enrique was able to take advantage of the three meetings that they played this month, winning two and drawing one that allowed them to cut the gap on Real Madrid, the team that occupied first place. But if there was something that stood out from the Blaugrana, it was for the 10 goals they scored, 5 in matchday 14 and another five in matchday 16.

Strange fact

With the two victories that Real Madrid put together in matchdays 14 and 15, and if we include their matchday 16 fixture which was postponed until February, the Whites managed a total of 14 consecutive victories. It was a record for Spanish football and thanks in part to their goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo and his hat-tricks. The Portuguese celebrated his fourth treble of the season against RC Celta and surpassed the record for the most hat-tricks in the Liga BBVA with 23.

Revelation

In his first season as a player in the Liga BBVA Raúl Albentosa was one of the standout players in December. The SD Eibar defender shone for his defensive work but also for his participation in the attack. Albentosa managed to score his second goal in the Liga BBVA in the game against UD Almeria which finished 5-2 in the Basques favour. He also played in all three games that took place with Eibar losing just once and conceding three times.

Latin America also stands out in the Liga BBVA

From South America having crossed the Atlantic and recently arrived in the Liga BBVA is the already mentioned Luciano Vietto. The Argentine who was the reference in attack for Villarreal shone brightly for his important three goals in the month of December.

As well as this young striker, the Uruguayan Luis Suárez also stood out. The Blaugrana player scored his first goal in the Liga BBVA against Córdoba CF in matchday 16 in a game that finished 5-0. That goal would be the first of the 16 that Luis Suárez would end his first season at FC Barcelona with. He was a fundamental piece for Luis Enrique’s men and always a reference in attack alongside Neymar and Lionel Messi