Features
MON 22.06.2015
November of the 2014/15 Liga BBVA season consisted of four matchdays during which there was no let up in terms of new records being set or great performances. A grand total of 40 enthralling and nail-biting encounters took place.
Highlights
One of the highlights of the season occurred on matchday 12 of the Liga BBVA. Lionel Messi, who for two matchdays had been in search of the goal that would turn him into the Liga BBVA's all-time top scorer, managed to overtake Telmo Zarra with a hat-trick against Sevilla FC in a 5-1 mauling against the Andalusians. With his three-goal haul, Messi reached the 253 mark in the Liga BBVA with FC Barcelona, thereby dethroning the former Athletic Club striker, whose tally stands at 251.
November also saw one of the division's new managers make his inaugural home appearance. David Moyes announced his arrival to the Real Sociedad faithful in Anoeta with a resounding 3-0 victory over Elche CF, which came thanks to a Carlos Vela hat-trick. The Scottish coach made his official debut in the San Sebastian first team's dugout a few days earlier during a scoreless draw against RC Deportivo in Riazor.
Star of the month
Mexico's Carlos Vela played four games during this 30-day spell, scoring four goals in the process, three of which came in the clash against Elche. The Real Sociedad number 11's great performances contributed to his side picking up seven out of a possible twelve points and also reinvigorated the Basque outfit's attacking prowess to levels similar to those shown during the 2013/14 season. As such, he was the deserved winner of the BBVA Award as the Liga BBVA player of the month.
Best coach
Ernesto Valverde, the Athletic Club boss, was presented with the BBVA Award as the best Liga BBVA coach of the month. Despite having to deal with the after effects of playing in the UEFA Champions League, the manager of the Bilbao outfit was able to overcome the difficulties the Lions faced. Picking up ten out of a possible twelve points allowed Athletic to climb out of the bottom half of the table in November.
Best goal
Real Madrid's James Rodríguez scored the goal of the month during a match against Granada when, in the 30th minute, a Karim Benzema flick landed in the path of the Colombian midfielder who, with a mouth-watering volley, sent the ball flying into the top right-hand corner of Roberto Fernández’s net to make it 2-0.
Outstanding team
The 29 November 2014 will live long in the memory for los blancos as a day when Real Madrid set a new record. With their victory over Málaga CF on matchday 13 of the competition the Bernabéu outfit broke the previous record for wins that had been set by Miguel Muñóz and José Mourinho. The 1-2 result against the Andalusians saw the team from the capital register their 16th straight win of the 2014/15 season.
Strange fact
Cristiano Ronaldo also played a leading role during the eleventh month of the year during the matchday 12 encounter with SD Eibar. The Portuguese ace surpassed the 44 Liga BBVA penalties struck by Hugo Sánchez during his time as a Real Madrid player, thus adding yet another record to his long list of achievements. Ronaldo hit the back of the net with 42 of the 45 spot kicks, while the Mexican marksman scored 35 of his 44 penalties. Additionally, Cristiano managed to add victim number 29 to his personal goalscoring account, thus accomplishing the impressive feat of having hit the target against every team he had faced until then in the Spanish topflight.
Revelation
One of the biggest surprises in the Liga BBVA during the month were the goalscoring exploits of Valencia CF centre back Shkodran Mustafi. The los ché defender, who was part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup-winning German squad, got a brace during Valencia's 1-3 victory over Villarreal CF. They would be the first of four goals the German closed out his first Liga BBVA season with.
Latin America also stands out in the Liga BBVA
South America was well represented during November by two men who played key roles for their respective teams: Jonathas de Jesús and James Rodríguez. The Elche front man and Real Madrid midfielder notched up three goals each, which helped towards their sides picking up points and staying on course to achieving their objectives.
The Brazilian deserves a special mention as, having joined the Alicante outfit without much in the way of fanfare, he still enjoyed a fantastic season under stewardship of Fran Escribá. The South American striker closed out the 2014/15 season with 14 goals to his name, thereby earning a special place in the hearts of the Manuel Martínez Valero supporters.
© LALIGA - 2015