sport news Real Madrid's new midfield generation has arrived...10 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM ... trends now
Barcelona won ugly but stayed top, three points clear of Real Madrid who produced a big performance in Bilbao. All eyes are still on Real Sociedad who can't stop winning. They stay third and are attracting more suitors for their players than is ideal midseason.
Down at the bottom Sevilla left the drop zone showing signs of life with Rakitic their leader standing tall.
Here's the 10 things we learned from La Liga this week.
Barcelona were not at their best versus Getafe but won 1-0 thanks to Pedri's 35th-minute goal
Benzema immortal in Madrid
His brilliant goal at San Mames brought him level with Raul on 228 league goals – the difference is it took Raul 550 games and Benzema has done it in 425.
There have been ups and down along the way – coaches that didn’t fancy him, moments when supporters wanted him out – but he has always delivered and now only Cristiano Ronaldo looks down on him in the club's all-time scoring table.
Ancelotti cranks up the changing of the guard
With Luka Modric and Toni Kroos left on the bench, Dani Ceballos, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga took the reigns in midfield and all were outstanding.
Kroos scored brilliantly when he came on but by then the game was won and it was Madrid’s next generation midfield, given its head by Ancelotti, that had won it.
Eduardo Camavinga put in an impressive midfield performance as Real Madrid triumphed 2-0
Ter Stegen is La Liga’s best keeper
Barcelona would not have won 1-0 on Sunday were it not for Marc Andre ter Stegen’s one-on-one save against Borja Mayoral.
The German keeper is having his best season since he joined the club and if Barcelona win the league it will be as much about his saves as Lewandowski’s goals.
The team has only conceded six goals all season and it isn’t because their defence is watertight - it’s because of the man who plays behind them.
Marc Andre ter Stegen was instrumental in helping Barcelona edge out a 1-0 win on Sunday
Busquets collecting the last of his winnings before he walks away
He lifted the Spanish Super Cup at the start of Sunday’s league game against Getafe and he was then handed a commemorative shirt with 700 on the back – his games for the club is now up to 702.
There are no signs of Sergio Busquets signing a new deal in the summer – the perfect finale will be if he can do as Xavi and Iniesta did when they quit: walk away having just won a trophy at the end of the season, and this time as captain.
Sergio Busquets lifted the Spanish Super Cup and was got a 700 shirt before the Getafe game
Memphis impressed by attacking Atletico
‘This isn’t normal you know, this isn’t normal.’ Those were the words of Atletico Madrid medic Oscar Celada to new signing
