La Liga has some of the best strikers in the business.
Karim Benzema is currently, alongside Robert Lewandowski, one of the hottest shots in Europe. The French hitman scored 27 goals in 32 appearances and that’s a rate of one goal every 96 minutes.
Just imagine how many he could score if the La Liga defenders were off their game.
Well, head coaches up and down the country have been working hard to stop the top strikers and there are a number of defenders who rarely, if ever, have an off day.
So let’s have a look at five of the best- the players the goalkeepers love to see lining up in front of them.
Inigo Martinez: Athletic Bilbao
Former Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez made the tricky move to rivals Athletic Bilbao three years ago but his all action displays and leadership on the pitch have won the admiration of the Bilbao fans.
At a relatively short height of 5’11”, he is known for his heading ability and Martinez has been compared to Barcelona legend Carles Puyol and Burnley skipper Ben Mee.
His tough tackling and reading of the game make him a born leader and only Real Madrid and Sevilla conceded fewer goals in the 2021/22 campaign. Athletic Bilbao had 13 clean sheets and Martinez is also a threat from set pieces, scoring three goals.
Eder Militao: Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid stormed to the league title thanks to the goals of Benzema and, at the other end of the pitch, the commanding performances of Brazilian centre-back Eder Militao.
Since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu from Porto in 2019 for a reported fee of 50-M Euros, the 24-year-old has made himself a mainstay of the back four. The La Liga 2022 betting odds always backed Los Blancos for the title and Militao was one of the main reasons why.
A fast and strong defender at 6’1”, Militao is not a giant but he has a physical advantage over most attackers since he is good in the air and skilful for a centre-back, and he has already picked up 21 caps with Brazil. He’ll be a player to watch at the Qatar World Cup and he’s in action for Real Madrid again very soon.
Los Blancos have a Champions League date with Liverpool on Saturday and, here at SBOTOP, we’ll be reporting on that and keeping a close eye on the battle between Militao and Mohammed Salah.
Jules Kounde: Sevilla
French central defender Jules Kounde is a summer target for Chelsea following the exit of Antonio Rudiger, but Sevilla will be keen to keep the 23-year-old as they embark on another Champions League campaign. A fourth place finish was a good outcome for Los Sevillistas and Kounde played his part.
Alongside Diego Carlos, Kounde makes up a formidable defencive pair. And in Sevilla’s recent clash with Atletico Madrid, he comfortably kept Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez at bay.
He reads the game brilliantly and made a whopping 170 interceptions in his 31 games, but Kounde needs to keep a cool head since he has picked up two red cards during the campaign.
Pau Torres: Villarreal
The surprise package of the 2021/22 Champions League were Villarreal, and at the heart of the Yellow Submarine’s defence are skipper Raul Albiol and 25-year-old Pau Torres – who have put in some immense performances.
Torres was imperious as Villarreal beat Juventus and Bayern Munich and gave Liverpool an almighty scare.
The most impressive achievement was keeping Robert Lewandowski and co. at bay in a 1-0 win over Die Bayern at the Estadio de la Ceramica and Torres has become one of the most sought after centre-backs in European football.
He impressed with Spain at Euro 2020 and is sure to add many more to his 17 international caps.
Ronald Araujo: Barcelona
Barcelona’s second-half-of-the-season recovery was widely attributed to the arrival of head coach Xavi and his recruitment of some superb attacking talent in the January transfer window, not to mention the resurgence of wide-man Ousmane Dembele.
While Barca’s La Liga 2022 results took an upturn, at the back Xavi just tinkered, bringing in wing-back Dani Alves from Sau Paulo and he was happy to see Ronald Araujo develop at the heart of defence.
While Gerard Pique suffered with injury and Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti struggled for form, Araujo was a model of consistency.
And at 23 years of age, he has an old head on young shoulders. He weighed in the four goals and had one of the highest pass completions in the league at 90-per cent.
For his international team, Araujo is a natural successor to Uruguay legend Diego Godin.
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