The best league in the world, a thrilling competition

The Liga BBVA is ten matchdays into the competition. In over a month and a half of the championship, surprises, parity and plenty of fighting spirit have been the order of the day, with Valencia CF and Sevilla FC joining the triumvirate of Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo has provided the goals and good play has come from Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić, James Rodríguez and Isco Alarcón.

The leaders of the competition at this stage are Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. The Whites have recovered after a shaky start to the season and the new cogs in the machinery seem to fit perfectly. Cristiano Ronaldo has provided the goals and good play has come from Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić, James Rodríguez and Isco Alarcón, who has been playing his best football since he arrived a year ago in Chamartín. Seven wins on the trot in the Liga BBVA have catapulted them to the top with 24 points, figures that have been achieved by putting plenty of goals past the opposition.

They are followed close behind on 23 points by two sides whose leitmotiv is intensity: Nuno’s Valencia and Diego Simeone’s Atlético. The Portuguese manager has been the perfect motivator for the team from the city on the River Turia, as a man able to get the most out of a squad that is hungry for wins. Seven victories, two draws and just one defeat reflect a group that has found itself and is now aiming for the top. While Valencia shine, the champions remain the reliable, battle-hardened team with a feared set piece, enabling them to stay hot on the heels of their local rivals, the competition leaders.

Carlos Bacca and Kevin Gameiro have been electric again in Nervión, while Stéphane M’Bia’s solidity has given the team consistency.

Alongside Valencia, there has been another surprise package in the championship so far this season: Emery’s Sevilla. A team that is level on 22 points with Barcelona in fifth and fourth place, respectively. Carlos Bacca and Kevin Gameiro have been electric again in Nervión, while Stéphane M’Bia’s solidity has given the team consistency, which is reflected in the table. Both the Catalans and the Seville side are two clear title contenders in a competition that looks more exciting than ever this year.

While Valencia shine, the champions remain the reliable, battle-hardened team with a feared set piece.

Of all the top-tier competitions in Europe, the Liga BBVA is the only one that does not have one single team as clear title contenders. In Germany FC Bayern Munich have 24 points, eight more than the fifth-placed side, Bayer 04 Leverkusen; in England, Chelsea have 26 points, four more than the runners-up and nine above fifth-placed West Ham United FC; and finally, in Italy, Juventus are top of the table with 25 points, while AS Roma, with 22, are second, followed by SS Lazio (19), Sampdoria (19) and SSC Napoli (18).