Eye on La Liga’s Next Crop: Can Villarreal, Athletic or Sevilla Shake Things Up?

On a weekend when the big guns of La Liga let off enough fireworks to permanently change the composition of the atmosphere, it was quite the achievement that the league’s “next crop” still managed to distinguish themselves amid the smoke.

Just before Atletico Madrid’s exhaust fumes dominated the Spanish capital, Sevilla broke a hex just down the road, temporarily grabbing top spot with a late winner at Leganes.

Twenty-four hours later, after Barcelona and Real Madrid had done their thing, Athletic Club Bilbao then announced themselves in the Basque derby, continuing a hot run with a 3-2 win that was more dominant than the final margin suggested.

Not to be outdone, Villarreal then showed they have some explosive contraband of their own, demolishing Celta Vigo to the tune of 5-0 at El Madrigal.

It means the division’s top six are separated by three points. Collectively, they’ve prompted the question: Has La Liga got itself a team or two capable of shaking things up?

It’s tight at the top! Here’s how the LaLiga table looks on Sunday night after excellent wins for Athletic and Villarreal this afternoon pic.twitter.com/jvkCl4W27z

— AS English (@English_AS) October 16, 2016

If the neutral’s heart says yes, history says no. Staying within reach of La Liga’s behemoths has been like staying within reach of London house prices. You might briefly think you have a sniff, but quickly the reality becomes sharing a two-bedroom flat with a guy whose internet search history is dubious. 

Recent seasons have demonstrated it. Celta were flyers this time last year and Sevilla were hot early on the year before. It was Malaga before them and if you go back to 2011-12, Levante topped the table after eight rounds, the point we’ve reached now. Look where that got them. 

Still, the temptation is always to believe this time might be different. We’re not talking about a member of the “next crop” marching to the title here. It’s more a question of whether they can hang around; whether they can disturb the top three; whether they can give the league’s summit a different complexion for long enough to make a few of us believe, even just for an instant. 

Can one of them shake things up?

                               

Villarreal (5th place, 16 points)

Eight rounds into the season, Villarreal look very much like Villarreal, and that’s rather surprising in itself.

Parting ways with your successful manager a week before the season starts isn’t normally recommended. Hiring a replacement who was last seen getting sacked by a team on their way to relegation isn’t the advised response, either. But hey, what do we know?

Taking over after the tumultuous departure of Marcelino, Fran Escriba is doing just fine. Before the league kicked off, we said his swapping of Getafe for the European ambitions of Villarreal was like swapping the aisle seat next to the rear toilet in economy for the champagne of business class. As it turns out, Escriba looks good with the Moet.  

Despite the early blow in the Champions League play-offs, Villarreal have gone unbeaten in the league and have steadily picked up momentum with each passing week, and that’s no small feat.  

The early part of the summer left an ominous look for the club’s season. Eric Bailly went to Manchester United, Denis Suarez went back to Barcelona and Tomas Pina moved on. Strikers Roberto Soldado and Cedric Bakambu then got injured, leaving a new boss and new-look squad with little time to get it right. But get it right they have, for the most part. 

Escriba has avoided the temptation to rip it up and put his own distinct stamp on the club. Trusting the 4-4-2 of Marcelino, he’s found a solid foundation thanks to the continuity offered in midfield by Bruno and Manu Trigueros.

It also helps when you’ve got a settled, stingy defence. Victor Ruiz, Mateo Musacchio, Mario Gaspar and Jaume Costa might not be names that jump off the page, but for familiarity and defensive excellence, they’re going stride-for-stride with Atletico. 

So can Villarreal push on? That will depend on their ability to evolve in attack, and the early signs are encouraging.

In the absence of Soldado and Bakambu, Nicola Sansone has made an early case for signing of the season. Fellow new arrival Roberto Soriano has taken a little longer to get going, but his smooth …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com