Balague’s La Liga best XI

Sky Sports’ Spanish expert Guillem Balague has picked his best XI from La Liga in the 2015/16 season.

Guillem’s team features players from the top four sides in La Liga in Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, but there is no room for Brazil international Neymar, who came third in the Ballon d’Or in January.

Agree or disagree with Guillem’s XI and choice of manager of the year? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page, or if viewing on mobile, Tweet your thoughts to @revistadelaliga

Remember, you can watch the final weekend of the season live on Sky Sports, as Barca and Real Madrid battle it out for the title.

Jan Oblak – Atletico Madrid

GUILLEM SAYS: With no fewer than 23 clean sheets, Oblak is by a distance the goalkeeper of the season. Atletico have conceded just 18 goals in 37 league games this season and this is due in no small part to the 23-year-old Slovenian, who has more than filled the gap left by his predecessor, Thibaut Courtois.

If Atletico go on to win the Champion League then his save of Thomas Muller’s penalty in the semi-final against Bayern Munich could well go down as the key moment in his side’s campaign.

Mario Gaspar – Villarreal

GUILLEM SAYS: A Villarreal man from top to toe, Mario Gaspar is a product of the club’s magnificent academy and has played his entire career with the Yellow Submarine, working his way up through the ranks from the youth sides to the first team for which he has made 170 appearances.

A solid defender but also lightning fast on the counter attack, he has caught the eye of Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque, who could well look to him to fill the right-back berth in the upcoming Euros.

Diego Godin – Atletico Madrid

GUILLEM SAYS: Along with Oblak, Diego Godin is one of the main reasons Atletico came so close to winning the title for a second time in three years, and he could well lift the Champions League. Currently, in my humble opinion, he is the greatest defender in the world.

Defenders do not normally win the Ballon d’Or, but quite how he has managed to miss out on a place on FIFA’s Team of the Year any time during his time with Atletico Madrid is one of football’s unfathomable mysteries. Tough, uncompromising and totally committed to the cause, he is the one man you would want next to you in the trenches. 

Pepe – Real Madrid

GUILLEM SAYS: Not everyone’s cup of tea by any means and while Pepe’s controversial and colourful career may well be reaching its conclusion, his form this season at the heart of the Real Madrid defence confirms he is still one of the world’s truly great defenders.

He is a …

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