Sports Mole's La Liga Team of the Week

Barcelona and Real Madrid both failed to win this weekend, with Atletico Madrid the only team in the top seven to pick up all three points.

The week's action got underway on Friday with Real Valladolid and Athletic Bilbao sharing the points in a pulsating 2-2 draw. Saturday also brought plenty of action with Osasuna opening the day with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo, who dropped into the bottom three as a result.

Getafe also recorded three much-needed points as they beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-1, while Espanyol's revival continued as they overcame Levante in a five-goal thriller.

The shock result of the weekend came in Saturday's final match, however, as lowly Granada picked up a 1-0 win over Spanish champions Real Madrid.

Malaga opened Sunday's action with a 1-1 draw against Real Zaragoza, before Sevilla ended Rayo Vallecano's winning run with a 2-1 success. Barcelona also dropped more away points, meanwhile, as they were held 1-1 by Valencia.

Atletico Madrid continued their sensational run of form on their home patch with a 1-0 win over Real Betis in an ill-tempered affair, while Real Sociedad were 3-0 winners over struggling Real Mallorca in the final two matches of the weekend.

Here, Sports Mole selects its 11 top performers in Spain following another pulsating week of La Liga action.

Victor Valdes (Barcelona)
Barcelona were not at their best defensively against Valencia and but for Valdes, they would have lost the match. The Spaniard made two world-class saves in the final stages to secure his side a point, while his distribution and handling were of the very highest order.

Allan Nyom (Granada)
The 24-year-old was a tower of strength as his side recorded a 1-0 win over Real Madrid on Sunday. He won the physical battle against Cristiano Ronaldo, while he was also prepared to join the attack at each opportunity. It was comfortably his best performance in a Granada shirt this season.
Diego Mainz (Granada)
Alongside Nyom, Diego Mainz was a pillar of strength at the heart of his side's defence. The experienced Spaniard settled his side in the latter stages of their win against the Spanish champions, with neither Karim Benzema nor Gonzalo Higuain able to gain any change from the 30-year-old.
Federico Fazio (Sevilla)
The 25-year-old put in a man-of-the-match display as his side recorded a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Sevilla came under constant pressure in the latter stages, but the Argentine was prepared to settle things down.
Jordi Alba (Barcelona)
The Spaniard was sensational on his return to his former stomping ground. He received a warm reception from the home supporters, but he almost punished Valencia with a host of attacking runs into the penalty area. He was his side's standout player, in both defence and attack.

Emiliano Armenteros (Osasuna)
It was not the prettiest of performances from the 27-year-old, but he dug in as his side recorded a welcome 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday. Not only did he score the only goal of the match, he was the catalyst for everything good about their performance.
Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao)
It was another impressive performance from the 23-year-old in Bilbao's 2-2 draw against Real Valladolid on Friday. Having influenced proceedings against Atletico Madrid one week previously, the Spaniard was on top form once more as he dictated the tempo for his side.
Gonzalo Castro (Real Sociedad)
The 28-year-old was in fine form as his side recorded a 3-0 win over Real Mallorca on Sunday. The attacking midfielder scored the opening goal of the evening, before playing a role in their second.
Mario Suarez (Atletico Madrid)
It was a typically disciplined performance from the Spaniard as his side recorded a 1-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday. With Atletico struggling for invention, the 25-year-old was prepared to put his foot on the ball and dictate the tempo.

Sergio Garcia (Espanyol)
The 29-year-old is quite possibly one of the most underrated strikers in La Liga. He was a constant menace to Levante in his side's 3-2 win on Saturday, laying on their second of the match before scoring the third himself.
Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid)
The Brazilian took just five minutes to open the scoring after being introduced in the second period. He caused concern to the Betis defence from the first moment as he secured three vital points for his side.