LaLiga 2022-23 Matchday 22: 10 things we learned this week

Barcelona are eight points clear of Real Madrid in the Spanish league.

There were many goals scored in LaLiga Santander this past week, while there were also several interesting developments off the pitch, such as Valencia CF’s new coaching hire or Athletic Club’s renewal of their manager. All of that and a lot more is discussed in detail right here.

Girona FC know where the net is

Girona FC have been a lot of fun to watch this season. The Catalan side have scored 33 goals in their 22 matches so far, which is the third-most goals in LaLiga Santander, after only Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. They know where the net is and it’s not just one or two players, either. Already there have been 13 different goalscorers for Girona FC this LaLiga Santander season, with six different players getting on the scoresheet in Friday’s 6-2 win over UD Almería.

The gap at the top remains the same

At the very top of the LaLiga Santander table, FC Barcelona maintained their eight-point lead over Real Madrid as both of the title contenders won their Matchday 22 fixtures. Los Blancos were in action first and late goals from Fede Valverde and Marco Asensio earned them a 2-0 win at CA Osasuna on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Barça won by the same scoreline when they hosted Cádiz CF and saw Sergi Roberto and Robert Lewandowski find the back of the net.

The second ElClasico of the LaLiga Santander season will be on March 19th

With the title race proving to be truly fascinating, attention is already turning to the second ElClasico of the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander season and it was announced this past week that it’ll take place on Sunday March 19th at 21:00 CET, with the Spotify Camp Nou hosting this battle between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Atleti gave up their home kit for a special reason

There was a strange sight at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano on Sunday, as Atlético de Madrid played at home but did so in their orange third kit. That’s because Los Colchoneros allowed the visiting Athletic Club players to wear the red and white stripes, as a way to pay tribute to the 125th anniversary of the club from Bilbao, from which Atlético de Madrid was born.

Griezmann loves scoring against Athletic Club

Once the ball got rolling in Atlético de Madrid vs Athletic Club, however, the home side set out to secure the three points and they did so thanks to an Antoine Griezmann strike that made it a 1-0 win. The Frenchman really loves scoring against Athletic Club, the rivals of his former club Real Sociedad. Across his career, Athletic Club is the team Griezmann has scored against the most, netting 14 goals in 30 meetings.

Rubén Baraja is the new Valencia CF coach

Valencia CF hired a new coach this past week, following Gennaro Gattuso’s departure and Voro’s stint as caretaker coach. Los Che have hired club legend Rubén Baraja as the new manager for the rest of the season, with the 47-year-old returning to the club where he spent a glorious decade as a player. He’ll aim to lead Valencia CF out of the LaLiga Santander relegation zone.

Ernesto Valverde is staying on in Bilbao

When Ernesto Valverde returned to Athletic Club last summer, he did so on a one-year contract. Given that he is content being back in Bilbao and given that the directors at San Mamés are happy with the progress being made under the 59-year-old coach, they agreed this past week to a contract extension until 2024.

Francis Coquelin’s season is over

Villarreal CF received some bad news this past week, as midfielder Francis Coquelin suffered an ACL injury to his right knee. The Frenchman will now miss the rest of the season and will have to go through a lengthy recovery period.

Pape Cheikh Diop is back in LaLiga Santander

Elche CF strengthened their midfield this past week, signing Pape Cheikh Diop on a free transfer. The Senegalese player had previously made 38 LaLiga Santander appearances across three separate campaigns for RC Celta, and made his Elche CF debut in midweek in his team’s loss to Real Madrid at the Bernabéu.

Eight LaLiga Santander players are FIFPRO Men's World 11 finalists

The list of FIFPRO Men’s World 11 finalists was announced this past week, with eight LaLiga Santander players making the list, one that is voted for by active footballers. There were five Real Madrid players nominated, namely Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rüdiger, Luka Modrić, Fede Valverde and Karim Benzema. Plus, Gavi, Pedri and Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona were selected too.