Youngsters prove La Liga is more than just El Clasico

As the dust settles on another El Clasico, it’s perhaps time to sit back, take stock and cast a beady eye on what else Spanish football has offered these past seven days.

In Clasico week, of course, the polarising nature of the fixture is quite something. It’s as if the other 18 teams in La Liga didn’t exist.

Yet one look at the table shows what an electrifying campaign this is turning into, and interestingly just how much the young talent is playing a part in ensuring the quality of the product remains constant.

Just two points separate the top five after the weekend’s fixtures, Sevilla joining Barca at the top with a late, late smash-and-grab against Villarreal, followed by Real Madrid, Valencia and Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona had the chance to put some more daylight between themselves and the chasing pack of course, but you would have to say that they were comprehensively undone by a classy Real Madrid performance.

All of the pre-match chat appeared to be centred around the debut of Luis Suarez and whether Lionel Messi would break the all-time goals record for La Liga at the home of Barca’s eternal rivals.

Yet it was perennial Los Blancos bench-warmer Isco who deserved to grab the headlines after proving to be the catalyst against the Catalans. Given Florentino Perez’s penchant for ‘Galactico’ purchases, it made a refreshing change to see a vastly underrated player take centre stage. At just 22 years of age, this former ‘Golden Boy’ winner does have time on his side, but he isn’t one for the future. Isco’s time is now. The Bernabeu faithful certainly made their feelings crystal clear with a rousing standing ovation as Isco was replaced in the 84th minute of a game that never reached the heights of recent match-ups between the sides.

Another young Spaniard, Paco Alcacer, continues to keep Valencia in the hunt.

With another goal in Los Che’s 3-1 win over Elche, the 21-year-old has registered four goals and four assists for his team already.

It’s that kind of consistency that has to interest Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque, especially when Diego Costa can play no more than a game a week it would seem. Indeed, with the Spanish national team at something of a crossroads at this point and retirements beckoning, it’s worth mining for gold elsewhere in the league too.

Luis Enrique considered Gerard Deulofeu and Denis Suarez surplus to requirements at Barca this season, but the youngsters have set about proving their manager wrong in the best possible way.

Sevilla are the beneficiaries of their enviable skillsets, both shown off again to their fullest extent this weekend.

Suarez’s 88th minute equaliser against Villarreal set the platform for the Andalusians to go on and claim an improbable victory, while Deulofeu’s close control and ability to glide past opponents as if they weren’t there was admirable.

Further, just having the audacity at 20 years of age to intentionally try and score direct from a corner doesn’t speak of a player, or a team, that lacks confidence.

Perhaps the pick of the young Spanish bucks, however, is 22-year-old Koke at Atletico Madrid. With a goal and three assists against Malmo in the Champions League, Jorge Resurreccion Merodio (to give him his full moniker) achieved something done only once previously in the tournament. No wonder he has often been referred to as the “new Xavi”.

The production line of talent doesn’t end there, however. Jose Gaya (19, Valencia), Jonny (20, Celta Vigo) and Saul Niguez (19, Atletico Madrid) are just a few relative unknowns who will set La Liga alight in the coming months.

While the established stars might receive more column inches than their younger counterparts at present, the future of Spanish football is in fine hands indeed.

So much for a boring two team league eh?!

— The writer is a freelance journalist and Spanish football expert