TOTS La Liga Predictions

A tightly contested La Liga looks to also produce an evenly split TOTS side with Sevilla and Atletico dominating defensively while Madrid’s midfield has excelled and the usual attackers appear once again. It’s also worth mentioning that a fair few youngsters are breaking through in the division with the likes of Vazquez, Kounde and Oyarzabal likely to be familiar names over the next few years.
*Please note player statistics will be correct as of the time of writing and ratings are influenced by NIF’s
 

Goalkeeper

Jan Oblak – GK - OVR 91>>97
The talk of the best keeper in the world goes on with a few names being thrown around but Oblak has to be right up there. He continues to impress between the sticks for Atletico and despite his nationality and club still manages to be thereabouts for TOTY voting which when you consider how much emphasis is put on both international competitions and the Champions League is huge. There have been some crazy defensive records in La Liga this season, but none are better than Atletico Madrid who has only conceded 20 goals from the 30 they have played. Oblak plays a huge role in that and should walk into the TOTS, despite other big names in the division

Defenders

Jordi Alba – LB - OVR 86>>94
Another side with a strong defensive record is of course Barcelona with just 26 conceded in 30, despite being so low the record is still only the fourth best in the division. What helps Alba though is his offensive statistics. The Spaniard has always offered support down the left flank and this campaign was no different with the pacey wingback providing three goals and four assists. There was a ridiculous amount of RB options this year in La Liga but only a few LB’s which will also help Alba in securing the position once again.

Sergio Ramos – CB - OVR 89>>95
Ramos has been injured for large parts of the 2020/21 season which does put his TOTS into question with just 15 matches being played to date. That being said when he has been fit his performances have still been strong and the name Ramos alone does hold a lot of power, you only have to look at previous TOTY sides to see that. Obviously, there are a lot of reasons to exclude the Spaniard from this side but with him being one of the bigger names and the likes of Balotelli being included in TOTS in previous games for minimal appearances I can see EA making an exception for Ramos after all if you ignore the games played, he would be here without a doubt.

Stefan Savic – CB - OVR 81>>91
On the contrary to Ramos, Savic is not really a name you would associate with TOTS, but the long serving Atletico defender has really come into his own this season, helping to organize the most successful defence in the division, really showing his experience with comparisons to the role Godin performed being clear. One thing that could be criticized about his game is his disciplinary record with the Montenegrin picking up 13 yellow cards in La Liga this season, which averages one every two games but without a red card to his name, you could argue that many of those have been tactical. Either way despite Savic not receiving an IF to date he should be one of the first names on EA’s side this year.

Kieran Trippier – RWB - OVR 83>>92
The England RB debate is one of the hardest in world football currently with the likes of TAA, Trippier, AWB, Walker and Reece James all to choose from. Trippier perhaps doesn’t get the respect he deserves in that aspect as he is actually a very talented player but both Walker and TAA especially make the competition very difficult. As far as domestic football goes Trippier has excelled for Atletico Madrid. I have already mentioned how good that defensive record is but Trippier also offers a lot offensively with his deadly crosses helping him to record six assists. A lack of game time is perhaps a concern with only 20 appearances at the time of writing but presuming he gets to 25 by the end of the season I see no reason as to why he cannot be included.

Midfielders

Oyarzabal – LW - OVR 84>>94
Since acquiring a slight injury mid-way through the season Oyarzabal has not quite been at the same level that he was previous to that, but the young Spaniard has done more than enough to make this side. Real Sociedad host a few talented youngsters in their side which have resulted in them competing for European positions. Oyarzabal has recorded double digits once again with ten goals and six assists for them in the 2020/21 campaign. He was also awarded an official POTM award for his early form. It’s a very promising future for Oyarzabal who I would imagine makes a high profile move in the next couple of years.

Toni Kroos – CM - OVR 88>>96
Although the German has been involved in previous TOTY sides I feel that his limited inclusions have been somewhat unfortunate. Kroos is a very talented player and has been among the best midfielders in the world for quite some time now and he has had another impressive season in the middle of the park for Madrid this year. Although he has not scored many with just three to his name his creativity for the side has been a crucial factor for them, providing eight assists. He often finds himself controlling games and his ability on the ball is almost incomparable. 

Casemiro – CDM - OVR 89>>96
From one Madrid midfielder to another. Casemiro is another who is among the best in the world at what he does. What’s more is that the Brazilian has added some goals to his game, scoring five for the Spanish giants this season. Which when his main role is to cover the defence is something that is not expected of him. In truth, he would be making this side without any offensive contributions but it’s just a bonus that will also stand out to EA when they select the side. Unfortunately for Casemiro, he is not the most attractive in terms of TOTY potential, much like Busquets but in terms of quality, I honestly think he should be featuring.

Antoine Griezmann – LW - OVR 87>>94
This selection is perhaps a tad generous with Griezmann not really setting the league alight once again but perhaps that is down to the high standards set while playing for Atletico. He has however maintained a regular starting position for Barcelona down the left-hand flank and with eight goals and six assists have to be in the conversation for TOTS. I don’t think his name helps him here with many expecting more but with minimal wingers performing in the division on a regular basis, I feel that will help him sneak in. Especially as it's another big name for EA to promote the side with.
 

Forwards

Lionel Messi – CF - OVR 93>>97
Although the title race is a tight call in La Liga as it stands when it comes to goal contributions there is a clear winner and of course that is Lionel Messi as the Argentine continues his dominance of the division for yet another year. In total, he has recorded 23 goals and 8 assists. Barcelona has become reliant on him for quite some time now and I feel that once his time comes, they will have a period where they will struggle despite the youth that’s coming through. As for Messi’s rating, I think one below his TOTY is the sensible option, but EA could alternatively opt for the 99.

Karim Benzema – ST - OVR 89>>97
Talking of strikers that have been around for a while we move on to Benzema. Despite all the talent that Real Madrid continues to bring to their club Benzema still remains strong in keeping the ST position. Once again, he shows why by scoring on a consistent basis and with 19 goals and 6 assists to his name during the 2020/21 campaign, he is right up there in the golden boot race. The fact the Frenchman has six special items this season shows how well he has done. I still remain confident that Benzema is one of the most underrated strikers of the past decade. The fact that he now has 274 goals for the Spanish Giants, putting him in third behind only Ronaldo and Raul for their all-time top scorer is testament to just how good his career has been.

Substitutes

Yassine Bounou – GK - OVR 76>>89
Both Courtois and Ter Stegen will be heavily called for on this prediction I am sure of it, but I have instead opted for somewhat of an unorthodox selection of Bounou. Sevilla has the second-best defensive record in the division after only Atletico Madrid and when you consider that they don’t have the same possession statistics as the likes of Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico it shows how well they have done defensively. They also concede more shots though and thus it makes Bounou’s 21 goals conceded look even better. What’s more, although it likely won’t be considered in the selection process from EA Bounou does also have a goal to his name.

Lucas Vazquez – RB - OVR 80>>92
With Carvajal struggling with injuries this season Vazquez has dropped into the RB position for large parts of the season and has impressed so much that Carvajal will probably struggle to return into the side despite the quality the Spaniard has. Vazquez has caused constant problems for opposition down the right-hand side, scoring twice and providing five assists this season. There is a lot of competition for this position though with both Navas and Emerson perhaps unlucky not to feature but when you have to narrow it down to two players it's hard to ignore both Trippier and Vazquez who have been outstanding this campaign.

Frenkie De Jong – CM - OVR 85>>93
De Jong was a player who was regularly called for in TOTW predictions this year and although he only managed to receive two from EA, he could have received many more. With just four goals and three assists to his name, it doesn’t sound overly impressive, but you only have to watch the Dutch youngster to see his importance to the side. After all, he has huge boots to fill in the middle of the park for Barcelona and currently he seems to be doing a superb job for them.

Marcos Llorente – CM - OVR 82>>92
One of the more anticipated players in this year’s side will be Llorente. The Atletico Madrid midfielder has an impressed NIF so with a big boost coming his way it will potentially make him one of the best CM’s in the game. Thankfully although he has been playing out wide at times the majority of his performances have come centrally which will result in his TOTS being a CM. Llorente has been an important figure for Atletico this season at both ends of the field with nine goals and eight assists while also offering defensive cover.

Carlos Soler – CM - OVR 79>>89
It’s been a poor campaign overall for Valencia who currently sits way down in 13th place in La Liga but one player who has stood out for them is Soler. With seven goals and five assists from the centre of the park he is among the highest goal contributors in his position. Without him, Valencia would have seriously struggled with Soler having a say in almost a third of their goals and at times picking up points crucially for them. I have ignored the likes of Parejo, Koke and Modric in favor of Soler which is largely down to statistics but realistically it could go to any of those mentioned.

Luis Suarez– ST - OVR 87>>95
I still don’t understand why Barcelona didn’t do more to hold on to Suarez. The Uruguayan is still more than capable of playing at the very top as shown by his dominance for Atletico Madrid, of whom could shock once again and lift the title. Suarez has recorded 19 goals so far this season putting him behind only Messi in terms of numbers. Just how much more he has it the tank remains to be seen but footballers seem to be going on for longer and longer, especially at the top of the game so we could see Suarez among the top scorers for a while yet.

Gerard Moreno – ST - OVR 83>>93
There have been a lot of familiar faces in this year’s side but one player who has come into their own for the current campaign is Gerard Moreno, the Spaniard has excelled for Villarreal taking them deep into the Europa League and helping them battle for a top 6th finish in La Liga. In total, he has nineteen goals and five assists with his performances helping him to attract top clubs like Atletico Madrid and Leicester City in the chase to sign him this summer. Without an obvious striker, we could see Spain utilize the inform striker in the Euro’s which would potentially push the asking price up even further.

Reserves

Jules Kounde – CB - OVR 79>>90
Over the past couple of years, there has been a huge influx of French talent, especially when it comes to CB with the likes of Varane, Laporte, Umtiti, Lenglet and Kimpembe all being highly rated. One who is perhaps going under the radar somewhat is Kounde. The 22-year-old has definitely proved this season as to why he should be in the conversation for the national side with his performances for Sevilla being world class. He has been among the best CBs in the division and at his age that is something special. I am very confident that Kounde will be a name that everybody knows within the next couple of years.

Morales – LM - OVR 79>>90
It’s not often that Levante finds themselves in the top half of the La Liga table but as it stands, they are on to accomplish that, currently sitting in ninth. Morales has played a huge role in their success, being the player, they somewhat rely on to score the goals alongside Marti. With Marti being a striker though it is very unlikely he will make the side. That’s where Morales’s LM role benefits him. With 10 goals and three assists to his name, he is among the highest goal contributors from midfield which especially when you consider his side is quite special.

Sergio Canales – CM - OVR 82>>90
With Real Betis sitting 6th in the table as things stand, I think it would be harsh to ignore them completely in what has been a highly successful season for the Spanish outlet. That being said it is difficult to include them in the side with Emerson narrowly missing out due to a highly competitive RB position. Canales is probably their best bet with seven goals and six assists to his name. Canales has played all over the field for Betis, showing his ability to play wherever he is needed, and has been one of if not their most important player. It does make predicting his final position difficult but with games played at CDM, CAM, CM and LCAM I can see EA opting for a central role to cover both positions he has been deployed in.

Iago Aspas – ST - OVR 84>>93
The role that Aspas has played for Celta Vigo has been huge this season with him somewhat carrying them to an upper mid table finish. With both ten goals and ten assists, the Spaniard has been directly involved in over half of Vigo’s 38 goals. What’s more is that even when he is not within the goals he has been performing to a high level as shown by the fact he has picked up an IF for a single assist, something which for a striker is incredibly rare. With three IF’s and a POTM to his name already this FIFA, it is clear to see that EA likes Aspas as a player and thus I will find it very surprising if he fails to feature in their TOTS side.

Youssef En Nesyri – ST - OVR 78>>90
Usually, you see the same faces being awarded POTM with the top clubs being heavily leaned towards due to how the voting system works. For that reason, it was perhaps a bit of a surprise that En Nesyri managed to pick up the award. It does however show just how good the Moroccan striker has been for Sevilla this season. Although slightly patchy with fifteen goals to his name he finds himself fifth among the top goal scorers keeping out the likes of Isak from this TOTS. Sevilla has largely succeeded due to their defence but En Nesyri has somewhat carried them in terms of goals with their next highest scorer only on four.