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Tosin

<h1>Which players have truly hit the ground running on their first LaLiga Santander appearance? </h1>

Here, we look at four of the most special debuts in LaLiga History, and one more from the very recent times.

<h2>Emilio Butragueño (For Real Madrid vs Cádiz on 05/02/1984)</h2>

From his very first steps as a Real Madrid player, Emilio Butragueño made a difference. The striker came on for his debut as a half-time substitute in a match away at Cádiz in the middle of the 1983/84 season, with Real Madrid two goals down at the break. It was an inspired substitution from coach Alfredo di Stéfano as Butragueño pulled one back and then scored an 89th-minute winner, after a Ricardo Gallego equaliser, to earn a 3-2 victory for Los Blancos.&nbsp;

<h2>Romário (For FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad on 05/09/1993)</h2>

The Camp Nou crowd witnessed summer signing Romário’s debut on a sunny September afternoon at the start of the 1993/94 season. He’d just joined from PSV Eindhoven and was named in the starting line-up on opening weekend by coach Johan Cruyff, quickly putting a smile on his coach’s face with a hat-trick as the Brazilian scored the only three goals of the game against Real Sociedad. All three of the goals were assisted by a young Pep Guardiola.&nbsp;

<h2>Ariel Ortega (For Valencia CF vs Sevilla FC on 08/03/1997)</h2>

Ariel Ortega started his brief LaLiga career in style. The Argentine joined Valencia CF midway through the 1996/97 season and debuted in a clash between Los Che and Sevilla FC in March. It was a back-and-forth six-goal thriller that Valencia CF ultimately edged 4-2, helped by Ortega’s debut brace. Fellow Argentine Jorge Valdano was the Valencia CF coach at the time and was full of praise for his countryman afterwards.&nbsp;

<h2>David Beckham (For Real Madrid vs Real Betis on 30/08/2003)</h2>

David Beckham arrived at Real Madrid from Manchester United as a Galáctico. He was a just-add-water world-class talent and he was supposed to bring goals. In just the second minute of his first game in white, that’s what the Englishman did by arriving at the far post to turn in a cross from fellow superstar Ronaldo. Beckham struck the crossbar with a long-range effort later in the game too. He didn’t get a second goal, but Real Madrid did win the match 2-1 against Real Betis to start that league season on the front foot.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Manu García (For D Alavés vs Atlético Madrid on 21/08/2016)</h2>

As a lifelong D Alavés fan, Manu García’s equaliser at the Vicente Calderón in 2016 will be forever treasured by the midfielder. García joined Alavés in 2012 when the Basque side were in the third tier and he helped them eventually secure a return to Spain’s top division when they finished top of the second tier in 2015/16. Their first fixture back in LaLiga Santander was a glamour one, a trip away to Champions League runners-up Atlético Madrid, and García beamed with pride as he led his team out as captain for their first match back in the top division and his first ever at that level. After battling hard for 90 minutes, a Kevin Gameiro penalty in the third minute of stoppage time appeared to have ruined Alavés’ debut. But then García blasted home from long range in the 95th minute to salvage a special 1-1 draw.

Some players' impact in La Liga havs been felt from the first day.

Five of the most memorable debuts in LaLiga history

<h1>Also known as the ‘derbi del Turia’ for the river which runs through the centre of Spain’s third-biggest city, the fixture has picked up steam in recent decades as Levante have established themselves in LaLiga Santander, with all the clashes and controversies that brings.</h1>

‘Los Granotas’ [the frogs] pre-date their local rivals by a decade, with Levante Futbol Club playing its first game in 1909, while based in the seaside El Cabanyal district of the city.

Valencia Club de Futbol then arrived in 1919, closer to the centre at Mestalla, with the first ‘official’ derby being played the following year in the Valencian Regional Championship.

When LaLiga began in 1928/29, Valencia began in the second tier, earning promotion to the top flight within just three seasons. ‘Los Che’ quickly established themselves as one of Spain’s biggest clubs, winning a first LaLiga title in 1941/42, and two more in the next five years.

First Valencia Derby in LaLiga 2019-20 (La Liga)

Meanwhile, after merging with neighbours Gimnastico Futbol Club in 1939, Levante UD reached the second tier by 1945/46, and achieved a first promotion to the top flight in 1963. That meant a first LaLiga Valencia city derby took place at Mestalla on 28th September 1963 with the home team winning 5-3, still the highest-scoring meeting to this day. Levante had their revenge the following January, with a 1-0 victory at their then home, the Estadio de Vallejo.&nbsp;

Levante were again watching from lower divisions as the neighbours won the LaLiga title in 1970/71, 2001/2 and 2003/04. But promotion to LaLiga Santander for 2004/05 has led to the historically smaller team establishing themselves at the top level, spending 11 of the last 15 seasons in LaLiga Santander.&nbsp;

With the ‘derbi del Turia’ is now a regular fixture in the city’s schedule, Valencia have often had the upper hand but have never managed to win both home and away in the same season. Los Che’s 5-1 victory in 2007/08 at Levante’s current Estadio Ciudad de Valencia thanks to a David Villa hat-trick, remains the biggest winning margin by either side.&nbsp;

Levante’s 4-2 victory in 2006/07 is their biggest victory over the neighbours. Los Granotas have never won a LaLiga game at Mestalla, but the goalless draw achieved there on the final day of 2010/11 was hugely celebrated as it secured safety from relegation.&nbsp;

Such regular meetings have also increased the chances of controversy and incident. A ‘ghost goal’ by Valencia striker Mista in January 2005 is still debated today, while Levante supporters do not enjoy memories of a tight offside call as Valencia’s Juan Mata scored a derby winner in 2011.&nbsp;

Movement between the two sides is not uncommon. Infact, 100 players have represented both clubs through the decades, with legendary Dutch striker Faas Wilkes fondly remembered for the goals scored for each back in the 1960s. Serbian forward Predrag Mijatovic also played for the two either side of the turn of the century, sandwiching a spell at Real Madrid. More recently Vicente Rodriguez, Juanfran Garcia, Asier del Horno and Javier Farinos have worn both Valencia's white and black and Levante's blue and deep red colours at LaLiga level.

The Valencia city derby between Valencia CF and Levante UD has grown in recent years into one of Spanish football’s keenest local rivalries.

The Valencia Derby: a game with a 100 years History

<h2>1.	This fixture goes way, way back</h2>

LaLiga was founded in 1929, with 10 teams playing each other home and away over 18 rounds to determine the first champion. Barcelona won the title that year, but Athletic Club and Real Sociedad both did well and finished third and fourth with 20 points each. They actually met in the very first round of that inaugural season, drawing 1-1 before Athletic Club ran out 4-2 winners in the season’s second meeting.&nbsp;

<h2>2. This fixture has directly yielded championships</h2>

The start of the 1980s was dominated by Basque football. Real Sociedad won the league title in the 1980/81 and 1981/82 seasons, before Athletic Club took the LaLiga crown east to Bilbao in 1982/83 and 1983/84. Incredibly, both clubs actually won one of their titles through this derby. La Real defeated Athletic 2-1 on the final day of the 1981/82 campaign to pip Barcelona to the title, before a 2-1 Athletic victory two years later saw the title go to Bilbao and not to Real Madrid.&nbsp;

<h2>3. Some of LaLiga’s most iconic players have played in this fixture</h2>

Athletic are renowned for only fielding players of Basque origin but they have still boasted some of the most famous players in LaLiga history, including Telmo Zarra (the league’s top all-time goalscorer until 2014), goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta and cultured playmaker Julen Guerrero. All eyes are now on the current side’s stars: young winger Iñaki Williams and evergreen prolific frontman Aritz Aduriz.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Athletic Bilbao's Spanish forward Inaki Williams claimed he suffered racist abuse in the draw with Espanyol

La Real used to have a similar policy of fielding only Basque players but broke with tradition to bring in Liverpool striker John Aldridge in the late-1980s. While the likes of Darko Kovacevic and Nihat Kahveci have starred up front in the past, today’s side is spearheaded by Brazilian Willian Jose.

<h2>4. Real Sociedad have never knocked Athletic out the cup</h2>

While both sides have experienced joy and suffering during their league meetings, the three Copa del Rey ties these teams have contested have all ended in Athletic’s favour. The team from Bilbao won 5-1 on aggregate during the 1960/61 last 16, 3-1 on aggregate in the 1971/72 quarter-finals and via a penalty shootout in the 1974/75 quarter-finals after a 4-4 draw on aggregate.&nbsp;

While the desire to come out on top is strong, this fixture is a friendly one and there is very little hostility in the stands. Unlike many other derbies, fans of both teams are often seen sitting together in the stands during the game. Of course, there may be some teasing towards the losing set of supporters, but the Basque solidarity is stronger than any hatred of a rival club.&nbsp;

Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad (La Liga)

Since LaLiga’s inaugural season in 1929 the Basque derby between Athletic Club from Bilbao and Real Sociedad of San Sebastián has become one of the most important fixtures in LaLiga history. This is a fixture packed full of history and importance.

5 things you may not know about the Basque Derby

Real Madrid captain Ramos became the all-time El Clasico appearance leader, with 43. The Seville native has made almost a half-century of appearances in world football’s biggest game over the last 15 years. Until last night he shared the appearance title with legends such as Manolo Sanchis, Paco Gento (both Real Madrid) and Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona). Real Madrid president Florentino Perez presented him with a commemorative shirt in the dressing room following the match.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wednesday night’s match also saw Lionel Messi inch further up in the all-time appearance rankings. The Argentine number 10, the fixture’s all-time top scorer, played his 42nd Clasico, drawing level with the aforementioned Sanchis, Gento and Xavi. Just one behind Ramos, everything points to these two continuing their duel to see who ultimately sets the record for years to come.&nbsp;

Ansu Fati will make his Champions League debut against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday

Curiously, the match also produced another record at the other end of the experience scale. Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, who came on as a second half substitute for Antoine Griezmann, became the youngest player to appear in El Clasico in the 21st century. At the age of just 17 years and 48 days, Fati made his El Clasico debut even before Bojan Krkic (17 years and 117 days).&nbsp;

Sergio Ramos and Florentino Perez (Instagram/Sergio Ramos)

Wednesday’s El Clasico shaped up to be the most equal stand-off in years, and that’s exactly how it played out on the pitch. The 0-0 final score kept both teams neck and neck at the top of the table with almost half the La Liga season in the books. However, two records were broken in last night’s game, with Sergio Ramos and Ansu Fati the record-breakers.&nbsp;

Sergio Ramos and Ansu Fati topple landmarks in a record-breaking El Clasico

<h1>In a clash of two of the best squads in world football, there are still some players who stand above the rest and make a difference. </h1>

Here are five players who could decide the first Clasico of the season.

Barcelona have had their defensive issues so far this season, more so than in the previous two seasons under Ernesto Valverde. There’ll be a need for calm at the back as they face Real Madrid’s fearsome attack and this is where the experience of 32-year-old Gerard Piqué will prove crucial. Whether he’s partnered by Samuel Umtiti or Clement Lenglet in central defence, the onus will be on Piqué to organise the Barça back line.&nbsp;

The 18-year-old Brazilian has proved a revelation in his first season at the club following a summer transfer from Santos, scoring on his LaLiga debut against Osasuna and then netting a perfect hat-trick (left foot, right foot and header) in his first Champions League start against Galatasaray in November. Already a full Brazilian international, Rodrygo could well prove decisive in the latter stages of the Clasico.

World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann has been added to Barcelona's attack this summer

Barcelona also reinforced this summer, bringing in Antoine Griezmann to reinforce their rich attacking options. While Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez are obviously players to watch out for and have single-handedly decided Clásicos in the past, Griezmann could prove the X-factor in his first Clásico. The Frenchman has scored eight goals against Los Blancos in his career; there are only two clubs against whom he has more goals.&nbsp;

Jordi Alba is a full-back with an almost unrivalled attacking potential. His duel with Dani Carvajal down Barcelona’s left flank will be fascinating to watch and if Alba gets the better of his international teammate then that could cause huge problems for Real Madrid. He provided a total of 17 assists last season, the second-most in the team after Messi, and has been a long-running problem for the side from the capital.&nbsp;

The middle of Real Madrid’s team sheet used to write itself, with Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić forming a midfield trio that dominated Europe for years. Yet this season that trio has been broken up by the emergence of Fede Valverde. The 21-year-old Uruguayan has burst onto the scene in 2019 and has become one of the first names on Zinedine Zidane’s team sheet thanks to his maturity, pace and decisiveness on the ball. Look for Zidane to use Valverde to break the deadlock as the encounter enters its final stages.&nbsp;

Matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona are often tense and played against a backdrop of regional rivalry

A preview of the first El Clasico of the 2019/2020 season.

5 players who could decide El Clasico

This is because the Senegalese defender made his first appearance of the season in LaLiga for the Catalan giants.

Joining in the summer of 2018 to initially play in the club’s academy side, prior to Saturday he had already played three games under Ernesto Valverde last season.

For this campaign, he has become an integral part of the first team squad, sporting the number 16 that was worn in the past by legendary Barcelona players such as Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Eusebio and Guillermo Amor, among many others.

"Wague is ready to play and he already did so last season. The reason he’s in the squad is because we think he’s got what it takes to face challenges such as playing against Leganes," declared Valverde in the pre-match press conference. He has indeed proved this, and following an atypical summer in which he led his team to runner-up spot in the Africa Cup of Nations, Wague was finally able to make a start for his side in LaLiga last matchday, playing the entire ninety minutes at right-back for Barcelona.

Given his age – he has recently turned 21 - it would not be unfair to suggest that Wague's career has only just taken off. However, if you look into his back story, he has overcome obstacles with the ease of a seasoned pro.

“When I was six years old, we played barefoot with whatever ball we could get our hands on,” Wague explained to Barcelona’s club media.

“Just by having a round piece of leather we’d be happy. Or plastic or whatever it was […] because of the fact that I started out playing without boots it helped me improve my technique and have tough feet.” The scout who discovered him, Xavi Gisbert, recently also looked back to the time he was spotted, in an interview with Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia:

“It was a small field of beach sand, it was unplayable. Many of the 140 children selected for the trial played barefoot, most of them with rubber beach shoes you used to see in the seventies, others with inappropriate hand-me-down boots, the kind that are passed between brothers until they’re totally worn out.”

In that environment in Bignona, Senegal, diametrically opposed to what La Masia can offer in Barcelona, ​​is where Wague's talent began to flourish when he was a child. And flourish it did.

Following this, aged 14, he was selected to play at the Aspire Academy, in Saly, Senegal.

“On the day of the trials, I didn't want to go because I was afraid of missing school and my dad would have told me off,” Moussa, who is very close to his family, recalled.

"Sometimes I’m asked about my childhood idol ... But the truth is that my only idol was my dad," he acknowledges. It was in Saly, 400 kilometres from his home, and with two training sessions a day at the advanced facilities of the Aspire Academy, when the Senegalese prodigy began to step up a gear in his development as a footballer.

It was also where he converted to a right-back position, having previously featured as a defensive midfielder. In little more than three years from then he had already made the leap to Europe to play for KAS Eupen in the Belgian first division, although he didn’t make his debut until he was 18. His coach there was Claude Makelele, a Champions League winner, with whom he learned "to be a warrior."

It was playing in Belgium that saw Wague called up to the Senegalese national team, with which he represented his nation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It was a golden generation for his country's football.

“It's my family,” recognizes Wague. “I have my routines, especially before games. We eat our traditional dishes like thieboudienne, our national dish which is rice and fish based, we dance to shake off the pressure, we pray together… Some of us are Muslim and others are Christian. But it doesn’t matter. Our prayers ask for the same thing and we feel that we are united towards a common goal.”

In Russia they were the first nation in history to be eliminated by the fair-play rule, due to having picked up more yellow cards than their direct rivals, Japan.

Yet Wague had time to leave his mark during the group stage: with his goal against Japan he became the youngest African scorer in the history of the World Cup, at 19 years and 263 days. It was the ideal stamp to put on a career marked by precocity and, without him knowing it at the time, it was the most important goal of his life, the one that served as a springboard to seal his transfer to FC Barcelona shortly after the tournament. It was the culmination of a journey from Senegal to LaLiga, passing through Belgium and Russia.

This was Moussa Wague's career until he joined one of the strongest clubs in the world, in the best league on the planet. In doing so, he became the twentieth African to represent Barcelona, ​​and the first Senegalese player to do so in history.

Watching other African stars like Samuel Eto’o, Seydou Keita and Yaya Toure featuring for Barcelona was the stuff of dreams for him when he was a youngster, and now he’s playing for the Catalan giants alongside players like Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann, Gerard Pique, Andre Ter Stegen and of course Lionel Messi.

“When I joined the club, I didn't know anyone, to be honest. Well, I’d seen them on TV of course […] And I found out that they were just normal people. Well, almost. I’ve never had this feeling with Messi. I’m too shy to spend much time with him right now, and if he knew that I had his shirt when I was little ... Maybe one day he will give me one of his own, a real one?” Wague wistfully commented back in June.

That’s why the match against Leganes, in which he started, was so special for the Senegalese defender. It was really a dream come true, another milestone in a career full of triumphs, with many more to come.

The match between Barcelona and Leganes had another African make the headlines aside from Moussa Wague. It was Leganes’s Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri, who netted one of the best strikes of the matchday.

His left-footed screamer which flew past Ter Stegen lifted the Leganes fans at the Estadio Butarque which saw the league leaders up against the ropes and made it look like it was in fact Leganes topping the table.

It was the third goal that the Moroccan international had scored in the last three games in LaLiga, further proof of the great spell of form he’s enjoying. It’s a timely purple patch, as this Leganes side now led by Javier Aguirre are in need of points. The other African on show was Nigerian central Kenneth Omeruo, who started for Leganes for the second consecutive game.

On Saturday, November, 2019, Barcelona beat Leganes 2-1 at the Estadio de Butarque, in what was a very special match for Moussa Wague.

From playing barefooted in Senegal to making his debut for Barcelona, the story of Moussa Wague

Fans at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium, or watching worldwide, will know to hold their breath whenever Bardhi or Parejo stands over a dead ball near the edge of the opposition penalty area. The pair have scored 13 free kicks between them through recent LaLiga seasons but have taken very different routes to prominence in their now-shared home city.

Skopje-born North Macedonia international Bardhi joined Levante in July 2017 from Hungarian side Ujpest, having previously played in Sweden for Prespa Birlik and Denmark for Brondby. He immediately announced himself as one of LaLiga’s foremost set-piece specialists with a curler to the top corner from 30 yards against RC Deportivo just two games into the season, and then another even more spectacular effort a few weeks later against Real Sociedad.

Even with goalkeepers now forewarned of Bardhi’s prowess, he was still able to catch out then Athletic Club number one Kepa Arrizabalaga with two in two minutes later in the campaign. The first was curled inside the near post from a tight angle out on the left wing, the second hit to a similar spot from a more central position. Bardhi, 24, now has 13 goals in 72 LaLiga games for Levante, with six of these in total being free kicks.

Parejo was born in the Spanish capital and came through Real Madrid’s La Fabrica youth system. He then had a spell in the Premier League with Queens Park Rangers, before establishing himself in LaLiga with Getafe, and then joining Valencia in summer 2011.

The now 30-year-old’s 60 goals during more than a decade in LaLiga Santander include seven direct free kicks from outside the box. The first such strike came late in 2014/15 against Rayo Vallecano, with two more crackers early the following season against Athletic Club and RC Celta.

A very special moment was Parejo’s howitzer back at the Santiago Bernabeu vs Real Madrid in April 2017, which flew over the wall and out of Keylor Navas’ grasp. While his late equaliser in October 2019 away at Atletico de Madrid was so well placed that even rojiblanco goalkeeper Jan Oblak was powerless to stop it.

Unpredictability is of course an important part of any free kick taker’s armoury, so it is difficult to closely compare any two takers. What we can say, however, is that Parejo and Bardhi are both predominantly right-footed players who have worked over the years to hone their technique.

The Los Che skipper perhaps hits the ball more powerfully, while Bardhi is excellent at surprising the opposition goalkeeper with placement and ball movement. They are also likely to take corners and free kicks from wide out on Saturday, looking to pick out teammates making runs closer to goal.

Both have good form in derbies too. Parejo has three goals so far against Levante, including a penalty equaliser in last season’s 2-2 draw at the Ciutat de Valencia. Bardhi has a goal and assist in four derbies: a neatly taken penalty box finish in 1-1 in September 2017 and a cross from deep to set up Roger Marti at Mestalla last term.

All this means that both Valencia’s Jasper Cillessen and Levante’s Aitor Fernandez will have to be on their guard on Saturday, whenever a free-kick is awarded anywhere within range.

Valencia's midfielder Dani Parejo celebrates after scoring against Celta Vigo at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia on December 9, 2017

Saturday afternoon’s Valencia city derby could well be decided by one of LaLiga’s most dangerous free-kick specialists, with Levante’s Enis Bardhi and Valencia's Dani Parejo lining up on opposite sides.

Freekick masters Bardhi and Parejo go head-to-head in Levante vs Valencia city derby

The 2019/20 La Liga Santander season is, almost a third of the way into the campaign, shaping up to be the tightest in a generation, confirming its status as the most competitive of Europe’s top five leagues. Thirteen games into the season, five teams – FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid, Sevilla FC and Real Sociedad – are separated at the top by just two points. Three different teams led the LaLiga Santander table at different moments over the most recent matchday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And the five points which separate the teams in a European qualification place – from Barcelona in first to Getafe seventh – after thirteen games is the lowest in a quarter of a century. The previous record of six points was set back in 1998/99, a season in which a Barcelona side captained by a certain Pep Guardiola ran out eventual winners.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The idea that any team can beat any other team on any given day is borne out on the pitch on a weekly basis. Granada CF, newly promoted from LaLiga SmartBank, and Levante UD have already beaten the likes of reigning champions Barcelona this season, with Granada even leading the standings for a time. Another recently promoted side, CA Osasuna, are banging on the door of the European spots and boast an incredible unbeaten home record which stretches almost 18 months and 31 games back. Real Sociedad have put together a young squad featuring the likes of homegrown Spain international Mikel Oyarzabal, Norwegian wonderkid Martin Odegaard and promising Alexander Isak, putting them in a position to challenge the top sides while RCD Mallorca, the third of this season’s newly-promoted sides, have already deservedly beaten the likes of Real Madrid and Villarreal.&nbsp;

Leaders Barcelona have picked up 66% of all possible points this season, reflecting just how equal the competition is and how difficult it is to break away from the pack in LaLiga Santander today. The statistics cannot say the same about the rest of Europe’s top five leagues, where Liverpool (94% of possible points), Juventus (88%), Paris Saint-Germain (77%) and Borussia Monchengladbach’s (75%) points tallies suggest a different picture in England, Italy, France and Germany.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Commenting on the league’s competitiveness, LaLiga Delegate in Nigeria, Guillermo Perez Castello said, “It is important for a competition to be competitive, hence the reason we are proud at the turn of events this season. With teams like Granada and Real Sociedad fighting to be at the top of the table, the games are getting more exciting. We want all fans in Nigeria to keep watching and know that there are no easy matches. LaLiga is committed to offering unrivalled excitement and entertainment to its Nigerian fans and the world at large”.

We want to let Nigerians know that Spanish soccer is much more than just Real Madrid and Barcelona as La Liga has so many strong teams all fighting to be at the top of the table. With superstar players like Ramon Azeez of Granada and Samuel Chukwueze of Villarreal, the games just got more exciting and unpredictable, which makes LaLiga the best league in the world”.

The factors behind this almost historic degree of competitivity in La Liga are many. But two medium-to-long-term factors have been essential. Firstly, LaLiga’s financial control regulations put in place from 2013 onwards have put clubs in a position to experience solid, sustainable growth. The ‘boom and bust’ cycles which saw clubs fluctuate dramatically in performance in line with their financial situation are a remnant of the past, allowing teams from the top to bottom of LaLiga to attract international stars like never before.&nbsp;

Secondly, the centralized sale of TV broadcast rights which began in 2015 have transformed the financial realities of almost all LaLiga clubs, ensuring that the league’s rapidly growing broadcast income – which is up from €600 million in 2015 to €1.865 billion today – is more evenly spread across its clubs. Clubs like Athletic Club, for example, have seen their broadcast incomes rocket from €17 million to €71 million in just a few years, while others such as Real Betis have seen their relative power in the market increase to the point to which they could beat a host of top European sides to the acquisition of French World Cup winner Nabil Fekir from Lyon this past summer.&nbsp;

As Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos remarked earlier this month, following a string of upsets across the league, “you can’t afford to be complacent about a single game regardless of who you’re up against… that’s what makes our league the best in the world.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

With all this excitement, passion and unrivalled guaranteed on every matchday, you won’t want to miss a single moment of the season which is available all year long on SuperSport 7 and GOTV SS Select 4. LaLiga matches are currently available on 105 international broadcasters in 183 different countries around the world. The drama is sure to continue!&nbsp;

Spanish football league, La Liga recently hosted an exclusive media briefing to restate its position as the most competitive league in the world. The event which took place at an exclusive sports bar in Victoria Island, Lagos gave key Nigerian media the opportunity to engage on insightful and interactive sessions on the league’s competitiveness.

La Liga restates position as the most competitive league in the world

Brazilians have made a big impact on the Andalusian capital’s biggest game through recent years - with famous names from Bebeto, Daniel Alves and Luis Fabiano of Sevilla to Real Betis’ Denilson, Marcos Assuncao and Ricardo Oliveira being fondly remembered in the city still.

November 10’s clash at Betis’ Estadio Benito Villamarin should continue this tradition - with a new generation of Brazilian footballers looking to make an impact and help their team to both the three points and the local and international bragging rights.

Betis defender Sidnei is the most experienced of the four in La Liga - he arrived at the Benito Villamarin in summer 2018 from RC Deportivo, having also played previously in La Liga for Espanyol. Sidnei had an unenviable record against Sevilla with his previous clubs, losing seven and drawing two of nine meetings.

The now 30-year-old's first ‘derbi’ after joining Betis was September 2019’s 1-0 verdiblanco home win, while he started the reverse fixture as Sevilla got revenge with a 3-2 victory. An adductor injury picked up in September has limited physically strong and impressively creative centre-back’s appearances recently and been one reason behind Betis’ inconsistent form so far this season.

Right-back Emerson also played in April’s meeting at the Sanchez-Pizjuan, having joined Betis on loan in January 2019. Verdiblanco coach Rubi has been carefully introducing the athletic and direct 20-year-old, who has shown glimpses of real quality with assists against Real Valladolid and Leganes and a goal against Villarreal already this term. Having already played for Brazil’s Under-23 side, Emerson is contracted to Barcelona for next season, but will be keen to make the most of any derbi appearance.

Sunday will be a first Seville derby for last summer’s rojiblanco signings Fernando and Diego Carlos, who have both quickly become mainstays of a reshaped Sevilla team which has been challenging towards the top of the LaLiga table under new coach Julen Lopetegui.

A tactically and physically strong holding midfielder, Fernando arrived at the Sanchez-Pizjuan in the summer from Turkish club Galatasaray, with previous clubs including Manchester City and Porto. The 32-year-old uses his experience to both halt opposition attacks and get his own team moving forward and has become one of Lopetegui's main lieutenants on the pitch.

Diego Carlos was a less well-known figure before he was signed last summer from French club Nantes by Sevilla’s canny sporting director Ramon ‘Monchi’ Rodriguez. A classy but tough central defender, the Sao Paolo native has settled quickly into Spanish football, impressing especially as his team kept clean sheets in recent home wins against Getafe and Levante.

All four honourary Andalusians could now come into direct head-to-head contact on Sunday evening at the Benito Villamarin, with cheers coming across the Atlantic from the increasing number of both Betis and Sevilla fans back in Brazil.

The Seville city derby is one of the iconic fixtures in Spanish football - and the first clash of 2019/20 will again have a big Brazilian influence with Sevilla’s Fernando and Diego Carlos taking on their countrymen Sidnei and Emerson of Real Betis.

Seville derby: The Brazilians to watch out for in Seville Vs real Betis

Spain’s hottest derby is around the corner, with Real Betis and Sevilla to meet each other at the Estadio Benito Villamarín on Sunday November 10th for the latest edition of this battle for supremacy in the Andalusian capital. When the captains shake hands just before the 21:00 CET kick-off, it’ll be an encounter between two symbols for their clubs as Real Betis’ Joaquín and Sevilla’s Jesús Navas are already legends for their respective institutions.

They’ve already broken so many records at their clubs. For example, Joaquín made his 307th top-flight appearance for Real Betis in September to hit the mark for the most La Liga outings for the Green and Whites, while Jesús Navas reached the long-standing record of 171 victories for the Red and Whites in the top division in October.

These two players are all-time icons as they’ve achieved so much for their teams. They represent the values of their respective clubs and their returns to Spanish football, in 2015 for Joaquín and in 2017 for Navas, have been a welcome addition to one of the most anticipated fixtures in La Liga , El Gran Derbi – or The Grand Derby, in English.

This will actually be just the seventh time they’ll meet in the Seville derby, but their derby rivalry dates all the way back to 2005. The two Spaniards first took each other on in this fixture in the 35th round of the 2004/05 season, a match with huge implications for European qualification as Real Betis’ 1-0 victory ultimately earned them Champions League qualification as they finished fourth, two points ahead of sixth-placed Sevilla.

There hasn’t been a single draw yet in the derbies when these two players have both been involved. Joaquín has been on the winning side four times and headed in the winner for a 1-0 win in the first meeting of last season, while Navas has tasted derby day glory twice against Joaquín, including in the most recent edition of this match-up as Sevilla won 3-2 in April.

This is 38-year-old Joaquín’s 20th season in professional football and 33-year-old Navas’ 17th. They’ve been starring in La Liga for so long that Joaquín actually faced current Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui once in 2001 when the tactician was a goalkeeper for Rayo Vallecano, while Navas made his Sevilla debut before his club had ever won a European trophy. They now have six of them.

These two players have been stewards of their clubs for almost two decades. Even though they both spent some time at other clubs and abroad, they have always remained supporters of their teams and have always been tuning into El Gran Derbi, even if from a sofa in Florence or Manchester. Now they’re both back and in the thick of it. On November 10th, they’ll be as determined to win as each of the fans in stands, even if they’re on the pitch.

The two captains are veterans of this fixture and will meet once again in the first Real Betis vs Sevilla match-up of the season.

Joaquín and Jesús Navas: The stewards of the Seville derby

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