With Christmas around the corner, I booked my flights home to Manchester a few weeks ago. It’s a journey that’s longer than it should be; Bilbao provides the closest direct link to the Northwest of England. My journey starts in little Irun, draped in the shadows of the Pyrenees at their most westerly point. A coach is the quickest and most affordable transport to the airport. I’ve made the ride numerous times already and I always keep an eye out for a long-left bend that rises and makes even the most adept coach travellers feel motion sick. The drive has an uncountable amount of twists and turns as the ribbons of tarmac are dictated in direction by the steep sides of the valleys. But I know that one turn more than the others, after the swooping left, you shift slightly in the other direction and the row of trees on the right stops to reveal a small town sunken into the valley below you. Then you notice the four floodlights of a football ground towering up alongside the highway as you pass a small turn-off for Eibar. A town with the same population as Melton Mowbray, the team now finds itself in LaLiga after achieving promotion in 2014. The powerhouses of Spanish football travel north to the town’s stormy, windy valley where the sunlight is often obscured by its towering mountains. This weekend Real Madrid made their annual trip to the place where the typical view of Spain is shattered. Heat and dry plains make way for an otherworldly place of rocky outcrops, green rolling hills and forest valleys.

With Lopetegui out the door and quickly replaced by Santiago Solari, Madrid had once again picked up their form and travelled north after the international break. Eibar meanwhile have remained inconsistent, earning a win over high-flying Alavés but struggled to make a breakthrough against Valladolid despite having numerous chances. Now they faced Real Madrid with the all their stars on display. Eibar started Jordán, Orellana and Cucurella, who have all shown glimmers of their ability and linked up well. With the game underway, there was a sense that Eibar had abandoned the possessional football that they had focused on at the start of the season, the team were now breaking forward with speed. Kike came close early on when he saw his outrageous effort hit the post. The counter-attacking football of Eibar did however, leave them vulnerable to the width and quick passing of Madrid’s build-up play. Cucurella, who has been moved forward from his typical left-back position found it too easy to out-pace Marcelo. In the 16th minute, Cucurella delivered a lovely ball to Kike. After a good save by Courtois, Escalante bundled the ball home, but the home fans were reluctant to celebrate with the linesman raising his flag. A quick VAR check later confirmed the goal was legal. The introduction of VAR technology has certainly taken away any favourable decisions for the bigger teams. In the second half, Cucurella was once again involved as he stole the ball away from Odriozola to deliver a lovely assist to Enrich. The striker struck the ball home neatly and ran to the euphoric fans. Six minutes later and it was 3-0 when Cucurella was at it again with another lovely ball that passed both Ramos and Enrich to reach Kike. The striker simply couldn’t miss from 5 yards. Orellana could have made it four soon after but was stopped by the outstretched arm of Courtois. It was the club’s first ever win against Real Madrid and while the media will scream about the implosive and unorganised football of Madrid, Eibar were brilliant with tidy, direct football and the aggressive Cucurella ravaging down the left and embarrassing both Macelo and Odriozola.

On Monday evening, Real Sociedad played host to Celta Vigo. The home side were still without a home win this season while their opposition had suffered a draw with Betis and a 2-4 defeat to an invigorated Real Madrid. Sociedad continued with Moyá between the sticks, while Illarramendi was unable to play due to an accumulation of yellow cards. In the captain’s place was Zurutuza who would look to get the ball wide to Januzaj and Oyarzabal. With the game kicking off, it quickly became apparent that it would be a scrappy affair. The midfield and defensive lines were tight leaving little space in the heart of the pitch. After coming close to the goal several times, Sociedad finally got their opening goal before half-time as Oyarzabal dispossessed Juncá. Willian José first saw his effort saved, then Juanmi had his strike cleared off the line. With the ball falling to Oyarzabal, the player did well to find the bottom right and past a well recovered Álvarez. Shortly after the break, Sociedad had their second when Januzaj curled in a lovely ball to Zurutuza who sprinted through the defensive line to head home. Soon Zurutuza was popping up everywhere, illustrating his technical ability and movement. After his assist Januzaj was forced off injured, hopefully for the sake of Txuri-Urdin fans he makes a speedy recovery. In the 82nd minute Maxi Gómez scored a pinpoint header into the right of goal. It had been coming, with Sociedad looking complacent on the ball after their second. Méndez had lost his man and beautifully delivered a ball, finding the striker unmarked in the box. This game was the most physical I have seen in LaLiga for some time with countless injury breaks and battles of strength. The game finished 2-1 with Sociedad earning their first home win of the season. I have a sneaky suspicion they’ll start winning at home on a regular basis now as is often the case with these things.

On Friday night a resilient Leganes defeated Alavés, preventing the away side from reaching the top of the table. An incredible start to the season for the side from Vitoria-Gasteiz has played a huge part in helping to secure the unpredictability of this year’s season. The Basque side entered the international break in a highly respectable fourth place, however, the defeat to Eibar certainly ruffled some feathers with the team beginning to look shaky and lacking the organisation that had made them a force to be reckoned with. In the first half against Leganes, the team looked increasingly vulnerable out wide, with Leganes utilising their full-backs to great effect. Before half-time a lovely cross-field ball from Nyom found Silva, who delivered a simple pass for En-Nesyri to tuck home. The majority of Alavés’ attacks in the second half came courtesy of Ibai Gomez but a lack of conversion resulted in a feeling that the team were clutching at straws with their long-range efforts. With the team playing Sevilla next weekend, the fans will be hoping these lacklustre performances are a temporary affair.

Still trudging through the mud in the depths of the table, Athletic Club welcomed Getafe to the San Mamés on Sunday. Williams was chosen to lead the line while Muniain; who signed a new five-year contract in the week, was placed in a more familiar left-wing position. With the game kicking off, the pace and dangerous through balls of Getafe cut through Athletic’s defence with ease. Herrerín was called into action a few times as Getafe crowded the box. The home side showed little threat going forward as a lack of creative midfielders made it difficult to move the ball forward. In the second half, Getafe should have got the games first goal but Amath wasted his one-on-one opportunity with a poor strike that was saved easily by the Athletic keeper. Shortly after, Athletic took the lead through Peru Nolaskoain. A lovely freekick from Beñat found the head of the young defender. The home side’s lead lasted a mere ten minutes as a failed clearance by the home defence caused Amath to strike across goal, where Mata could tap home. Sloppy defending left Mata onside and unmarked at the back post. Aduriz had a chance to win the game in the dying minutes but his glancing header struck the post. Just before the referee blew his whistle Getafe should have had a penalty when the unimpressive Iñigo Martinez wrapped both arms around Mata in the box causing him to tumble as he tried to strike home. A spot kick was not awarded though resulting in a 1-1 draw. Next Monday, Athletic Club play Levante away.

Osasuna succumbed to another defeat at the weekend after going four games unbeaten. With the rain falling heavily in Galicia, the home team looked aggressive and found space between the lines. A lack of organisation from Osasuna saw the home side bombard the opposition goal for most of the first half. Each time they attacked, Deportivo looked to be getting closer. Then just before half-time, Quique ran along the edge of the box before his feeble shot was deflected to Cartabia. Glancing up, the player found Fernández with a low driven cross. The young loanee from Sevilla tapped home as fans ran down to the pitch having earlier crept their way up to the stands to escape the downpour. After the break the side from Pamplona looked to get back in the game but never truly threatened the home side’s goal. Cartabia looked dangerous for the locals with darting runs and curling efforts; one of which needed to be pushed away acrobatically from Rubén. Then in the 75th minute, Deportivo won a corner. Pablo Marí leaped spectacularly to head the ball down and past the Osasuna goalkeeper. With defeat looking inevitable, the away side earned a freekick. With the ball looping in, Osasuna caused Giménez to pull off two fantastic saves which all but confirmed the victory for his side. Next week Osasuna play Lugo at home.

Player of the Week

Marc Cucurella

It may be an obvious choice but Cucurella is the man making football journalists wax lyrical about his performance against Real Madrid. The Catalan more than earned his acclaim after being involved in all of Eibar’s three goals. With the player still contracted to Barcelona the ensuing morbo (A Spanish word which effectively sums up the hysterical gossip and fascination between media outlets and anything El Classico) infected every sports channel and media group imaginable. Since being deployed as a left winger; rather than his natural position at full-back, the player has been incredibly dynamic and creative, providing Eibar with a youthful buzz and enthusiasm. He just might just turn into something special if his destruction of both Odriozola and Marcelo is anything to go by.