Ten things we learned this week in LaLiga EA Sports

What has been going on in LALIGA this past week? Here are 10 of the top stories, from Barça’s win in ELDERBI DE BARCELONA to the tributes and donations for victims of the DANA storm.

Several awards were claimed by LALIGA players this past week, in addition to all the action on the pitch in matches such as ELDERBI DE BARCELONA. All of that and more is discussed below.

FC BARCELONA KEEP UP THEIR WINNING STREAK

FC Barcelona keep on winning, most recently overcoming city rivals RCD Espanyol 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. Dani Olmo scored twice and Raphinha once to lead Barça to three more points, which put them nine points ahead of Real Madrid, although Los Blancos have played one game fewer.

TRIBUTES AND DONATIONS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE DANA STORM

Following the devastating DANA storm that hit Spain last week, impacting the Valencian Community in particular, there were tributes throughout Matchday 12 of LALIGA EA SPORTS and Matchday 13 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION. As well as the minutes of silence held before each match, several goalscorers held up special shirts with messages of support. Furthermore, clubs and fans raised money through these fixtures to donate to the victims.

LEWANDOWSKI IS THE OCTOBER PLAYER OF THE MONTH

For the third month in a row, the LALIGA EA SPORTS Player of the Month prize has been won by an FC Barcelona player. After Raphinha and Lamine Yamal claimed the first two awards of the season, Robert Lewandowski has been named the best player in the competition for October.

THE OTHER LALIGA AWARDS WINNERS FOR OCTOBER

The winners in the other categories of the ‘LALIGA AWARDS, The Pride of our Fútbol’ have also been announced for October. Barça’s Hansi Flick won Best Coach, while Pedri was named Best U-23 Player. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad’s Luka Sučić won Best Goal for his strike v Atlético de Madrid, while Atleti’s Jan Oblak won Best Save for his efforts in that same match.

GIRONA FC EDGE A SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER

Girona FC and CD Leganés played out one of the most entertaining games of the season so far, with the Catalan side edging it to win 4-3. It had a little bit of everything, including great goals, a penalty and an own goal.

CA OSASUNA KEEP CLIMBING UP THE TABLE

An Ante Budimir penalty earned CA Osasuna a 1-0 victory over Real Valladolid on Saturday, a result which puts the Navarre side on to 21 points already. That means they are fifth in the table and the fans at El Sadar are dreaming of European football.

FERMÍN LÓPEZ RENEWS UNTIL 2029

FC Barcelona locked down one of their top young players for the long term, as Fermín López signed a contract extension until 2029. The 21-year-old has made 49 appearances for Barça already and has scored 11 goals. Over the coming years, he’ll be able to add to those numbers.

REAL BETIS AND EZ ABDE COMMIT TO 2029 TOO

Another contract was extended until 2029 this past week, with Real Betis and winger Ez Abde committing to each other for five more years. The 22-year-old arrived at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in the summer of 2023 and has made a positive impact, enough to earn himself a new and improved deal.

LALIGA AND SPAIN DOMINATE AT THE BALLON D’OR AWARDS

Spanish clubs and players dominated the Ballon d'Or 2024 awards. Both the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or honours went to Spanish players, as Rodri, an academy graduate of Villarreal CF and Atlético de Madrid, won the men’s prize and FC Barcelona Femení’s Aitana Bonmatí won the women’s. Furthermore, Lamine Yamal became the youngest Kopa Trophy winner ever, Carlo Ancelotti was crowned Men's Coach of the Year and Kylian Mbappé shared the Gerd Müller Trophy. On top of all that, Real Madrid received the Men's Club of the Year award and FC Barcelona the Women’s Club of the Year honour.

JESÚS NAVAS ENTERS THE TOP 10 FOR LALIGA EA SPORTS APPEARANCES

Sevilla FC may have lost 2-0 in their match against Real Sociedad this weekend, but it was a historic occasion for Jesús Navas. The right-back made his 511th LALIGA EA SPORTS appearance in the game, which means he has entered the top 10 for all-time matches played in Spanish football’s top division.