10 best La Liga defenders in the 2020-21 season
La Liga pulled the curtains on a fabulous 2020-21 season on Sunday, with Atletico Madrid crowned the champions for the 11th time in their history.
Diego Simeone's charges fought back from a goal down to beat Real Valladolid 2-1, with Luis Suarez netting a late winner on a day of redemption for the former Barcelona star.
His old club finished outside the top two for the first time in 13 years, coming third following a disappointing La Liga campaign, while holders Real Madrid were second by a close two points.
Lionel Messi finished as the La Liga top-scorer for a record-extending eighth time with 30 goals, although he didn't play on the final day. Meanwhile, Atletico's indomitable custodian Jan Oblak took home yet another Zamora Trophy for his exploits between the sticks.
With the campaign now done and dusted, it's time for us to look back on the season. On that note, let's have a look at the ten best defenders in the 2020-21 La Liga:
#10 Emerson Royal (Real Betis)
Real Betis qualified for the Europa League but may have to participate in the competition next season without one of their key players. Emerson Royal, who was on loan from Barcelona and is likely headed back to his parent club.
That's because the Brazilian had a fine La Liga campaign, coming of age with his mature performances. He contributed one goal and four assists for Los Verdiblancos but made a bigger impact in defence, stopping attackers in their tracks with perfectly-timed tackles and showing good reading of the game.
#9 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Sergio Ramos may not win many popularity awards outside the Santiago Bernabeu, but his importance to Real Madrid cannot be understated. The veteran Galactico was blighted with injuries during the second half of the campaign, so he doesn't make it further than ninth position on this list.
In 15 La Liga games he played, Real Madrid lost only twice. The Spaniard marshalled his backline with aplomb and also scored twice, doing so against Real Betis and Barcelona. Los Blancos, though, surely missed him during the home stretch of their campaign, as they failed to defend their crown, finishing two points behind Atletico Madrid.
#8 Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
His season was curtailed with injuries, and he has generally been on the decline since last year. But Gerard Pique remains a key player in the Barcelona team as he's been for the last decade or so.
In the 18 La Liga games he started, the Spaniard looked decent. He completed over 94% of his passes and dominated his aerial duels too, averaging 3.2 per game. Pique looks like he could play for Barcelona for a few more years.
#7 Jose Gaya (Valencia)
It's easy to forget Jose Gaya is only 25 as he just wrapped up his ninth season with Valencia. But it was also his best La Liga campaign yet. The full-back registered his career-best tally of seven assists, the most in the league by a defender, with Gaya outperforming the usual suspects.
Most of his assists were decisive in helping the Bats win points as he led his team from the front. Thanks to his terrific all-round performances, Gaya has attracted interest from Barcelona, who're scouting the player as the club seeks a new left-back.