With eight games played in the 2023/24 season, the picture is starting to emerge of how this campaign might pan out. Barcelona are starting to produce impressive displays to show their credentials for the defence of the title while Real Madrid top the pack with Jude Bellingham the key to their early season success.
Elsewhere, Atlético Madrid have started to climb the table after an inconsistent start saw them drop points to both Real Betis and Valencia. However, a 3-1 victory against Real Madrid in last week’s Madrid Derby might just have inspired Diego Simeone’s side to emulate the form they showed after last year’s Qatar World Cup in which they won five more points than league winners Barcelona and ten more than their city rivals Real Madrid.
While the three clubs mentioned above are the favourites for the title, writing about the beginning of this La Liga campaign and its star performers would not be complete without a mention to the other club in Catalonia, Girona, who after match day six sat top of La Liga for the first time in their history.
After losing midfield stalwart Oriel Romeu to Barcelona, the heart of their defence Santi Bueno, top goalscorer Taty Castellanos and their best winger Rodrigo Riquelme to Atlético Madrid, few expected Girona to improve last year's tenth placed finish for the side that are currently enjoying just their third season in the top flight of Spain.
Some may put Girona’s early season success down to chance, however, the side have played exceptional football and are deserving of every point that sits next to their name on the table.
Excluding the result against Real Madrid, Míchel’s side have dismantled all of the teams that have come to the modest Montílivi stadium which houses just under 15,000 spectators. With an emphasis on free-flowing, fast-paced attacking football, Girona have scored 17 goals, an average of more than two goals every game.
Sitting just outside the top four, Imanol Alguacil’s Real Sociedad have also impressed, losing just once so far this season against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, in which Carlo Ancelotti’s side came from behind to narrowly beat the Basque club 2-1.
With the opening seven games of La Liga offering scintillating football and providing plenty of goalmouth action, here is a list of the six standout performers under the age of 23 in La Liga this season so far.
Sávio, Girona CF
Savinho or ‘Sávio’ as he is more commonly known has played an integral part in Girona’s early season success. The former Atlético Mineiro winger, who made his debut aged 16 for the Brazilian club, has enjoyed a lightning start to this season, already notching up four assists and two goals for Los Rojiblancos.
Signed by City Football Group club, Troyes, in July of 2022, the player was initially sent out on loan to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, where the youngster struggled to make his mark, drifting in between the U21 side and senior team.
However, following a loan move to another City Football Group owned club, Girona, the player has taken to life astoundingly well. Playing on the left wing in Michel’s attacking set-up, the 19-year-old has established himself as one of the league’s best prospects.
Speaking to Marca, Júnior Chávaro who worked in the youth set-up at Atlético Mineiro, describes how Sávio was always destined for greatness.
He said: “We already knew that Sávio was a jewel, he was the headline act in the youth leagues and was always different. He’s a professional sportsman with an excellent mindset. He has everything it takes to succeed abroad, to play for the best clubs in the world and be central there.”
With two goal contributions against Granada followed by a man of the match display against RCD Mallorca, in which he posed a constant threat down the left hand side, helping to assist one and score another in their 5-3 victory, Sávio is enjoying his best football in Spain.
If Sávio continues to play the way he currently is, it seems only a matter of time before City Group will look to bring him into the pinnacle of the footballing franchise in the form of Manchester City or potentially sell the player to one of Europe’s top clubs that are already starting to take note of what is a special and extremely talented player.
Alex Baeña, Villareal
Despite a poor start to the season from Villareal which helped to see Quique Setíen sacked, Alex Baeña has enjoyed his best start to a La Liga campaign.
The 22 year-old, who is enjoying his fourth season in the Spanish top flight, has impressed in the central midfield role, already notching up four assists, more than what he managed in the previous three seasons combined.
Baeña’s good run of form saw him selected to be a member of Spain’s most recent Euro 2024 qualifiers, with the midfielder scoring on his debut for the country against Cyprus.
Known for his quality over set pieces and excellent progressive passes, Baeña on average has notched up almost one goal contribution per 90 minutes, with his best display arguably coming against Barcelona where he scored one and assisted another in their narrow 4-3 loss.
With the 22-year-old, finally starting to achieve his potential, Villareal will need all his ability if they are to finish among the European places this season.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona
Made in La Masia, Lamine Yamal is arguably Spain’s hottest young prospect and a player that promises so much for both the present and future. With a wand of a left foot and plenty of tricks and skills up his sleeve, Yamal is already lighting up La Liga despite having turned 16 less than three months ago.
Already in the history books as Barcelona’s youngest debutant, at the age of 15 years nine months and 16 days, Yamal is also Spain’s youngest debutant for the senior team and youngest goalscorer, with both records for the national team achieved earlier this season when he scored on his debut for Spain against Georgia.
The 16-year-old has featured in all of Barcelona’s games this season, with four appearances off the bench and four starts, coming against Cádiz, Villareal, Osasuna and Sevilla, demonstrating the trust shown from Xavi towards Barcelona’s prestigious talent.
The player played an integral part in the victory over Villareal in September. Yamal set up Gavi for the first with an excellent in-swinging cross before seeing two brilliant goal-bound efforts ricochet off the post, the latter of which fell to Lewandowski to score the winning goal.
Most recently, the player helped Barcelona to victory over Sevilla when he latched onto a cross to head the ball back into the box where it deflected off of Sergio Ramos and into the net.
Rewind seven years and in 2016, it was Sergio Ramos who was holding the hand of then mascot and eight-year-old Lamine Yamal as Real Madrid walked out to face Barcelona in the El Clasico, an example that helps to demonstrate the tender age of Barcelona’s superstar youngster.
With his contract renewed until 2026, and with a one billion euro release clause in place it seems likely that Lamine Yamal will be putting on entertainment for the Çulers for many more years to come.
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid
No list of in-form players in La Liga would be complete without mentioning Jude Bellingham’s name. The 20-year-old has taken to life superbly well in the Spanish capital, and has the best goal/assist ratio to 90 minutes for midfielders across all of Europe’s leagues, with 1.19 goal contributions across every 90 minutes of football that he plays.
Bellingham was the headline signing in the summer, and has been the headline player of the campaign so far. The former Birmingham City midfielder has scored in eight of Real Madrid’s nine games in all competitions this season, with the player most recently impressing against Girona when he scored an excellent volley and set up Joselu with a sublime trivela assist.
With expectation soaring over Bellingham’s name, the player will now face new challenges as he looks to continue his form and exceed expectation.
Javi Guerra, Valencia
With a lean frame and sporting the number eight shirt, Javi Guerra has impressed many with his performances for Valencia both at the Mestalla and on the road.
The box-to-box midfielder has four goal contributions so far this season. Guerra scored the winning goal on the first day of the season against Sevilla at the Estadio Sanchez Ramon Pizjuan and hit the back of the net in the victory over Atlético Madrid at the Mestalla before scoring one and assisting the other goal in Valencia’s 2-2 draw against Almería.
Having come through the youth ranks at Valencia, Guerra is part of a contingent of young players that are helping Valencia to put in an impressive start to the season and keep the club in La Liga after fears that the club could go down this year.
With Manchester United and Newcastle reportedly keen on signing the player in the summer, Valencia’s manager was keen to underline how young his star player is and the importance of him just focusing on his football.
Baraja said: “Javi’s progress has been very fast. He finished last season well and this year he has started being a protagonist in defensive actions, scoring goals… this always highlights the work of each player”.
“He still has to work, he’s still very young. You have to know how to handle it and he’s taking his time to manage everything. He only has to think about football.”
However, if Guerra continues to show his worth it will only be a matter of time before Europe’s top clubs start to look at the young midfielder who is excelling in this young Valencia side.
Take Kubo, Real Sociedad
Kubo’s time in La Liga has not been straightforward, the pacey and skilful winger initially joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 before heading out on loan to a host of La Liga clubs including Villareal, Getafe and Mallorca.
With a permanent move to Real Sociedad in 2022 for a fee of only €6.5 million, Kubo seems to have finally found his home within Spanish football and despite still being only 22 years of age is setting the competition alight in his fifth season in La Liga.
Kubo typically plays from the right in an attacking Real Sociedad set-up, with smart runs in behind the defence as well excellent long range efforts with his famed left foot.
The Japanese winger, who is the youngest player to debut and score in the J League, has arguably become La Liga’s most entertaining player to watch this year. Kubo has five goals and one assist across seven games to his name, with the player even winning four man of the match awards across his side's first four league games.
Most recently, the player scored a fine goal in the Basque Derby against Athletic Bilbao, with the winger comically celebrating to the delight of the fans inside the Anoeta.
With Kubo enjoying his best start to a La Liga campaign, it is hoped that the tricky winger can continue to excel and reach the lofty heights once set for him at Real Madrid.