La Liga TOTS Predicted Starting XI
Barcelona lifted the La Liga title in what was largely a two-horse race, with rivals Real Madrid finishing second. Both sides feature heavily in this season’s prediction, with Villarreal, Athletic Club, and Atlético Madrid also making their mark. Headlining are the usual suspects: Mbappé, Bellingham, Lewandowski, and Yamal.
GK: Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) - 88 OVR -> 95 OVR:
There were several goalkeepers from lower-ranked sides making a case for this position, but with Oblak being the biggest name and one of the best keepers in the division this season, it makes sense to opt for him. Atlético have the second-best defence in the division, with just thirty goals conceded from thirty-seven matches. Oblak is a reliable shot-stopper and played a major role in achieving that statistic. Oblak also leads in the number of clean sheets achieved (15).
RB: Jules Kounde (Barcelona) - 85 OVR -> 93 OVR:
Koundé joined Barcelona as a centre-back but has since developed into their consistent right-back. He offers extra defensive stability down the right, allowing Yamal full freedom. That being said, he still contributes going forward, managing two goals and three assists for the Spanish champions. Of the backline, I would expect Koundé to be the most nailed-on starter for Barça.
CB: Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona) - 72 OVR -> 93 OVR:
What a season it has been for Cubarsí. The youngster has developed into a key player for Barcelona this season, appearing in thirty-four of their thirty-seven matches. As an 18-year-old central defender, that speaks volumes about his ability. Barcelona have conceded just over one goal per game on average, so their defensive performance has been more than respectable. If his current form continues and develops over the next few seasons, Cubarsí is likely to become one of the best defenders in the world.
CB: Jose Gimenez (Atletico Madrid) - 83 OVR -> 92 OVR:
As mentioned with Oblak, Atlético Madrid have the second-best defensive record in the division, and Giménez is another player who plays a major role in their back line. With EA providing a shortlist, this decision became significantly easier. Atlético deserve to have a defender included in this squad.
LB: Sergi Cardona (Villarreal) - 75 OVR -> 92 OVR:
I could play it safe and opt for Balde in this position, but Barcelona can't occupy every spot, and this is a reasonable opportunity for EA to include a player from another team. Cardona has been excellent down the left flank for Villarreal, scoring once and providing seven assists. He has linked up well with Baena throughout the campaign, with rumours of a couple of giants tracking his progression.
LW: Raphinha (Barcelona) - 84 OVR -> 95 OVR:
Before Barcelona’s exit from the Champions League, Raphinha was the favourite to lift the Ballon d’Or, which shows just how impressive he has been for the Catalan side. The Brazilian has recorded an outstanding eighteen goals and nine assists in La Liga this season. While he is no longer the front-runner, he remains very much in contention for that prestigious award.
CAM: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) - 90 OVR -> 98 OVR:
There are several players in this side that require very little football knowledge to predict successfully, and Bellingham is one of them. At just twenty-one years of age, he plays far beyond his years in terms of maturity and what he brings to his team at the highest level. He was never likely to replicate his offensive numbers from last season, but with nine goals and eight assists, he remains a prominent figure in this Madrid side.
CM: Pedri (Barcelona) - 86 OVR -> 95 OVR:
With a large proportion of Barcelona’s side made up of young players, they look well set for the next decade. Pedri is another who is already among the very best at what he does, despite being just 22 years of age. The Spaniard has four goals and five assists to his name while helping dictate the game from the middle of the park. A recent Player of the Month award, despite not being regularly among the goals, speaks volumes about just how good he is.
RW: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) - 81 OVR -> 97 OVR:
It’s difficult to remember that Yamal is still only 17 years of age. What he is currently doing for Barcelona is ahead of what both Ronaldo and Messi achieved at that age. Whether his progression will continue to reach the heights they both managed remains to be seen, but all signs are positive. The Spaniard is already among the very best in the world, and with nine goals and thirteen assists for Barcelona this season, he was one of their key players during their title-winning campaign.
ST: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) - 88 OVR -> 96 OVR:
In contrast to Yamal, Lewandowski is still performing at a remarkable level despite now being almost 37 years old. With twenty-five goals, the Polish striker scored the second most in the division, continuing the extraordinary goalscoring form he has maintained over the past decade.
ST: Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) - 91 OVR -> 97 OVR:
Mbappé looks set to claim the Golden Boot, leading by four with just one game remaining. The Frenchman has scored an impressive twenty-nine goals from thirty-three appearances for Madrid this campaign. While Mbappé has not been the dominant force many expected him to be in world football, I still expect him to end his career with at least one Ballon d'Or to his name.
La Liga TOTS Predicted Subs & Moments
CB: Vivian (Athletic Club) - 81 OVR -> 92 OVR:
Athletic Club have the best defensive record in La Liga, with a remarkable twenty-six goals conceded from thirty-seven matches. Vivian has been instrumental at the back in that success, while also contributing with four goals, making him stand out in both areas. Either Yeray or Vivian must feature in this side to acknowledge what Bilbao have achieved defensively this season.
LW:Vini Jr (Real Madrid) - 90 OVR -> 98 OVR:
It’s been a rather underwhelming campaign for Vini Jr, but that’s only by the extraordinary standards now expected of the Brazilian. With eleven goals and seven assists, he has still done more than enough to feature in this side. After all, a player with a TOTS inclusion rarely ends up missing out on their league’s respective Team of the Season.
CAM: Oihan Sancet (Athletic Club) - 82 OVR -> 93 OVR:
While most of the plaudits for Athletic Club’s season come from the defensive side of their game, Sancet has excelled at the other end of the pitch. With fifteen goals to his name, the Spaniard has scored over a quarter of their total from the central attacking midfield position, making him the second-highest scoring non-striker in the division.
ST: Ante Budimir (Osasuna) - 78 OVR -> 92 OVR:
Osasuna have scored only 47 goals this season, but Budimir has contributed 21 of them. That makes him the third-highest scorer in La Liga this season and highlights just how important he is to Osasuna as a whole. While he may not be your typical glamorous La Liga striker, his performances this season have truly stood out, giving Osasuna a genuine chance of securing European football next season.
CM:Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) - 88 OVR -> 95 OVR:
The competition for places in the middle of the park is extremely high in La Liga, meaning some high-profile names are likely to miss out. I have Valverde as a fringe candidate this season, but I still expect the Uruguayan to feature in one way or another. With six goals and four assists, Valverde contributes significantly at both ends of the pitch for Madrid.
LM: Alex Baena (Villarreal) - 79 OVR -> 92 OVR:
Villarreal managed to qualify for the Champions League this season thanks to a late burst of form. Several of their players are candidates for this year’s side, and we end the prediction with two of them. The first is Baena. Many of the wide options in La Liga come from traditional wingers, so I would expect a deeper, more versatile option to feature. With six goals and nine assists to his name, Baena fills that role well.
ST: Ayoze Perez (Villarreal) - 79 OVR -> 91 OVR:
I almost opted to overlook Pérez in favour of Álvarez or Griezmann, who both bring bigger names to the side, but with Pérez registering nineteen goals and two assists, it would be a shame if he doesn’t end up making the team. There are plenty of strikers performing well in La Liga this season, so inevitably, some will have to miss out.
That concludes the La Liga TOTS predictions! What do you make of these predictions? Is there anyone else who should have made this TOTS? Let us know below!