The Spanish La Liga is reaching a decisive stage of the season as teams now search for points rather than performances on the field. While team performances now need to peak at the business end of the campaign, players will be looking to make an impression on a personal note with either goals or assists in their pocket.
With everyone’s eyes poised on goal scorers, it is the goal-makers who go under the radar but have proved to be the difference-makers in big matches, so here is a look at the top assist providers in the La Liga 2023/24 season so far.
Álex Baena (Villareal) – 7 Assists
Regarded by many as the next Isco by Spanish fans, Álex Baena is quickly rousing to new heights in La Liga as he leads the charts for most assists. The Villareal forward assisted in the 3-1 win over Real Sociedad which has now seen him go on eight assists for the campaign.
With the Europa League also commencing where he has three more, he could become the assists king from Spain this season with still a big part to play for the Yellow Submarine. He delivered an assist and a goal in the side’s 4-3 defeat to Barcelona in August which earned him his maiden call-up to the Spanish national side where he scored on his debut.
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) – 7 Assists
Toni Kroos may not have assisted a goal in recent weeks, but the Real Madrid star did assist German fans with happy news this past week having announced his return to the national side. Kroos has seven assists this season in La Liga and was the joint-top before Alex Baena leapfrogged him over the weekend.
Kroos has come with routine crosses this campaign including one in the 3-0 win over Girona away from home in September.
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Sávio (Girona) – 7 Assists
No wonder why Savio will be joining Manchester City in the summer, the Brazilian’s form has been impeccable so far in La Liga. The assists machine has added to his tally of seven in recent weeks but scored twice against Rayo Vallecano on Monday. Alongside his seven assists, he has scored seven goals, taking his team contribution to 14 goals for the side. In December he provided an assist during Girona’s 4-2 win over Barcelona in the Catalonian derby.
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) – 6 Assists
Given that Atletico Madrid isn’t vying for the La Liga title, Antoine Griezmann’s impact on the team has gone unnoticed. In addition to his 11 goals, Griezmann’s six assists make him one of the campaign’s best players. He raised the bar with four assists in as many games before the Real Madrid match. To further emphasize his value to the team, he also scored a hat-trick against Celta Vigo earlier in the season.
İlkay Gündoğan (Barcelona) – 6 Assists
İlkay Gündoğan has been playing well for Barcelona despite the team’s problems both on and off the field, having contributed an assist in his previous two games before the weekend. The German has contributed to five goals and six assists since leaving Manchester City for Barcelona on a free transfer last summer. Gündoğan, 33, has adapted to La Liga like a fish to water and has the potential to finish the season with the most assists in the league.
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