Berizzo's eleven

From the pitch to the dugout with the Celestes. Eduardo Berizzo returned to the club he used to play at last summer as a replacement for Luis Enrique at the helm. After eleven matches, the fans in the Balaídos are still smiling. Their team are in seventh place, just three points behind the defending champions of the Liga BBVA, Atlético Madrid. "LFP.es, in-depth" presents the possible line-up for the manager of the Celestes against Vallecas.

Sergio Álvarez (Goalkeeper)
Matches played: 11. Saves made: 30.
With his impressive performances, the player from Vilagarcía de Arousa has made sure that the Celeste fans do not miss Yoel Rodríguez. Having spent his entire footballing life at the Celta academy, this season he has made the number one shirt his own and let in just eleven goals in eleven matches.

Hugo Mallo (Right-back)
Matches played: 8. 23 years of age.
Since making his first-team debut with Celta at 18 years of age, Hugo Mallo has become a key member of the Galician side. He started the season with an injury but, having made a full recovery, he has won back his place in Eduardo Berizzo’s starting eleven.

Sergi Gómez (Centre-back)
Matches played: 8. Ball recoveries: 19.
Of the eleven matches played this season, Andreu Fontàs has filled this position in seven. The player from Girona suffered an injury to his left knee and another player from La Masia, Sergi Gómez, has been filling in. The man from Barcelona has started four matches this season and come on from the bench in three.

Gustavo Cabral (Centre-back)
Matches played: 11. Minutes played: 975.
If there is a shoo-in in Berizzo’s defence, that man is the Argentine Cabral. He provides the team with his experience and hard work in the back line. The stats are a testament to his labour: 51 ball recoveries and 28 interceptions.

Jonathan Castro 'Jonny' (Left-back)
Matches played: 10. 20 years of age
Seven starts, three on the right flank and four on the left. Versatility is one of the greatest strengths of this graduate of the Vigo academy and it has allowed Berizzo to solve injury problems in defence.

Pablo Hernández (Right midfield)
Matches played: 8. Passes: 234.
After victory in Chile with CD O'Higgins, the side with which he won a Torneo Apertura and a Chilean Super Cup and where he coincided with Berizzo, he has won a place in the starting eleven in Vigo in his first campaign in Spain. The manager has also played Álex López in the position.

Nemanja Radoja (Midfield)
Matches played: 11. Minutes: 888.
This is his first season away from the league in his home country (Serbia) and he has adapted superbly. He was one of the best players in the Galician team’s victory in the Camp Nou, where he did a stunning job of stopping FC Barcelona’s star players in their tracks.

Michael Kronh-Dehli (Left midfield)
Matches played: 11. Passes: 602.
The international player (66 matches with Denmark) has started ten of the eleven matches played. He is a skilful winger who played 37 matches in his first season with Celta and 33 last year.

Fabián Orellana (Right wing)
Matches played: 10. Goals: 3.
He is the first member of a lethal three-pronged attack. Between him, Nolito and Joaquín Larrivey they have scored 15 of the Celestes’ 17 goals. Orellana has found the net three times and provided an assist.

Joaquín Larrivey (Centre forward)
Matches played: 11. Goals: 7. 
Celta’s top goal-scorer last season, his goals often bring victories, such as the one he scored against Barcelona. He has also rewritten the history books at the club, as no player had managed to score in their first five Liga BBVA matches since 1955. 

Manuel Agudo 'Nolito' (Left wing)
Matches played: 11. Goals: 5.
A call from Vicente del Bosque to play for the Rojas was his reward for a great start to the season. He is level with Rayo Vallecano player Alberto Bueno as the leading Spanish goal-scorer in the Liga BBVA.