LaLiga Fantasy MARCA Matchday 8 Best XI

Now that every player's each and every contribution has been totted up following a thrilling set of fixtures that left the top of the LaLiga Santander table tighter than it has been at this stage for a decade, the time has come to reveal the LaLiga Fantasy MARCA Matchday 8 Best XI.

One player stood head and shoulders above the rest in the recent round of LaLiga Santander action: Atletico Madrid's Belgian trickster Yannick Carrasco. The winger was the unmistakable Player of the Matchday thanks to his sensational performance against Granada CF, which saw him score a hat-trick and serve up two assists. Indeed, Carrasco's masterclass yielded him 25 points, the second-highest tally in a single game this season behind only Lionel Messi's staggering 31-point showing on the opening matchday.

Between the sticks for the Best XI is RCD Espanyol custodian Diego Lopez, who pulled off a string of saves to earn his side a 0-0 draw with UD Las Palmas and scooped 13 points in the process.
The defence ahead of Lopez consists of Las Palmas schemer Dani Castellano (14 points), Real Madrid's marauding left-back Marcelo (also 14) and Malaga CF's Roberto Rosales (12), who rescued a draw for his side against D. Alaves with a long-range piledriver.

Rosales's strike was arguably the pick of the bunch out of the 13 goals chalked up by members of the Matchday 8 Best XI, of which 10 were notched by midfielders. Besides Carrasco's aforementioned treble, FC Barcelona starlet Rafinha (20 points), Valencia CF's Mario Suarez (19) and Villarreal CF's Roberto Soriano (18) all bagged braces, while the majestic midfield is rounded off by another Villarreal man, Manu Trigueros, who only netted once but outdid teammate Soriano with 19 points.

Last but not least, this matchday's Best XI features a two-man attack made up of Neymar (18 points) and Athletic Club livewire Iker Muniain (12). Muniain curled in an absolute beauty to help his team overcome Real Sociedad in Sunday's blockbuster Basque derby, while Barça's Brazilian magician was not on the scoresheet but still collected 18 points courtesy of a pair of assists, plus a host of forays into the box and dangerous dribbles.