Team of the Weekend: Fermin & Lamine light up LaLiga as Valles denies Real Madrid

[p]As ever, we've selected our XI using [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/rating/WtG2SIIU/"]Flashscore's in-house player rating system[/a], which draws on key stats and advanced performance metrics. Check out our latest Team of the Weekend below:[/p][image alt="Our latest Team of the Weekend" id="b3995fa0-515a-4576-abf7-873509cfefa1" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="110997d9-c0b9-470f-81d8-6d5062cd6fb6" original-width="2048" original-height="2560" /][p]In goal, we couldn't look past Betis keeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valles-alvaro/fk9lRE6p/"]Alvaro Valles[/a] after his heroics on Friday evening against Real Madrid, but more on him below.[/p][p]Our back three features some solid Serie A defenders in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akanji-manuel/UJm2XpLH/"]Manuel Akanji[/a] of Inter and Roma's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hermoso-mario/OUjnz4Ab/"]Mario Hermoso[/a]. The centre-backs each had goal involvements on Saturday as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/inter-Iw7eKK25/napoli-69Dxbc61/?mid=8vUR2Bp1"]Nerazzurri toppled Napoli[/a] and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/as-roma-zVqqL0ma/atalanta-8C9JjMXu/?mid=vsBiJWUs"]Romans edged Atalanta[/a], with both sides continuing their unbeaten starts to the season.[/p][p]The left-sided defender of the weekend plus our centre forward both come from Bundesliga outfit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mainz/EuakNmc1/"]Mainz[/a], who [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/hamburger-sv-v9k3aY5F/mainz-EuakNmc1/?mid=pW7I1Wh5"]thumped Hamburger SV 5-0[/a] away from home in one of the most eye-catching displays around Europe. Austrian wingback [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mwene-philipp/troQho4L/"]Phillipp Mwene[/a] scored and assisted, while Suriname striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/becker-sheraldo/2scm2TO3/"]Sheraldo Becker[/a] bettered that with a goal of his own, plus two assists in the statement win.[/p][p]There was a starring display by forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinayoko-lassine/ALL2QBYu/"]Lassine Sinayoko[/a] in Ligue 1 on Sunday evening as the Malian netted all three goals in Paris FC's stunning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/marseille-SblU3Hee/paris-fc-0OEHEprs/?mid=QXH1jQuJ"]3-2 win at Marseille[/a].[/p][p]Filling up our XI, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zechiel-gjivai/6BQvLBnt/"]Gjivai Zechiel[/a] grabbed headlines with a goal and two assists for Feyenoord, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kiziridis-alexandros/ADRRzdZT/"]Alexandros Kyziridis[/a] lit up the Turkish Super Lig, and Brazilian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/william-gomes/v1KRIiNj/"]William Gomes[/a] notched the equal highest rating anywhere in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fc-porto-S2NmScGp/moreirense-8d9NGt9H/?mid=fVIEGsiC"]Porto's win on Friday[/a].[/p][infobox id="0e8bad0a-7630-46a8-afe3-fa090b228a06" /][h2]Leading Lights[/h2][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fermin/2c2ipETG/"]Fermin Lopez[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a]) 9.7[/b][/p][p]There's only one place to start this week in terms of our closer look at the leading players, and that is at Valencia's Mestalla, where Barcelona sparkled on their way to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/valencia-CQeaytrD/?mid=MFH8mVvQ"]5-0 crushing of Los Che[/a] on Sunday afternoon. The Catalan giants have kicked off the LaLiga season with four wins, scoring five times in three of those, and conceding just two goals.[/p][p]This time out, Fermin Lopez led the way with a Europe-high rating of [b]9.7[/b], thanks to his brilliant performance in midfield. The Spaniard got the romp going with a delightful dinked pass for Lamine Yamal's opener, followed by a sublime finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 after only 22 minutes.[/p][p]He almost scored a second before the break, and then laid the ball on a plate for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raphinha/xtBsDPam/"]Raphinha[/a] to make it 3-0 shortly after the restart. With four successful dribbles and 10 touches in the Valencia box, Fermin was simply a menace through the inside-right channel.[/p][image alt="Fermin assisted Lamine's first goal against Valencia" id="b636ecc7-11d7-4b07-8807-88499d5fd290" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)" guid="5edcf155-930f-4038-b46a-a1276176f5eb" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a]) 9.6[/b][/p][p]Staying with Barca, one of Spain's World Cup stars shone in Valencia, with Lamine Yamal picking up a player rating of [b]9.6[/b] to closely rival that of Fermin's, thanks to his two goals and game-leading touches (105), as well as touches in the opposition box (19).[/p][p]It was a slow start to the LaLiga campaign for Lamine, with a subpar performance in the season opener at Elche and no goals in the first home game for Barca. However, the little magician has come alive since.[/p][p]On Monday, he bagged a brace in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/barcelona-SKbpVP5K/rayo-vallecano-8bcjFy6O/?mid=GvI6ON5c"]Barca's win over Rayo Vallecano[/a] on his way to a match-high rating of 9.7. And he followed that up with two more goals on Sunday, as mentioned, thanks to a couple of clinical finishes in the thrashing of Valencia. Four goals in one week... You better believe he's back to his best![/p][image alt="Lamine Yamal's recent player ratings" id="b9f2666f-d650-4b1b-8c0d-8d791166a9b4" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8f5fd4ac-e6fb-4626-8ba4-7a5b2aedaa6c" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valles-alvaro/fk9lRE6p/"]Alvaro Valles[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/betis/vJbTeCGP/"]Betis[/a]) 9.5[/b][/p][p]The LaLiga weekend got off to an entertaining start, unless you're a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] fan, that is, with Jose Mourinho's Merengues suffering a shock [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/betis-vJbTeCGP/real-madrid-W8mj7MDD/?mid=Au6uQzs2"]1-0 reverse in Sevilla against Real Betis[/a] - their first dropped points of the season.[/p][p]The star of the show for Manuel Pellegrini's side was not the sole scorer, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/parrott-troy/K6H9Uptn/"]Troy Parrott[/a], who netted a poacher's goal after 80 minutes, but Betis' shot-stopper Alvaro Valles, who led the match in terms of player ratings ([b]9.5[/b]), thanks to his incredible six saves, keeping out an xGOT of 2.98 to effectively win the game.[/p][p]The moment of the match for Betis and Valles came late in stoppage time, with the 29-year-old saving a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] penalty to seal all three points for Los Verdiblancos in thrilling fashion.[/p][embed guid="f5295213-8a33-41a1-81c7-5f4bea9ae456" url="https://x.com/RealBetis_en/status/2095983906537275613" social-type="twitter" /]