2022-23 La Liga Team of the Season ft. Lewandowski, Valverde, Griezmann, and ter Stegen

The 2022-23 season of La Liga saw Xavi finally winning the Spanish league with Barcelona as a manager. Robert Lewandowski and Marc-Andre ter Stegen provided stellar performances as they eventually won the Pichichi Trophy and Zamora Trophy respectively. 

Similarly, a few other players also stood out following their prowess as they helped their sides ace the big stage. Hence, without further ado, let’s take a look at the 2022-23 La Liga team of the year. 

Goalkeeper: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)

Since his arrival at Camp Nou, Marc-Andre ter Stegen has emerged as a synonym for consistency for Barcelona. Over the years, the German has never been shy of displaying his netminding adroitness for the Blaugrana and the 2022-23 was nothing different. 

The 31-year-old was the pivotal reason behind Xavi’s men dethroning Real Madrid for the La Liga title with a number of games to spare. The German goalkeeper won the prestigious Zamora Trophy by keeping 26 clean sheets and conceding only 20 goals throughout the season. Barcelona’s defense was their major weapon behind the title triumph and their netminder turned out to be their lynchpin. 

Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), David Garcia (Osasuna), and Jose Gaya (Valencia)

Coming from Udinese, Nahuel Molina made a remarkable debut in La Liga with Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. The 2022 World Cup winner got a troublesome start to his Spanish league campaign, however, he managed to get settled down quickly. 

As a right back, Molina’s speed and ability to be on the ball turned out to be decisive for Los Colchoneros. The 25-year-old also found his name on the scoresheet as he netted four goals and also provided two assists in a total of 33 league appearances. 

After Chelsea failed to sign the likes of Jules Kounde, the former Sevilla star joined Xavi Hernandez’s Barcelona. During his arrival in Camp Nou, the Frenchman wasn’t a fan favorite, however, he ended the season becoming one. 

The 24-year-old played as a central defender as well as a right-back throughout the season, as per the requirement, and never failed to give commendable performances. From clearances to interceptions, Kounde always made his presence felt on the ground. 

Another top performer of the 2022-23 La Liga season who caught a lot of eyeballs was Osasuna’s central defender David Garcia. Although the Rojillos failed to leave an impact in the Spanish league defensively, the 29-year-old still managed to shine as a top star. Osasuna ended their league campaign at the 7th spot and they also reached the final of the Copa del Rey, where they came up short against Real Madrid in the final. 

Jose Gaya is, in actual terms, a La Liga legend. Since making his first team debut for Valencia in 2014, he has cemented his place in the team. Moreover, he also earned a promotion as the captain of the side a couple of years ago. Despite being in the fight for relegation for the majority of the season, Gaya made sure his side avoids getting demoted from La Liga. 

Thus, Valencia finished their season at the sixteenth spot with 42 points, just two points above the relegated Real Valladolid. Moreover, the 28-year-old hinted at a potential transfer from the Spanish club, however, the rumors are settled for now. 

Midfielders: Pedri (Barcelona), Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad), and Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

Pedri has rightfully filled the high expectations of being a Barcelona midfielder over the years. Blaugrana’s number 8 has been consistent throughout the season. With 26 appearances in La Liga last season, the young Spaniard scored six goals for Xavi’s side. 

According to the statistics, Mikel Merino might not be the best choice for the team of the season, however, his on-ground work and presence made him an actual midfield wizard. Providing nine assists and also netting two goals, the 26-year-old was Real Sociedad’s top star for the 2022-23 season. 

Since the departure of Casemiro, Federico Valverde has developed himself into a more dominant role as a proper box-to-box midfielder. Also, in the 2022-23 La Liga season, he found a regular spot in the starting XI of Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. 

The Uruguayan made 34 appearances in the Spanish top-tier football and scored seven goals in addition to providing four crucial assists. He was also in blazing form in the UEFA Champions League, however, his performance against Manchester City was extremely disappointing.

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), and Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)

Robert Lewandowski arrived from Bundesliga to Spanish top-tier football looking for new challenges and it’s fair to say that the Polish striker ruled La Liga. However, he failed to take down his former side in UEFA Champions League but he managed to emerge as their top star in league football. Since his arrival, the fans started comparing Lewandowski heavily with the likes of Karim Benzema. However, he managed to outclass his arch-rival. 

The Polish target man secured the 2022-23 Pichichi Trophy by scoring 23 goals in 34 league games for Barcelona, which were four more than Real Madrid’s Benzema and seven more than Espanyol’s Joselu. Also, the former Bayern Munich striker reached the peak without scoring any penalty. In addition to the 23 league goals, Lewandowski also netted five goals in the UCL, two goals in Copa del Rey and Supercopa each in addition to a single strike in the UEFA Europa League.

The fans have started expecting more from Vinicius Junior as he is swiftly becoming a top performer at Santiago Bernabeu. The Brazilian provided consistent performances and he even led his side to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, where they came up short against the likes of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. 

He was left distressed after his side was eliminated from the European competition as Vinicius had a commendable campaign in the UCL. He scored seven goals and provided five assists in the Champions League alone for Los Blancos. 

Moreover, the Brazilian was the major reason why Carlo Ancelotti’s side was in the title race for a longer period. In league football, the 22-year-old provided 10 assists and also netted the same number of goals.

Coming back to Atletico Madrid was a great decision for Antoine Griezmann. He again found the menacing rhyme he was lacking under Diego Simeone and helped his side earn a UEFA Champions League spot by finishing the season over the likes of Sevilla and Villarreal. The Frenchman has been effective for Atletico in attack as well as midfield.

The 32-year-old is a reliable name in the playing XI of Los Colchoneros and he’s also guiding young talents with his experience of playing in Spain. In the 2022/23 season, Griezmann scored 15 goals and also provided 17 assists while experimenting with his position in the front. 

Bench 

Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad), Alejandro Balde (Barcelona), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Raphinha (Barcelona) and Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

After Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Alex Remiro had the best goalkeeping records this season with 15 clean sheets beating the likes of Jan Oblak and Thibaut Courtois to be on the elite bench. 

If nurtured properly, Pau Torres can be the next big thing in La Liga. He’s tall and strong in the defense and acquires decent ball control. Another player who was on a defensive masterclass this season was Real Madrid’s Eder Militao. In addition to being a pivotal figure in the Madrid defense, the Brazilian also netted five goals. 

Talking about full-backs, Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde was highly impressive. The 19-year-old was a menace in the defense as he didn’t let other opposition wingers breathe in their box. 

Luka Modric, just like any other season, was in great form. His presence in the midfield played a crucial role throughout the season for Carlo Ancelotti. Pairing up with Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha also gave a few decent performances. Scoring 7 goals and providing seven assists, he had a high work rate in attack.Karim Benzema played his last season in La Liga as Real Madrid ended their campaign in the second spot. The Frenchman also scored in his final match and got a heartwarming farewell from the supporters. In his last season for Los Blancos, Benzema scored 19 goals.