The first half of LaLiga EA Sports has come to an end, with 19 intense matchdays. The winter champion has been Atlético de Madrid, who with 44 points (13 wins, five draws, and one loss), has managed to outperform their closest pursuers: Real Madrid, the second-placed team with 43 points (13 wins, four draws, and two losses), and FC Barcelona, third with 38 points (12 wins, two draws, and five losses).
From Olocip Lab, an international company pioneering in the development and implementation of Artificial Intelligence, they have put together an ideal eleven from the first half of this championship. This selection was based on evaluating the players' performance not only through traditional Big Data metrics but also considering the cumulative impact of all offensive, defensive, and gameplay actions in the minutes played so far in the 2024-25 season.
The ideal XI of the first half of LaLiga according to AI
The scheme employed by Olocip Lab is reflected in a 4-2-2-2 formation. In this ideal team, FC Barcelona has three represented players (Pedri González as a midfielder, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal as wingers on the left and right respectively), similar to Real Madrid, which also has three players (Antonio Rüdiger in defense, Fede Valverde in midfield, and Vini Jr. in the forward line). The competition leader, Atlético de Madrid, has only managed to include one player in this selection of top performers: the forward Antoine Griezmann.
The remaining players in this ideal lineup range from midfield to the back, with Álex Muñoz from UD Las Palmas as the left-back, David López from Girona as a center-back, Óscar Mingueza as the right-back, and Álex Remiro from Real Sociedad, the current Zamora, as the goalkeeper.
Raphinha, the best player of the first half of LaLiga according to AI
Furthermore, Olocip Lab has assigned a score to each player. Raphinha is the top scorer with a total of 11.9 points, excelling as one of the best offensive players.
He is the second-highest scorer of this first half with 11 goals and the second-best assister with six assists. Additionally, he is the player who has created the most goal-scoring opportunities in the tournament so far (19) and has provided the most key passes per game, with an average of 3.4.
He is also the second player with the most combined goals and assists (17) and has the second-best ratio of expected-assists-executed, with an average of 6.36.
Regarding the players' scores:
- Raphinha: 11.9
- Vini Jr.: 8.8
- Fede Valverde: 8.3
- Lamine Yamal: 7.8
- Pedri González: 7.7
- Antoine Griezmann: 7.5
- David López: 7.1
- Antonio Rüdiger: 6
- Óscar Mingueza: 5.9
- Álex Remiro: 5.3
- Álex Muñoz: 3.8
Robert Lewandowski, the notable absence from this list
It may be more or less to your liking, but it is surprising the absence of some players in this ideal eleven, such as Robert Lewandowski, the top scorer of the competition with 16 goals and the best expected goals-to-goals ratio. Additionally, 'Lewy' is the most influential player when combining goals and assists with a total of 18.
There is also a lack of Kylian Mbappé, the top scorer of Real Madrid with 10 goals to his credit. Even in defense, players like Iñigo Martínez or Pau Cubarsí are missing.