LaLiga EA Sports has officially announced the list of candidates for the various awards it presents monthly as part of its LaLiga Awards initiative. This time, as in the last four months of competition, the local tournament has considered several players from FC Barcelona in at least three of its categories: the best under-23 player of the month, the save of the month, and the best player of the month.
Best Under-23 Player of the Month for December in LaLiga: Lamine Yamal
Speaking of the under-23 player of the month for LaLiga EA Sports, the performance of Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's great 'jewel', stands out. He already received this distinction last August. This time, he is again nominated for the award after participating in three of the four matches scheduled for December, contributing three assists: two in the 1-5 victory against RCD Mallorca and one in the 2-2 draw against Real Betis.
Lamine Yamal will compete with four other candidates for this award: Real Madrid's Arda Güler, the midfielder from Celta de Vigo and former Barcelona player Ilaix Moriba, the forward from UD Las Palmas Fábio Silva, and the right-back from Real Sociedad, Jon Aramburu.
Best Save of the Month for December in LaLiga: Iñaki Peña in Betis-Barcelona
Regarding the best save of the month, a recognition associated with goalkeepers, FC Barcelona is represented by Iñaki Peña, who stands out for his spectacular save in the match against Real Betis. In the early minutes of the match, at the 2nd minute, in a one-on-one with former team player Ez Abde, the Alicante goalkeeper managed to deflect the shot with an excellent stretch, preventing what seemed like a certain goal.
In this category, Iñaki Peña competes with Álex Remiro from Real Sociedad for his outstanding save in the match against Leganés, and with Marko Dmitrović from CD Leganés, who has earned a place in the competition for one of the multiple saves he made in the match against FC Barcelona, being key for the 'pepinero' team's victory over the azulgrana squad.
Best Player of the Month for December in LaLiga: Raphinha
To conclude, regarding the award for the best player of the month, Barcelona is represented by left winger Raphinha. The native of Porto Alegre, who already received this award last August, is a candidate again after scoring in one of the three matches played by the club so far in December, including a brace in the 1-5 victory against RCD Mallorca.
In this contest, Raphinha will face the center forward from UD Las Palmas and former Barcelona player Sandro Ramírez, the midfielder from Athletic Club Oihan Sancet, the forward with a Barça past Antoine Griezmann, and the talented midfielder from Real Madrid Jude Bellingham.