Rodrygo figures out his best position for Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos enjoys the perfect 38th birthday and Xavi’s Jurgen Klopp lookalike continues his winning streak… 10 THINGS we learned in LaLiga

It was a good weekend for Rodrygo, for Sergio Ramos, and for Xavi’s Jurgen Klopp lookalike brother after wins for Real Madrid, Sevilla and Barcelona.

The sun came out for Saul Niguez and Eder Militao after months of poor form for the former and injury for the latter. 

Forever young Cristhian Stuani scored again, and Cadiz’s great escape got the boost it needed. 

With just eight games remaining in the Spanish top flight, things are heating up at the top and bottom of the table, while there’s also scrap for European places. 

Here’s 10 things we learned from the Easter weekend in La Liga.

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Good times back for Saul

‘It’s a s*** time for me on a sporting level,’ said Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez after the Inter last 16 victory. ‘I accept all the criticism and not just for the penalty (missed) tonight but for how I am (playing) at this time.’ 

He has had a rough time on the pitch for a couple of years now falling out of favour with Diego Simeone, flopping on loan at Chelsea, and slipping down the pecking order this season back at Atletico. 

But on Monday night he got the golden goal that won the game and keeps his team on the path to a top four finish. ‘He has never stopped working hard in all this time,’ said his coach after the game.

Saul Niguez has suffered a fall from grace but was the match-winning hero against Villarreal

Militao almost missed his big comeback

He’d been out for 232 days and it looked like being an extra ten days when Eder Militao stood on the touchline waiting to come on against Athletic Club. The ball stayed in play and the four minutes of added time were disappearing fast. 

In the end Andriy Lunin was given the okay to just kick the ball out of play so that his team-mate could finally come on and make his comeback.

Hot Rod at his best in Vini’s position

Rodrygo had his best game in ages playing on the left of Real Madrid’s attack. It’s exactly the same position where Vinicius wants to play. And it’s exactly the same position that Kylian Mbappe wants to play. So you see the problem. 

The question is: Can Ancelotti get two of the three to play just as well on the right and through the middle?

Rodrygo found out his best position for Real Madrid is on the left – the same place where absent Vinicius Jr usually plays

Game schedule falling nicely for Ancelotti

Right now the fixture calendar is blowing kisses at Real Madrid. Not only do they have ten days extra to prepare for their quarterfinal first leg against Manchester City, but before their break for next week’s Spanish Cup final they played one of the teams in that final (Athletic Bilbao). 

And their first match back after that is against the team that will have just played the cup final (Mallorca).

Cadiz could be this year’s Steve McQueen

Everyone loves a great escape and Cadiz are promising one having lost only one in their last six under Mauricio Pellegrino. 

Their 1-0 win over Granada Friday leaves them just three points behind fourth from bottom Celta Vigo.

Ramos blows out all his candles

Of course Sevilla will give 38-year-old Sergio Ramos a new deal. They need his goals as much as anything. 

He now has seven in all competitions and his strike on his birthday on Saturday was enough to see them beat Getafe.

Veteran Sergio Ramos had a birthday to remember as he grabbed his seven goal of the season to help Sevilla beat Getafe

Barcelona still in the title race

It’s now nine games without defeat since Xavi announced he was only staying until the end of the season. Some want him to stay. Some still want him to go. Some want him to stay, but still promise to go at the end of next season as that seems to have been the magic trick. 

However things end up, right now the title race is not over. The gap is eight points and will be five if Barcelona can win the Clasico in three weeks.

Xavi’s ‘Klopp lookalike’ brother wins again for Barca

They have nicknamed Xavi’s brother Oscar ‘Klopp’ for a perceived physical resemblance to the Liverpool coach. No one would dare to draw any greater comparison although the Barcelona number two’s record in the technical area is pretty special. 

Multiple suspensions for Xavi have left him in charge of the team seven times and on each occasion Barcelona have won as they did on Saturday against Las Palmas.

Barcelona remained in the title race after beating Las Palmas – extending the winning run of Xavi’s Jurgen Klopp lookalike brother Oscar, who was standing in

Onward Cristhian soldiers

‘The first day that Girona play in Europa, Stuani will wear the armband,’ said Girona coach Michel after the Uruguayan’s injury time winner against Betis left his team within touching distance of an assured place in Europe next season. 

The 37-year-old has now scored six goals off the bench this season – more than anyone in Europe’s top leagues.

So much for showing racism the red card…

Racism reared its ugly head in Spain’s third tier when a game between Rayo Majadahonda and Sestao was suspended three minutes from time. 

Rayo’s Senegalese keeper Cheikh Sarr was insulted by spectators and reacted by going over the advertising hoardings and grabbing one of the culprits by his scarf. 

Spanish football was hit with another racist storm after Cheikh Sarr was sent off for grabbing a spectator by his scarf following claims of abuse during a third tier game

He was sent off. When it was communicated to the referee why he had reacted the players were taken off and the Rayo players refused to come back on. 

He told Spanish radio on Sunday night: ‘When I went to get my water bottle, they were shouting at me, calling me names and saying everything. They said ‘f***ing black, run, you f***ing black’ and I couldn’t stand it.’ 

It will be decided over the coming days what happens to him in terms of suspension and what happens to the racists. Every civilized football supporter in Spain believes his red card should be rescinded and they should be banned for life. Will it happen?