La Liga Best XI: Messi and Benzema make team of the month for March

Here we run through the top five WhoScored rated players (3+ apps) in La Liga from the month of March.

5. Guillermo Maripan (Alaves) – 7.75 rating

Guillermo Maripan’s fine campaign has recently caught the attention of Premier League side West Ham, who are reportedly considering a summer move. The Alaves centre-back played a direct hand in two goals in three league appearances last month and earned the WhoScored Man of the Match award in a 2-1 win away to Villarreal. The 24-year-old won 23 aerial duels across those three matches and completed 22 clearances.

4. Fabian Orellana (Eibar) – 7.75 rating

Veteran Eibar forward played a direct hand in three goals in four league appearances in the month of March and collected to WhoScored Man of the Match awards in the process. The 33-year-old closed the month by scoring or assisting in three straight matches and his contributions earned Eibar two points. Orellana also completed 13 dribbles, won 11 fouls and attempted 13 shots.

3. Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla) – 7.78 rating

Wissam Ben Yedder has been in sensational form for Sevilla over the last month or so and even netted his second La Liga hat-trick of the season in last month’s 5-2 win over Real Sociedad. Ben Yedder scored five league goals in total in March, coming from 12 shots. The 28-year-old also completed 10 dribbles over four league appearances last month and provided five key passes.

2. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) – 8.01 rating

Karim Benzema has finally hit top gear this season, though Real Madrid fans had to wait until the second of the campaign to see it. The French striker played a direct hand in six league goals in the month of March (three goals, three assists) and won the WhoScored Man of the Match award on two occasions. His goals and assists in March were worth five points to a Madrid side that are already 12 points behind Barcelona.

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – 9.16 rating

Lionel Messi finished March as our Player of the Month in La Liga after earning a staggering WhoScored rating of 9.16 over four league appearances. The 31-year-old scored six goals and provided one assist in that run, only dropping below a 9.00 WhoScored rating in one match. Messi netted his third league hat-trick of the campaign in a 4-1 win away to Real Betis, with his six goals coming from 22 shots. Messi also completed 22 dribbles, with 10 of those coming in the weekend’s win over rivals Espanyol.