Real Madrid bruiser pipped by Barcelona star in LaLiga monthly standings

With January over, there is a familiar face atop the LaLiga player rating standings as Lionel Messi again showcased his exceptional quality to the watching world. The Barcelona ace beat LaLiga stars from rivals Real Madrid and Espanyol to take home the player of the month award for January as we count down the top three from Spain... 

BRONZE - Raul de Tomas: Espanyol (7.83) 

Raul de Tomas has proven to be an inspired capture by Espanyol after the striker moved to Spain from Benfica. Despite struggling for game time in Portugal, the 25-year-old has hit the ground running for Abeldardo Fernandez's side. He scored twice in his two league outings in January, helping Espanyol to positive results against Villarreal and Athletic Club. Those goals proved vital, too, as they earned the Periquitos an additional four points in January, while De Tomas has carried his good goalscoring form into February. All in all, the striker did enough to make the LaLiga team of the month as he returned a WhoScored rating of 7.83 in January. 

SILVER - Casemiro: Real Madrid (8.05) 

Of the three league goals Casemiro has scored this season, two came in January as the Brazilian midfielder netted a decisive brace in Real Madrid's 2-1 home win over Sevilla. In a man of the match performance at the Bernabeu, it contributed to Casemiro's January average of 8.05 as the 27-year-old continues to dominate midfields. Indeed, Casemiro made 15 tackles and interceptions combined last month, one of the better returns in January, and won 11 aerial duels to ensure Real Madrid weren't overly pressured by opponents with the ball on the deck, nor in the air. 

GOLD - Lionel Messi: Barcelona (8.07) 

Pipping Casemiro to top spot in the LaLiga ratings rankings, Lionel Messi had a better rating (8.07) than any other player in Spain's top tier in January. The Argentine may have scored just the once last month, that coming in a 1-0 win over Granada, but his quest to add to that return wasn't for want of trying as Messi had more shots (25) than any other player in LaLiga last month. The 32-year-old was also difficult to shake off the ball, as is so often the case, as he completed more dribbles (14) than any other player. While it was a sub-par January by his astronomical standards, Messi still shone in Spain to land the player of the month gong.