One red card in the midweek semi-final cup ties, although that was for Villarreal’s delegate Luis Jiménez, who got short shrift from referee Hernández Hernández after protesting wildly and then telling the fourth official to shut up! We thought the delegates were there to bring a bit of calm as the top representatives of their club. Oh well, sometimes they can get a bit carried away!

A lot of casualties at the weekend though, with five players sent off (all for straight red cards) and another twelve suspended from next weekend’s games after completing the five yellow card cycle. Espanyol’s Colotto for example made a brilliant finger-tip save on Saturday evening to deny Málaga’s Javi Guerra a goal, but unfortunately he was not the goalkeeper, and it cost him a red card! The real keeper Casilla saved the spot kick though, so maybe it was worth it.

Earlier in the evening Córdoba’s Ekeng and Sevilla’s Krychowiak were both given their marching orders in the second half of their local derby, the former for kicking out at Vitolo (in all fairness he was lying on his foot at the time!), and the second for a knee high challenge on Krhin. Granada’s new signing Insúa got his red card for leaving his calling card on a part of Susaeta which only his wife normally sees (except for those who peek in the showers!), and on Monday evening Piovacarri was sent off for the second time in five games after catching Elche’s Edu Albácar with a flying elbow. Ekeng and Insúa were given two match suspensions, the rest one.

Of the other players who will be banned, Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol), Fran Rico (Granada) and Camacho (Málaga) all picked up their tenth yellow cards of the season, and Laure (Deportivo), Sergio García (Espanyol), Diego Castro (Getafe), Piti and Córdoba (both Granada), Amrabat (Málaga), Yuri (Real Sociedad) and Barragán (Valencia) were all shown their fifth. (18.02.15)

(* suspension pending disciplinary meeting decision)

Villains Yellow cards Red cards (straight) Games banned Total points
Gabi (Atlético) 12 2 3 17
Raúl Baena (Rayo) 12 1 2 15
Barral (Levante) 10 1 (1) 2 14
Mandzukic (Atlético) 13 0 1 14
Mario Suárez (Atlético) 10 1 2 13
Arbilla (Espanyol) 10 1 2 13
Orellana (Celta) 11 0 2 13
Lillo (Eibar) 11 0 2 13
Damián Suárez (Elche) 11 0 2 13
Alvaro (Espanyol) 11 0 2 13
Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol) 11 0 2* 13
Camacho (Málaga) 11 0 2* 13
Alexis (Getafe) 5 1 (1) 5 12
De Paul (Valencia) 5 1 (1) 5 12
Rodrigo (Valencia) 6 2 (1) 3 12
Muniain (Athletic) 7 1 (1) 3 12
Krychowiak (Sevilla) 8 1 (1) 2* 12
Dubarbier (Almería) 9 1 2 12
Weligton (Málaga) 9 1 2 12
Godín (Atlético) 10 0 2 12
Raúl García (Atlético) 10 0 2 12
Fran Rico (Granada) 10 0 2* 12
Abdoulaye (Rayo) 10 0 2 12
Ramos (Real Madrid) 11 0 1 12