Six red cards at the weekend, including two in the Sunday mid-day game between Betis and Granada, with local defender Vargas picking up a second booking early on in the second half for a high tackle on Rochina, and visiting keeper Andrés getting his marching orders near the end for what the referee considered to be a hand ball outside of the area. The other four red cards were all for second bookable offences, Camacho (Málaga) the first go, then Laporte (Athletic), Aderlan (or is it Aderllan?) Santos (Valencia), and Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol). Sánchez in particular will be glad to see the back of Rayo Vallecano as he was also sent off in the previous fixture between the two earlier in the season! All will be joined by another eleven players who completed the five yellow card cycle, including Diop (Espanyol) and Soldado (Villarreal), who both picked up their tenth cautions of the season, and Balenziaga (Athletic), Mascherano (Barcelona), Orellana (Celta), Cala, Sarabia and Alvaro Vázquez (all Getafe), Peñaranda (Granada), Granero (Real Sociedad) and Vranjes (Sporting Gijón), who were all given their fifth. (09.03.16)

PS The appeals committee was particularly busy this week, with claims against no less than eight of the cards shown at the weekend. The red card for Andrés (Granada) was overturned as video evidence proved that the ball hit him on the chest and not on the arm, although that obviously doesn’t change the result, or Rubén Castro’s last minute goal against stand-in keeper Biraghi! And one of Laporte’s yellow cards was also cancelled as it was shown that Sporting’s Halilovic took a dive, although again Athletic had to play the last quarter of an hour with ten men. Funnily there were no moans from Sporting coach Abelardo this time though, and as it is not the norm in Spain to punish players after the fact, Halilovic got away scot free with his theatrics. (10.03.16)

(* suspension pending disciplinary meeting decision)

Villains Yellow cards Red cards (straight) Games banned Total points
Diop (Espanyol) 13 2 (1) 4* 20
Víctor Sánchez (Espanyol) 12 2 3* 17
Rubén Pérez (Granada) 12 1 (1) 3 17
Mustafi (Valencia) 12 1 (1) 3 17
Pablo Hernández (Celta) 13 1 3 17
Piqué (Barcelona) 9 1 (1) 5 16
Deyverson (Levante) 11 2 3 16
Escalante (Eibar) 11 1 (1) 3 16
Eric Bailly (Villarreal) 13 1 2 16
Simao (Levante) 8 1 (1) 5 15
Laporte (Athletic) 9 2 (1) 3* 15
Iborra (Sevilla) 9 2 (1) 3 15
Filipe Luis (Atlético) 11 1 (1) 2 15
Gabi (Atlético Madrid) 12 1 2 15
Aythami (Las Palmas) 12 1 2 15
Dani García (Eibar) 13 0 2 15
Recio (Málaga) 13 0 2 15
Mascherano (Barcelona) 9 1 (1) 3* 14
Wakaso (Las Palmas) 12 0 2 14
Orellana (Celta) 8 1 4 13
N'Zonzi (Rayo) 8 2 (1) 2 13
Raúl Baena (Rayo) 10 1 2 13
Roque (Las Palmas) 11 0 2 13
Illarramendi (Real Sociedad) 11 0 2 13