Diego Costa is back! After a four month wait, the ex Chelsea striker finally made his debut in the Metropolitano stadium, and it only took him an hour to get his first goal there. It only took him a minute more though to get his first red card as well, referee Munuera Montero giving him a second booking for celebrating his goal with the crowd! It could only happen to him! That was in fact the only red card of the first round of league games of the New Year, although another 12 players will miss next weekend’s fixtures after they picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season, including Alexis (Alavés), Savic and Gabi (Atlético Madrid), Feddal and Mandi (Betis), Arbilla (Eibar), David López and Javi Fuego (Espanyol), Djené (Getafe), Andreas Pereira and Kondogbia (Valencia) and Víctor Ruíz (Villarreal). (09.01.18)

(* suspension pending disciplinary meeting decision)

Villains Yellow cards Red cards (straight) Games banned Total points
Recio (Málaga) 10 1 2 13
Trigueros (Villarreal) 9 1 2 12
Jordi Amat (Betis) 6 2 (1) 2 11
Arambarri (Getafe) 8 1 2 11
Zaza (Valencia) 8 1 2 11
Ramos (Real Madrid) 6 2 2 10
Carvajal (Real Madrid) 6 1 (1) 2 10
Llorente (Real Sociedad) 7 1 2 10
Kondogbia (Valencia) 7 1 2* 10
Víctor Ruíz (Villarreal) 7 1 2* 10
Dani García (Eibar) 9 0 1 10
Dani Parejo (Valencia) 9 0 1 10
Alvaro (Villarreal) 9 0 1 10
Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 3 1 5 9
Morales (Levante) 6 0 3 9
Mandi (Betis) 5 1 (1) 2* 9
Guilherme (Deportivo) 8 0 1 9
Cala (Getafe) 8 0 1 9
Damián Suárez (Getafe) 8 0 1 9
Lerma (Levante) 8 0 1 9