Kelvin Leong reckons Karim Benzema should be given more playing time as he puts out his La Liga Team of the Week.

Juan Pablo - Sporting Gijon

Most teams who come up against Barcelona fail to stop the Catalan giants from scoring. Sporting Gijon were no different as they conceded a lone goal to give the visitors three points. However, had it not been for Pablo, Lionel Messi and friends would have got five or six more. Take a bow Pablo, you did well.

Julien Escude - Sevilla

Not an easy task when you are up against the attacking might of David Silva and David Villa but Escude did it with minimal fuss. He tackled well and commanded the back four with authority. Not very often that you see Villa having only one decent chance at goal throughout a game.

Raul Albiol - Real Madrid

The former Valencia sweeper has settled in well at Madrid despite having to play with different partners in defence week in week out. His no-nonsense style of play coupled with a good reading of the game gives his team the perfect platform to go on the offensive without worries.

Carlos Puyol - Barcelona

Instead of his usual spot in central defence for the Catalan giants, Puyol took his place out on the right and while he hasn't got the pace that Dani Alves has, the Spaniard was an able substitute as he bombarded forward on the overlap and provided options for his attackers.

Juan Fran - Osasuna

Villarreal have been in good form for the last two months but things went awfully wrong when Osasuna came visiting at the weekend. Midfielder Juan Fran singlehandedly tore the Yellow Submarines apart and put them to the sword with two goals.

Luis Garcia - Espanyol

In a bruising encounter that left many players bloodied and groggy, Espanyol captain Luis Garcia held his nerves to tape home from close range to give his side a crucial three points that will help steady the ship. Garcia's industry and off-the-ball running typified his team's work on the night.

Angel Lafita - Real Zaragoza

Zaragoza had to come back from a goal down away at Tenerife and their marquee signing Lafita was the key man for them. He was a threat whenever he had the ball at his feet and his goal gave the visitors some breathing space at 3-1 with just minutes to go. Good outing for the flying winger.

Carlos Calvo Sobrado - Xerez

The winger scored a brace to give Xerez their second win of the season against Mallorca. His first goal was absolute gem as he caught the keeper out with a deep looping shot that levelled the game before going on to score the winner.

Karim Benzema - Real Madrid

Just when doubts were setting in as to whether the former Lyon hitman was a failure in his first season at Real Madrid, Benzema stepped up against Deportivo La Coruna and smashed in two goals to silence the critics. The Riazor is a tough place to come away with points from and the Frenchman can be proud of his contributions.

Alvaro Negredo - Sevilla

The Real Madrid reject has found his place within the Sevilla team and is now the team's star striker as he proved against Valencia with a brace that showcased his class and finesse. Madrid might just rue letting him go if he keeps pumping in the goals.

Pedro - Barcelona

The youngster seems so comfortable in his role amongst the superstar players like Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic that you sometimes wonder if he is really a rookie. Another well-taken goal to give the Catalan giants all three points against a stubborn Sporting Gijon side. Pedro's emergence is the reason Bojan Krkic can't seem to get a game under his belt this season.