Brothers-in-law and other close relationships in LaLiga Santander

ON SATURDAY, the Real Madrid right-back and Espanyol striker will engage in a duel which is a real family affair.

Dani Carvajal and Joselu have been friends since they played for Real Madrid Castilla together in 2010, but now they’re much more than that as they are brothers-in-law. Their partners are twin sisters, which makes every encounter between the Real Madrid right-back and Espanyol striker a particularly interesting one.

That will be the case this Saturday, when Espanyol visit the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Given their positions, with Carvajal a right-back and Joselu a striker, they'll be in close contact and the two friends and brothers-in-law will become close opponents for 90 minutes.

Joselu is having a great season, having scored 11 goals in LaLiga Santander, the second-most in the division. However, he hasn’t had much luck in matches against Carvajal over his career, as the defender has won all five of their previous meetings.

That includes Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over RCD Espanyol earlier this season, plus two Real Madrid victories against Joselu’s Deportivo Alavés as well as a pair of Bayer Leverkusen triumphs over Hoffenheim when both players were in the Bundesliga.

But, their unique duel isn’t the only case of special friendship existing between LaLiga Santander players. Here comes a look at some of the other famous friendships in Spanish football.

Vinícius and Rodrygo

There is a high-profile friendship in Real Madrid’s attacking trident, as Vinícius and Rodrygo are good friends. They don’t think about competition for minutes. Instead, the two Brazilians support each other on the pitch and off it too, where they are neighbours in the Spanish capital.

Iker Muniain and Iñaki Williams

There are many close friendships at Athletic Bilbao, a team where so many members of the first-team squad have come through the prestigious Lezama academy together. Iker Muniain and Iñaki Williams may not have broken into the first team at the same time but they have formed a bond and are often seen joking with each other on matchdays and on social media.

Pepe Reina and Raúl Albiol

Pepe Reina returned to Villarreal last summer, where he has reunited with close friend Raúl Albiol. The two players have previously been teammates for Napoli and the Spanish national team and built up a special bond. They can work together to keep a clean sheet in the match, before sharing a laugh afterwards.

Antoine Griezmann and Thomas Lemar

Antoine Griezmann and Thomas Lemar’s relationship began during their time with the French national team, as they were both part of Les Bleus’ World Cup-winning squad. They then joined forces at Atlético Madrid and have brought their French connection to the Spanish capital, enjoying themselves on and off the pitch.

Sergio Canales and Juanmi

Sergio Canales and Juanmi struck up a strong friendship when they shared a dressing room at Real Sociedad and they’re back in the same team at Real Betis. At his presentation as a Real Betis player in 2019, Juanmi spoke of how well Canales complements him both on and off the pitch.

Thibaut Courtois and Borja Iglesias

Even though Borja Iglesias tries to score against Thibaut Courtois in every match between Real Betis and Real Madrid, the two players are actually business partners away from the pitch. They are co-owners of DUX Gaming, which invests in the eSports space and in other sectors of the sports industry.

Watch LaLiga Santander live this weekend on your local broadcasters.