28.-27.08.2010. Spain - Primera Division preview

Atletico Madrid v Sporting Gijon

• Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in their last 14 league matches against Sporting Gijon (12 wins and two draws).
• Atletico have won their last seven league home games against Sporting Gijon, scoring at least two goals in each.
• Diego Forlan has netted four goals in just three league appearances against Sporting.
• Sporting Gijon have lost their last three opening games of the season in La Liga.
• Sporting dropped the most points from leading situations last season in Primera Division, 26.
• Atletico conceded the most first half goals in La Liga last season (34).

Deportivo v Real Zaragoza

• Deportivo have won only one of their last 10 La Liga games against Zaragoza (six draws and three defeats).
• Depor suffered 17 defeats last term in La Liga, their worst tally since 1966/67.
• Deportivo have failed to score more than one goal in their last 13 La Liga fixtures, winning just one of these games.
• Zaragoza's Ander Herrera won the most fouls in the top-flight last season (121).
• Deportivo's last four opening matches of the season have produced 16 goals (an average of four goals per match).

Espanyol v Getafe

• Espanyol and Getafe have met 12 times so far in the top-flight: Getafe lead by five wins to four, three draws complete the record.
• Espanyol have never scored more than once in their last 10 meetings with Getafe.
• The Catalans have netted only one goal in their last five opening games of La Liga.
• Getafe have always started their season in the top flight away from home, winning four times and losing twice.
• Espanyol had the worst attacking record in the top-flight last season (only 29 goals scored).
• Espanyol have conceded just three goals in their last nine home games in the league.

Hercules v Athletic Bilbao

• Hercules and Athletic have met 38 times so far in La Liga: the Basque side lead by 21 wins to nine, eight draws complete the record.
• Hercules return to the top division after 13 seasons spent in the lower tiers of Spanish football.
• Athletic are one of the three teams (with Real Madrid and Barcelona) who have never been relegated from the top flight.
• Bilbao have won four of their last five trips to Hercules in the top flight, scoring 13 goals in the process.
• Only one of the last 17 league encounters between these two sides has ended in a draw.

Levante v Sevilla

• Levante have lost their last six meetings against Sevilla, conceding 18 goals in the process.
• Levante have never won their opening game of the season in the top-flight (three draws and two defeats).
• Sevilla scored the most goals from set pieces in La Liga last season (28).
• Levante have never kept a clean sheet against Sevilla in the top flight.
• Jesús Navas attempted the most crosses in La Liga last season (228).

Malaga v Valencia

• Valencia have won both of the two previous games against Malaga on the opening day of the season.
• Malaga have not scored a single goal in four of their last five opening games of the season.
• Valencia have won seven of their last nine opening matches of the season.
• Malaga drew the most league games last season (16).
• New Valencia signing Roberto Soldado scored 29 goals in 60 league appearances in his two seasons at Getafe.

Mallorca v Real Madrid

• Real Madrid have lost the opening match of the season only once in the last eight years.
• Mallorca and Real Madrid have met 50 times so far in La Liga: the Blancos lead by 31 wins to nine, 10 draws complete the record.
• Real Madrid are the side that have scored the most against Mallorca in La Liga (103 goals).
• The Merengues have won their last two league games at Mallorca scoring seven goals in the process (3-0 and 4-1).
• Real Madrid were the only side in La Liga 2009/10 to have won all of the games in which they took the lead (30).
• The Merengues also recouped the most points from trailing situations last season (22).

Osasuna v Almeria

• Almeria have lost all four of their trips to Pamplona in the top flight.
• Osasuna have shared the points in their opening game of the last three La Liga seasons.
• Almeria have won their last two opening games of the season played away from home, scoring three goals in each.
• Almeria's goalkeeper Diego Alves made the most saves in La Liga last season, 166.
• Osasuna scored the fewest goals in the second half in La Liga last season (16).
• The last four La Liga matches involving Almeria have produced 18 goals.

Racing v Barcelona

• This will be the 85^th league meetings between these two sides: Barcelona lead by 49 wins to 15 and 20 draws complete the record.
• Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 13 league encounters against Racing (10 wins and three draws).
• Racing have conceded more goals against Barcelona than against any other side in La Liga (190).
• Title holders Barcelona picked up 99 points in the last campaign, an all-time Spanish record.
• Racing were the only side that failed to score in the first 15 minutes of play in La Liga last season.
• Last season Racing picked up a league-low 17 points at home.

Real Sociedad v Villarreal

• Real Sociedad and Villarreal have met 16 times so far in La Liga: the Yellow Submarines lead by six wins to four, six draws complete the record.
• Villarreal have lost just one of their trips to San Sebastian in the top flight (four wins and three draws).
• Real Sociedad were promoted to the top-flight as the second division champions last season.