Friday, November 25, 2011

La Liga Opta Facts - November 26-28


Athletic de Bilbao - Granada

None of the previous 17 top-flight clashes between Athletic and Granada at San Mamés have ended goalless.

Granada have only ever managed one win at Athletic Bilbao in Primera: 1-0 in 1972-73, and have lost on 15 of their 17 trips.

The rojiblancos have only scored two goals away from home in the league this season, both coming at Sevilla last time out.

Fabri's men have scored in the fewest matches in LigaBBVA this season (four of 12, including the suspended game against Mallorca).

All six of Granada's league goals this season have been scored by different players.

Granada are the only LigaBBVA side yet to score a first half goal in the league this season.

Athletic's last six league goals have all been scored by different players.

Bielsa's men are on a run of eight league games unbeaten (four wins, four draws).

Athletic's run of eight league games unbeaten coincides with Aurtenetxe's first appearance for the club in the current campaign.


Espanyol - Osasuna

Espanyol have won their last three games at home to Osasuna.

The side from Navarre have conceded the most away goals in LigaBBVA this season (21).

Both Espanyol and Osasuna drew their last league game 0-0.

The Catalonians are one of only two sides in La Liga this season, along with Real Betis, where the side scoring first has always won.

Just one of Osasuna's last nine league goals against the pericos has been scored by a striker.

Raúl García has been involved in 57% of Osasuna's league goals this season (four goals, four assists), a higher proportion for his team than any other side in LigaBBVA.

The rojillos have scored the fewest second-half goals in LigaBBVA this season (three).

Espanyol have only scored more than one goal in one of their 12 league games this season (2-1 vs Athletic).

The blanquiazules are, along with Sevilla, the team who have had the most players sent off in La Liga this season (four).

González González is one of two referees yet to point to the penalty spot in LigaBBVA this season.


Getafe - Barcelona

Getafe have only won one of their 14 meetings with Barcelona in Primera: three draws and 10 defeats.

Only once in 14 top-flight clashes have Getafe scored more than once against Barcelona (2-0 in 07/08).

This is Getafe's worst-ever start to a league season after 12 matches (10 points, four fewer than this time last season).

Pep Guardiola's men have won their last five league games against the azulones in LigaBBVA.

Getafe have only won three of their last 15 league games, all of them at home.

Barcelona are on a run of 16 league games without a defeat, since losing 1-2 at Real Sociedad in April.

Barcelona have scored the most goals in the opening 15 minutes of LigaBBVA games this season (10), while Getafe are yet to score in this period.

Luis García's men have conceded the most goals in the final 15 minutes of La Liga games this season (eight).

Barcelona have won 80% of their league games with Puyol on the pitch this season, but just 57% without him.

Getafe's top scorer, Miku, has already bagged five goals in 12 games this season: in 11/12 he managed only seven in 31.

Last time out against Real Zaragoza, David Villa ended a run of six league games without a goal in LigaBBVA.


Levante - Sporting Gijón

The two previous meetings between the sides in the top-flight have both ended in draws.

After winning seven league games in a row, Levante have since lost three on the spin.

Juan Ignacio Martínez's men have conceded nine goals in their last four league games, more than in their previous eight combined (three).

Against Atlético, Levante conceded a headed goal for the first time in the league this season.

Levante have won all seven league games in which they have taken the lead this season.

Sporting Gijón are on a run of five games unbeaten in the league (3W 2D), taking 11 points from the 15 available.

Manolo Preciado's side have scored in their last six league games.

Sporting are, along with Mallorca, one of only two sides to concede more than one own goal in the league this season (2).

Levante's top scorer, Juanlu, and Sporting's, David Barral, have both scored five league goals this season, with four coming away from home.


Málaga - Villarreal

Málaga have won only two of their last 14 clashes against Villarreal in Primera.

Villarreal have lost only one of their last seven visits to la Rosaleda in La Liga (4D 2W).

Santi Cazorla, who signed for Málaga in the summer, scored two of Villarreal's three goals in la Rosaleda last season.

The boquerones have won seven of their last nine league games at home, losing the other two against Real Madrid and Barça.

20 points from 12 games is Málaga's best-ever start to a campaign in Primera.

Villarreal have kept a clean sheet in their last three league games (2W 1D).

It is three years since the yellow submarine kept four consecutive clean sheets in La Liga.

Villarreal have scored just one goal in their last nine league games on the road combined.

Juan Carlos Garrido's men are without a win on the road since March, a run of 11 games and their worst sequence since December 2002.

Málaga are unbeaten in games where they have not been losing at half-time this season (6W 2D), but have lost all four when they have been trailing at the break.


Mallorca - Racing de Santander

These two sides have a perfectly level head-to-head record in Primera, with 12 wins each and eight draws.

The verdinegros have taken at least a point from six of their last nine trips to play at Mallorca.

The cántabros are, along with Sevilla, the team who have played out the most goalless draws in LigaBBVA this season (four).

Racing have the fewest wins in the competition so far (one).

Racing have scored the highest proportion of their goals away from home in La Liga this season (5 of 8).

However, Hector Cúper's men are yet to pick up an away win this season in the league.

Racing have lost five points owing to goals conceded in the last 15 minutes of games this season, only Getafe (7) have lost more in this way.

The bermellones have scored the highest proportion of their goals from the penalty spot in LigaBBVA this season (four of nine).

Mallorca have scored the fewest goals thanks to Spanish scorers this season (two).


Rayo Vallecano - Valencia

Rayo Vallecano have only won one of their last eight meetings wtih Valencia in the top-flight.

The franjirrojos have failed to score in their last two league meetings with Los Che, conceding seven goals in the process.

Valencia have won eight of their last 11 meetings with Rayo in the top flight.

Valencia's last win over the vallecanos in Primera (4-0 in 02/03) remains their biggest-ever league win in Madrid.

Only Real Madrid (18) have beaten Rayo more often than Valencia (15) in the Spanish top flight.

Sandoval's men have won their last two home games in the league and have only lost one of their last five home and away in LigaBBVA.

Unai Emery's side have scored in their last seven league games, suffering just one defeat in this run.

Michu has scored the joint-most goals of any midfielder in LigaBBVA this season (five), along with Fabregas and Juanlu.

Valencia have conceded the joint-fewest goals away from home in the league this season (two, level with Sevilla).

Roberto Soldado is the top-scoring Spanish player in LigaBBVA since the start of last season with 26 goals, two more than Llorente (Negredo 23 and Villa 22).

Valencia have scored the highest proportion of their goals in the first 15 (four) and last 15 (six) minutes of league games this season.

By contrast, Rayo have conceded just two goals in total in the opening and closing 15 minutes of league games this season.

Valencia have won the most points thanks to goals scored in the last 15 minutes of league matches this season (six).


Real Betis - Real Sociedad

Six of Betis' last seven league defeats against Real Sociedad have come when they have failed to score.

Last time out at Villarreal, Betis set a new team record for failing to score in consecutive games in Primera (five).

Betis and Sociedad have lost the joint-most games in La Liga this season (seven).

Real Betis and Real Sociedad have hit the woodwork on the joint-most occasions in the league this season (nine each).

Neither side has scored between the 15th and 30th minutes in the league this season.

Real Betis are the only side yet to concede in the opening 15 minutes of league games this season, while Real Sociedad have conceded the most goals in this period (five).

Betis have conceded the most goals to substitutes in the league this season (six).


Real Madrid - Atlético de Madrid

Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 19 league derby meetings with Atlético, a run of 13 wins and six draws.

Atlético have only managed to win on 12 of their 74 league visits to Chamartín, drawing another 12 and losing 50.

Atlético have been defeated more often by Real Madrid in Primera than any other side (81 times), 18 more times than Barcelona (63).

Atlético last beat Real in the league back in the 1999/00 season (1-3 at the Bernabéu).

The last time Atlético were relegated (1999/00) they had the same number of wins after 12 games as they do this season (four).

The merengues have only failed to find the net once in their last 31 league meetings with Atlético.

Real Madrid are on a run of eight straight league wins, their best run since the arrival of José Mourinho.

Real Madrid have bagged 75 goals in their last 20 league matches, averaging 3.75 goals per game.

Atlético have only managed to win back-to-back games once so far this season (at home to Sporting and Racing).

Real Madrid have scored the most goals in the league so far (42).

Atlético have scored the most headed goals in LigaBBVA so far (six), while Real Madrid are yet to concede a goal in this way.

José Mourinho's men have scored the most goals from corners so far (four).

Real Madrid have won all six games with Gonzalo Higuaín so far this season in the league, scoring 4.3 goals per game (2.6 without him).

Atlético are one of the four teams against whom Cristiano Ronaldo has played in Primera but has not scored (along with Levante, Betis and Sporting).

Atlético are unbeaten in the three league games when José Antonio Reyes has come on as a sub (two wins, one draw).


Real Zaragoza - Sevilla FC

There has been just one draw in the last 12 league clashes between Zaragoza and Sevilla (six wins for the maños, four for Sevilla).

Just two of Sevilla's last 22 top-flight goals against Zaragoza have been scored by a Spanish player (both Negredo).

Sevilla are yet to lose on the road in the league this season, and have the joint-best defensive record away from home (two goals conceded, the same as Valencia).

Sevilla have received the joint-most red cards in LigaBBVA this season (four, level with Espanyol).

In the last seven years in LigaBBVA, Sevilla have scored six goals in the 90th minute against Zaragoza, more than any side against any other.

Real Zaragoza and Sevilla are the only two LigaBBVA sides who are yet to score between the 61st and 75th minutes this season.

Zaragoza have conceded the most goals from inside the area in the league this season (24), but have also scored all of their own from inside the box.

Marcelino has met his previous club four times in the league, drawing each of them.

Pérez Lasa is one of three referees yet to take charge of a draw in La Liga this season.