Thursday, November 24, 2011

Serie A Opta Facts - November 25-27


Atalanta - Napoli

Atalanta have taken just one point from their last three meetings against Napoli in Serie A, failing to score in each of these three games.

However, at home Atalanta have lost just one of their last six meetings against the Partenopei, in their last meeting in Bergamo in January 2010.

Napoli have failed to score in just one of their last 10 trips to Bergamo in Serie A.

Atalanta have lost just one of their last six Serie A games (3-1 v Bologna); two wins and three draws complete the record.

Atalanta are still unbeaten at home in this Serie A campaign (three wins and two draws).

Napoli have kept three clean sheets in the last four match days of Serie A.

Away from home, Walter Mazzarri's side have won just one of their last four league games, 3-0 at the Sans Siro v Inter.

German Denis is currently Serie A's top-scorer with nine goals; the Argentine has already bettered his previous goal scoring record for a Serie A season (eight goals in 34 games).

Denis has scored Atalanta's last five goals in this competition.


Cagliari - Bologna

Cagliari are unbeaten in their last six games against Bologna in Serie A (four wins for the Sardinians and two draws).

Bologna have won just one of their last 11 games at Cagliari's ground in the top-flight (1-0 in December 1998).

The Sardinians are winless in the last six rounds of Serie A (three draws, followed by three defeats).

After beating Novara 2-1 on their first home fixture, Cagliari have failed to score in their ensuing four league games at the Sant'Elia.

Bologna have not shared the points in their last eight Serie A games (three wins and five losses), and have won two of the three games played away from home since the appointment of new manager, Stefano Pioli.

Marco Di Vaio has already scored six goals against Cagliari in the top-flight, two of these coming in five games for Bologna.

Diego Perez has already picked up seven yellow cards in nine league appearances this season.

Cagliari manager, Davide Ballardini is unbeaten in his five meetings against Bologna in Serie A (two wins and three draws), while Stefano Pioli has never beaten the Sardinians in three meetings (two draws and a loss).


Cesena - Genoa

These two sides have met 14 times so far in Serie A: Genoa lead by five wins to two, with seven draws completing the record.

Cesena have won just one of their last 12 games against Genoa (3-2 at the Marassi back in November 1989).

Cesena have never beaten Genoa at home (six draws so far, including the last three meetings, and one win for the guests).

Neither side has managed to score more than a single goal over these seven games at Cesena.

Last Sunday's 1-0 win at Bologna was the first for Cesena in this campaign; they had picked up only three points as result of three draws before then.

Cesena have scored just four goals in Serie A this season, at least five fewer than any other side.

Cesena are alongside Lecce as the only sides yet to win at home in this campaign.

Genoa have suffered just one defeat over the last five match-days of Serie A, two wins in the process.

After beating Lazio at the Olimpico in their first game on the road, Genoa have picked up just one point from their ensuing four games on the road (a 2-2 draw at Juventus).

Genoa players have already seen four red cards - currently a Serie A record.


Lazio - Juventus

Lazio have already lost 68 games and conceded 239 goals against Juventus, more than against any other side in Serie A.

Juventus are unbeaten in their last 13 meetings against Lazio (nine wins and four draws).

Lazio have never scored more than two goals in their last 18 league games against Juventus.

Against Lazio Giorgio Chiellini has scored three of his total 16 goals in Serie A, including his only brace: Lazio are in fact his favourite opponent so far.

Lazio are unbeaten in the last nine match-days (winning six games), and have not conceded a goal in the last three.

Juventus are the only Serie A side still unbeaten this season (six wins and four draws for the Bianconeri).

Juventus have conceded only three goals in their last eight games on the road in Serie A between this and last season, and never more than one per game.

Claudio Marchisio has already scored five goals in 10 games, setting his goal scoring record for a single Serie A campaign.

Miroslav Klose already boasts three headed goals, more than any other Serie A player this term.


Lecce - Catania

This will be the fifth meeting between Lecce and Catania in Serie A, with the club from Puglia leading by two wins to one.

Lecce have always scored in these four games against Catania.

The two games played at the Vial del Mare have both been won by the hosts.

Catania had the better in their last meeting against Lecce winning from 2-1 down, thanks to a brace by Francesco Lodi, who converted two direct free-kicks in that game.

Lecce have managed just one win over the last nine rounds of Serie A, losing six times in the process.

Drawing 1-1 with Novara, Lecce could take their first point at home after four consecutive defeats this season at the Via del Mare.

Lecce have always conceded goals in their last eight Serie A games at home.

Catania have recorded just one win over the last five match-days of this Serie A campaign, and have lost their last two games.

The Sicilians have won just one of their last 31 games on the road, and have failed to keep a clean sheet over their last 19 games on the road (conceding 41 in the process).


AC Milan - Chievo

Should they win this game, the Rossoneri would record their 10th consecutive win in Serie A against Chievo.

Chievo have suffered 13 defeats in 18 previous meetings against AC Milan, more than against any other side in Serie A.

Chievo have kept just one clean sheet so far in these 18 previous meetings against the Rossoneri in the league (0-0 at home in March 2003).

AC Milan are unbeaten at home against Chievo, whose only two wins against the Rossoneri came at the Bentegodi.

Alexandre Pato scored three goals in the two meetings played against Chievo last season.

Last Saturday's goalless draw in Florence ended a run of five consecutive wins for AC Milan in Serie A.

At home, AC Milan are still unbeaten in 2011 (11 wins and five draws).

The Rossoneri have already scored six goals this season following corner situations, a league-high.

Chievo 'keeper, Stefano Sorrentino has already saved both of the two penalties he has faced in this campaign.


Novara - Parma

This will be the first ever meeting between these two sides in Serie A.

Since beating Inter 3-1 on their first game at home, Novara have failed to find the three points in their next eight games (home and away), managing just three draws in the process.

At home since that game Attilio Tesser's side have picked up just two points.

Novara have scored just two goals in their last six Serie A fixtures.

Parma are the only side in this competition yet to share a draw this season (five wins and six defeats for them).

Parma have lost four of their five games played away from home so far this season, beating only Napoli on the road.

Parma have the worst defence away from home alongside Catania (13 goals conceded in five away games).

This fixture will see the team that has scored the most goals in the last 15 minutes of play (Novara, seven) play the side that has conceded the most in the same timeframe (Parma, seven too).

Novara have the worst defence of this campaign (20 goals conceded), and have also conceded the most headed goals (five).


Palermo - Fiorentina

Palermo have lost 27 times in 48 meetings against Fiorentina, only against AC Milan have they suffered more defeats in the top-flight so far (29 in 49 meetings).

Fiorentina are the Italian side that boast the most wins at the Barbera so far (10 wins in 24 meetings).

These two sides have not shared a draw in their last eight meetings (four wins apiece).

Palermo have scored at least two goals in four of their last five games against the Viola, winning three times.

The last four meetings between these two sides at the Barbera have alternated one win for each.

Palermo are alongside Udinese one of the only two sides still with a 100% record at home in this Serie A campaign.

All 14 of Pamlermo's goals since the start of this Serie A campaign have been scored at home soil.

Fiorentina have managed just one win over the last eight match-days of this competition.

The last three Serie A games involving Fiorentina have produced just two goals.


Siena - Inter

Inter are unbeaten in their 14 previous meetings against Siena in the top-flight, in light of 10 wins (including those of the last four meetings) and four draws.

Inter have failed to score against Siena just once in Serie A, 0-0 in Tuscany in January 2006.

Siena have lost the last four games played at home against the Nerazzurri in the league.

Siena have lost just one of their last six Serie A games, 2-1 at the Friuli v Udinese.

After losing on their home debut against Juventus, Siena have managed three wins and a draw in their ensuing four games at home.

Last Saturday against Cagliari Inter managed to score more than a single goal in a Serie A fixture for the first time after five match-days.

Inter have won just one of their last six games on the road in the league between this and last season.

The Nerazzurri have not kept a clean sheet in their last 10 Serie A games on the road.

Current Inter manager, Claudio Ranieri, has won five of his previous six games against Siena in the top-flight, losing the other.


Udinese - Roma

Roma have won their last three games against Udinese, scoring always two or more goals.

Despite conceding two goals last Sunday at Parma, Udinese still boast the best defence of this Serie A campaign (six goals conceded).

Only one of these six goals was conceded at the Friuli.

Udinese have won all of their five home games in this campaign.

Roma have failed to score just once in this Serie A campaign (goalless draw v Inter at the San Siro).

Antonio Di Natale has already scored 10 goals against Roma in his career, more than against any other Serie A opponent.

Nine of Udinese's last 10 goals against Roma in the league were scored by either Di Natale (six) or Floro Flores (three).

Francesco Totti has already scored 12 goals against Udinese, only against Parma (15) and Cagliari (13) has he bagged more in Serie A so far.

Miralem Pjanic has been involved in each of Roma's last four goals in the league, scoring one and making three assists.

Daniele De Rossi has completed 700 passes in this Serie A campaign, more than any other player.