Espanyol - Barcelona
Espanyol have won just four of their last 43 league meetings with Barcelona (W4 D11 L28).
The pericos have only twice beaten Barcelona at home in their last 14 meetings in the league (P14 W2 D5 L7).
Espanyol have drawn more league matches against Barcelona than any other side in Primera (34: Zaragoza, 33).
Barcelona have won more games against Espanyol than any other side in Primera (86, 76 vs Athletic).
Barcelona's 5-1 win at the Cornellà last season was Espanyol's joint-biggest defeat at home in the top flight.
After going five league games without a win, the periquitos have won their last two.
The azulgrana have conceded the fewest goals of any side in Europe's top five leagues so far (eight, Udinese, nine).
Pochettino's men have won all seven of the matches in which they have opened the scoring in the league this season.
Barcelona have conceded just two goals in the last 30 minutes of Liga BBVA matches, every other side has conceded at least four.
Cornellà -El Prat is one of only two stadiums where Messi has played more than once in LigaBBVA but never scored (along with Anoeta).
Getafe - Athletic
Athletic are yet to win at Getafe in the Coliseum in Primera (D4 L3).
All four of Getafe's home wins in the league this season have been by a single goal.
Bielsa's men are unbeaten in their last five league games on the road (W2 D3), scoring in each.
Athletic's two away wins in the league this season have been by the same scoreline (2-1), as have their three draws (1-1).
The Basque side have lost the most points owing to goals conceded in the final five minutes of league games this season (6).
Athletic have kept the fewest clean sheets in the league this season (1, vs Atlético).
Getafe are, along with Granada, the only side in LigaBBVA yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of matches.
Luis GarcÃa's men have conceded the most goals in the league 15 minutes of league matches this season (nine).
Athletic have dropped the second-most points from winning positions in Primera this season (12).
Athletic's last eight league goals have each been scored by a different player.
Levante - Mallorca
Levante have won just one of their four games at home to Mallorca in the top-flight (W1 D2 L1).
In fact, the side from Valencia are without a win in their last six league meetings with Mallorca (D2 L4).
Mallorca have scored in all but one of their meetings with Levante in Primera (the first in 2004).
The Valencians are, along with Real Madrid, the only side who are yet to draw at home in LigaBBVA this season.
Juan Ignacio MartÃnez's men have won six of their seven league games at home this season (only defeat: 0-2 vs Valencia).
In their last away game, Mallorca ended a run of 12 league games without a win on the road, and kept their first clean sheet in 29.
Mallorca have dropped the most points after going ahead in LigaBBVA this season (14).
Levante have won all nine league matches in which they have taken the lead this season.
Arouna Koné has already scored twice as many league goals with Levante this season (six) as had in his four previous campaigns combined (three with Sevilla and Hannover).
Málaga - Atlético Madrid
The blanquiazules have won just one of their last four league matches at home to Atlético (3-0 in 2009/10).
Málaga have won more games at home to Atlético than any other side from Madrid in Primera (four, three vs Getage, two vs Rayo and none vs Real Madrid).
Málaga are without a win in their last three league games, conceding six and scoring three.
Four of Málaga's five home wins in the league this season have been by a one-goal margin.
Atlético have the poorest away record of any team in Europe's top five leagues this season (one point: Valenciennes, Novara, Zaragoza and Nice all have two).
This is Málaga's second-highest points tally at the start of a new year in Primera (24pts), after 2003/04 (26pts but with one more game played).
Málaga have used the same starting XI from the previous game on the most occasions in the league this season (three, as with Sporting).
Málaga have won two of their three league games without JoaquÃn in the league this season (W2 D1).
Tiago scored his first and only brace in La Liga at the Rosaleda (3-0 in 10/11).
Málaga have picked up the most points in La Liga (8) thanks to goals scored in the final 30 minutes of matches.
Racing - Real Zaragoza
Racing have won just one of their last five games at home to Real Zaragoza in the league (D3 L1).
The maños are on a run of nine league games without a win (D1 L8), currently the longest such run in the Spanish top-flight.
The cántrabos are yet to score more than once on their own turf in the league this season.
Zaragoza have lost all 10 league games in which they have conceded the first goal this season.
Six of the last seven league meetings between Racing and Real Zaragoza have ended in draws.
Real Zaragoza have conceded the most goals in the league this season (31).
In 2010/11, just one of the four teams in LigaBBVA with under 15 points after 16 games ended the season relegated (AlmerÃa).
Real Zaragoza have conceded the most headed goals in the league this season (eight).
The racinguistas have conceded the fewest goals to opposition midfielders in the league this season (one, Xavi).
Racing and Zaragoza are the only two sides yet to score from outside the box in the league this season.
Rayo Vallecano - Sevilla
Reyes scored in Sevilla's last league defeat at Vallecas (2-1 in February 2002).
Sevilla have won just two of their 11 visits to Rayo Vallecano in Primera (W2 D2 L7).
Away from home, Sevilla have conceded the fewest goals in the league this season (three), but have also scored the fewest (three) and drawn the most (five).
Rayo Vallecano are on a run of five games without a win in the league, losing the last four.
Sevilla's last six league away games have produced just two goals in total.
Sevilla have failed to win any of the last three league games in which Jesus Navas has scored (D1 L2).
The side from Madrid's last three league goals have come in the 85th minute or later, each time coming as a consolation.
Trochowski is the most substituted player in LigaBBVA this season (11 times).
Rayo have not conceded a goal at home to a substitute in the league this season, while Sevilla have not scored away from home through a substitute.
Gónzalez Gónzalez has taken charge of three league games for Sevilla, with the nervionenses losing each of these.
Real Betis - Sporting de Gijón
It is 15 years since Sporting last won at Heliópolis in the league.
Real Betis have won their last four league games against Sporting, scoring at least twice in each.
In their last home match, Betis ended a run of 10 straight league games without a win.
Six of the last seven league goals from Betis have come in the last 10 minutes of games.
Preciado's Sporting have named an unnamed starting XI from the previous match on the most occasions in the league this season (three, with Málaga).
Real Betis are the only LigaBBVA side yet to concede a goal in the first 15 minutes of league matches this season.
Betis have conceded the most goals at home to substitutes in the league this season (3).
Sporting have taken the most points from losing positions in Primera (eight).
Sporting are one of three teams whose defenders are yet to score in La Liga this season (with Málaga and Villarreal).
Real Betis and Sporting have hit the woodwork on the joint-most occasions in the league this season (12). Only Liverpool (18) and Newcastle (13) have done this more often in Europe's top five leagues.
Real Madrid - Granada
The Whites have won 14 of their 17 league games at home to Granada (W14 D2 L1).
Madrid have won their first home game of the new year in each of the last 20 seasons (since 0-3 defeat vs Atlético in 1991).
If Real Madrid maintain their goals/game rate in the league this season (3.5), they would beat the current record of goals in a season (107 in 89/90) by 26.
Barcelona ended Real Madrid's run of eight straight league wins at home.
Granada have lost only three of their last six league meetings with Real Madrid (W1 D2 L1).
Real Madrid are the top scorers in the second half of LigaBBVA matches this season (32).
Granada are the lowest-scoring side in LigaBBVA this season (10), but only two sides have conceded fewer (16).
Fabri's men are unbeaten after taking the lead in La Liga this season (W5 D1).
Cristiano Ronaldo has been involved in the most goals in Europe's top five leagues this season (20g 6a), followed by Messi (17g 8a) and van Persie (17g 5a).
Since Angel Di MarÃa arrived, Real Madrid have won all five games without him playing, averaging 5.4 goals/game.
Granada's 10 league goals this season have been scored by nine different players.
Real Sociedad - Osasuna
Real Sociedad have won seven of their last nine league games at home to Osasuna.
Osasuna have more points after 16 league games than in any of the last five seasons (25).
Both sides go into this game on their best runs of the season: each team is unbeaten in their last five league games.
Osasuna have won only one of the 18 matches when they have played away from home in their first match of the new year (2-0 at Alavés in 2001/02).
Only Atlético (8) have scored more headed goals than Osasuna in the league this season (7).
Aguirettxe has scored the most headed goals in the league this season (4).
José Luis MendilÃbar's side has scored 67% of their goals in the first half, the highest proportion in Primera this season.
Real Sociedad have won both league matches in which they have opened the scoring at home this season.
The guipuzcoanos have taken five points thanks to goals scored in the final five minutes of league matches this season, only behind Real Betis (7).
Villarreal - Valencia
There has never been a goalless draw between these sides in Primera (24 games total).
Valencia have won only one of their last eight league matches at Villarreal (W1 D1 L6).
Valencia have conceded just one goal between the 31st and 60th minutes in the league this season.
Only Málaga have conceded a higher proportion of their goals in the first half this season in LigaBBVA than Villarreal (61%).
Los Che have benefitted from the most own goals in the league this season (three).
Villarreal have 18 points fewer at this stage than they had after 16 matches in Primera last season.
Valencia have picked up the most points thanks to goals scored in the last 15 minutes of LigaBBVA matches this season (eight).
Emery's men are also, along with Getafe, the side who have dropped the most points in the last 15 minutes of league games this season (seven).
Los Che have only once scored more than one goal at El Madrigal in LigaBBVA (02/03).
Fernández Borbalán has blown for the most fouls in Primera this season (278).
