Friday, January 25, 2013

OPTA Facts La Liga 2012-13 Matchday 21


Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad
Celta Vigo have lost their last two top-flight clashes against Real Sociedad; they have not lost three in a row against them since 1982/83.
Vigo have won five of their last seven against Sociedad at the Balaidos in La Liga (D1 L1).
The last time Real Sociedad won in Vigo in La Liga was way back in 2003/04 (5-2); coincidentally the season Celta were relegated from the Primera.
Paco Herrera's side have won just one of their last seven league games (D2 L4), though this was in their most recent home game (3-1 v Valladolid).
Defeat in the Bernabeu in their most recent away game ended an unbeaten run on the road of four games for Real Sociedad (W2 D2).
Imanol Agirretxe, who scored the winner against Barcelona last time out, scored his only brace of the season so far against Celta.
Iago Aspas has scored in four of Celta Vigo's five wins this season (five goals in total).
Real Sociedad have recouped a league-high 11 points after conceding the first goal so far this term.
Celta Vigo have conceded exactly one goal in each of their last seven league games.

Levante v Real Valladolid
Levante have lost their last three against Valladolid in La Liga, failing to register a single goal in the process (six goals conceded).
There has never been a draw between Levante and Real Valladolid in the top-flight.
JIM's side have lost their last two league games; they have not lost three in a row since November 2011.
Real Valladolid have won their last two league games; they have not won three in a row this season.
Obafemi Martins, top scorer for Levante with six goals, has still not scored a goal in 2013.
Real Valladolid had 77% of possession in the reverse fixture against Levante this season, the most of all teams in a single game this term excluding Barcelona.
Levante have won more points thanks to goals in the final five minutes than any other team in La Liga this season (seven).
Djukic's side have made more successful long passes than any other team this season (824), while JIM's side have made the fewest (384).

Real Zaragoza v Espanyol
Real Zaragoza have won their last four league meetings with Espanyol, their best ever run against the Pericos in La Liga.
The Blue-and-Whites have lost on four of their last five trips to La Romareda in La Liga, claiming their only point in this run back in December 2007 (3-3).
The last time Zaragoza lost four or more consecutive top-flight games, then-manager and current Espanyol gaffer Javier Aguirre was sacked in December 2011.
After only seven games played, Espanyol have won more games under Aguirre (three) than they did in 13 under Pochettino this term (two).
Only Falcao (seven) has scored more penalties than Zaragoza's Apono this season (four).
Espanyol have lost more points following goals conceded in the final five minutes than any other top-flight team this season (five).
Zaragoza are yet to lose a game in which they have scored the first goal this season (W5 D1).
Espanyol have netted a league-high seven goals from corners this season.
Paco Montanes is the only Zaragoza player to have scored a goal from outside the area at La Romareda this season.

Deportivo v Valencia
Deportivo are winless in 13 league games against Valencia (D5 L8).
The last meeting between the sides at the Riazor ended in a 2-0 win for Valencia and resulted in relegation for Depor after 20 successive seasons in the top-flight.
Since 2004/05, Valencia have won more times at the Riazor than any other La Liga side (five).
Deportivo have the opportunity to win successive home games in the Primera for the first time since April 2011.
Valverde's side have won their last two away league games; 2-1 in Granada and 1-0 in Osasuna.
Between them, Riki (four) and Pizzi (three) have scored 64% of Deportivo's home league goals this season.
Roberto Soldado has scored three of the last four league goals scored by Valencia against Deportivo.
Deportivo have conceded a league-high 10 headed goals this season, while Valencia have scored a joint-high eight in this way.
Only Real Madrid (20) and Barcelona (15) have hit the woodwork more often than Deportivo (11) this season.

Real Madrid v Getafe
Real Madrid have won seven of their last eight derbies against Getafe, though the one they lost in this run came earlier in this campaign (1-2).
The Whites have won their last four against the Blues on home soil, scoring exactly four times in each of their last two.
Getafe have only won one of their eight top-flight trips to the Bernabeu; 1-0 in February 2008, Madrid's last home league derby defeat.
Mourinho's side have only won two of their last five league games (D2 L1) but remain unbeaten at home this season (W7 D2).
The Blues are winless in six away league games (D4 L2).
Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo (eight each) have scored 16 of Real Madrid's last 22 goals against Getafe in La Liga.
Getafe's first ever goal against Real Madrid in La Liga was scored by current Real player Raul Albiol back in 2005.
Angel Di Maria scored his first away brace for Real Madrid against Valencia last time out.
Adrian Colunga has provided 20% of all assists for Getafe this season, the highest proportion of any La Liga striker.
Real Madrid have scored a league-high six goals on the counter attack this season.

Rayo Vallecano v Real Betis
Rayo Vallecano have won their last three against Real Betis in La Liga, their best ever run against the side from Sevilla.
Real Betis have won four of their eight previous trips to Vallecas in the Primera, but are winless in their last three (2D 1L).
Rayo have won their last two home league games; they last won three on the bounce in the top-flight back in 2001/02.
Real Betis, meanwhile, have won their last three away league games, their best top-flight run since February 1997 (four in a row).
Only Leo Messi (14 with 29 goals) has won more points with his goals than Piti (13 with nine) this season.
Ruben Castro needs one goal to become the leading Spanish scorer for Real Betis in this millennium (currently level with Joaquin and Fernando on 28).
Rayo have won more points with goals in the last 10 minutes (eight) than any other La Liga team this season.
Only Barcelona (37) and Real Madrid (22) have scored more away goals than Betis (17) this season.

Barcelona v Osasuna
Barcelona have won five of their last six league games against Osasuna (1L).
The Catalan giants have won seven of their last eight against the Reds in the Camp Nou (1L).
Osasuna have only scored once in these eight trips to face Barcelona, but that goal by Pandiani was enough to record their most recent win in the Camp Nou.
Barcelona defeated Osasuna 8-0 on home soil last season and in doing so inflicted on the Navarrans their joint-heaviest top-flight defeat.
The Catalan side have not lost successive league games since May 2009, though the second in this run came against Osasuna.
Osasuna have won just one of their last nine away league games (D2 L6), though that win came in Barcelona (3-0 v Espanyol).
Lionel Messi, who scored both away goals in the reverse fixture, has netted eight of Barcelona's last 14 in this fixture.
Messi has scored in his last 10 league games, his best record in La Liga.
Barcelona have the best conversion rate in La Liga this season (29.5%) while Osasuna have the worst (8.2%).

Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid
Over the last 10 clashes between Athletic and Atletico, the sides have an equal record (five wins apiece).
The two red-and-white sides have not shared the spoils since December 2005, when they drew 1-1 in the San Mames.
Over the last seven years, Atletico Madrid have won four away games against Bilbao; against no side have they won more on the road in this period.
Only against Valencia (seven) has Fernando Llorente scored more La Liga goals than against Atletico (five).
Madrid have not lost either of their two games without Falcao this season (W1 D1), with Raul Garcia finding the net in both of them.
Aritz Aduriz has scored 48% of Athletic's goals this season, the highest proportion of any player in the top-flight.
Only Barcelona and Manchester United (18) have won more games than Atletico in the top five European leagues this season (15).
Diego Simeone's side have scored just one goal in the first 15 minutes all season, a league-low.
The Lions have conceded seven goals to penalties already this season, the most in La Liga.

Mallorca v Malaga
Malaga have only lost one of their last nine against Mallorca in La Liga (D4 L4).
On the Island, Mallorca have only mustered one win in their last six against the Andalusian side in the top-flight (D2 L3).
Joaquin Caparros' side have won just one of their last 15 league games (D3 L11) - a 2-1 victory at Betis in December 2012.
Mallorca have failed to win any of their last six on home soil (D2 L4), their worst run since January 2007 (eight).
The last time Mallorca had exactly 17 points after 20 games was 2008/09; they finished that campaign in ninth place.
Mallorca have conceded a league-high nine goals from outside the area this term, including a league-high three from direct free kicks.
Roque Santa Cruz has scored four of his five league goals from the bench this term; he has scored more goals as a substitute than any other La Liga player.
Malaga have conceded just two goals from set pieces all season, the lowest figure in the Spanish top-flight.

Sevilla v Granada
Last season, Granada won their first ever La Liga away game against Sevilla at the 14th attempt (D2).
Sevilla have only won one of their last eight league games (D2 L5).
Granada have conceded at least once in each of their last 13 away league games, their worst run since promotion in 2011.
Quique Pina's side have seen a pattern of loss, draw, win over their last six league games. For this to continue, they are due a defeat here.
Sevilla top scorer Alvaro Negredo (eight goals) has now gone five league matches without a strike, his worst run of the season.
Sevilla, who have suffered a league-high eight red cards this season, suffered their first expulsion of the season in the first round against Granada (Diego Lopez).
Granada have scored just 11 goals from inside the area (excluding penalties) all season, a league-low.
Jesus Navas has had more shots without a goal than any other player in La Liga this term (38).
Recio scored his first goal for Granada against Rayo last week with his first (and so far only) shot of the season.