LaLiga Matchweek 5: What the stats say

RC Celta de Vigo v Cádiz CF
September 17, 2021

Celta de Vigo have avoided defeat in their last six LaLiga games against Cádiz (W3 D3), keeping a clean sheet in the last three, their longest unbeaten run against them in the top-flight.

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Celta de Vigo have won 85.7% of their home LaLiga games against Cádiz (P7 W6 D0 L1), their highest percentage at home against an opponent (minimum five games played).

After five wins in a row between April and May, Celta de Vigo have failed to win any of their last five LaLiga games (D1 L4), including the four played this term (D1 L3).

Celta de Vigo have collected only one point after their first four LaLiga 2021/22 games, equalling their worst tally at this stage of the season in the 21st century - in 2016/17 (W0 D1 L3) when they finished 13th.

Cádiz have failed to win any of their last seven LaLiga games (D3 L4). They have collected only two points this term (D2 L2), their second worst tally at this stage of the season in the top-flight (one point in 1988/89, W0 D1 L3).

Cádiz are unbeaten in their three LaLiga games played on a Friday (W1 D2), while Celta de Vigo have lost only one of their last seven played on that day in the competition (W3 D3).

Cádiz have a league-low 29.2% possession this season, the lowest for a team in the top-flight since, at least, the 2005/06 season.

Cádiz’s Álvaro Negredo scored his first hat-trick in LaLiga in March 2013 against Celta de Vigo, as a Sevilla player.

Between them, Iago Aspas (5, 2 goals and 3 assists) and Santi Mina (6, 5 goals and 1 assist) have been involved in 9 of Celta de Vigo’s last 12 goals in LaLiga.

Cádiz’s Álvaro Cervera has failed to win in his four games as a manager against Celta de Vigo in all competitions - two in LaLiga and two in Liga Smartbank (D1 L3).

Rayo Vallecano v Getafe CF
September 18, 2021

Rayo Vallecano have lost their last two LaLiga games against Getafe, both in the 2018/19 season, after losing only one of their previous 10 against them in the competition (W8 D1 L1).

Getafe are the opponent in which Rayo Vallecano have faced the most times in LaLiga while scoring at least one goal in each game (100% - 12 games, 19 goals scored in total).

Getafe have only collected points in two of their last eight away games against Rayo Vallecano in all competitions (W2 L6), after doing so in each of their previous three prior to this run (W2 D1).

Rayo Vallecano have lost four of their last five home LaLiga games against Madrilean sides (W1), while Getafe have lost five of their last six of such games away from home (W1), failing to score in those five defeats.

Rayo Vallecano are unbeaten in their last two LaLiga games (W1 D1), their longest run in the competition since December 2018-January 2019 (W4 D1).

Getafe have lost their first four LaLiga games of a season for the first time. Only three teams have lost their opening five games in a single season in the top-flight in the 21st century: Sporting de Gijón in 2008, Alavés and Málaga in 2017.

Getafe have lost their last four LaLiga games, equalling their longest run in the competition in their 152 games under José Bordalás (February 2021) – this is their longest winless run in the top-flight under Michel.

Rayo Vallecano have conceded five goals in LaLiga 2021/22, which is 2.2 fewer than the 7.18 Expected Goals Against (xGA) they would normally expect to have conceded based on chances created against them, the biggest differential in the competition.

Rayo Vallecano’s Radamel Falcao has scored in two of his four LaLiga appearances against Getafeboth as an Atlético de Madrid player.

Getafe’s Michel is unbeaten in his two games as a manager against Rayo Vallecano in all competitions, both in LaLiga as Sevilla boss (W1 D1).

Atlético Madrid v Athletic Club
September 18, 2021

Atlético de Madrid have won only two of their last five LaLiga games against Athletic (D1 L2), after winning nine of their previous 11 against them (D2) – they lost their last game vs Athletic in the competition, last losing two in a row against them in 2011 (2).

At home, Atlético de Madrid are unbeaten in LaLiga against Athletic under Diego Pablo Simeone (W9 D1), after losing three of their previous four games at home against the Basque side in the competition (W1).

Athletic have failed to win in their last seven away LaLiga games against Madrilean sides (D4 L3) since a win 1-0 vs Leganés in April 2019.

The last time Atlético de Madrid played a LaLiga game on 18th September was in 2011 when they won 4-0 vs Racing de Santander – Radamel Falcao scored his first goal in the competition in that game (a hat-trick).

Athletic have won their last two LaLiga games, keeping a clean sheet in both - 1-0 vs Celta de Vigo and 2-0 vs Mallorca. They last won three in a row without conceding in the competition in March 2015 (3) under Ernesto Valverde.

Atlético de Madrid have collected 10 points after their first four LaLiga 2021/22 games (W3 D1) and, if they win, they will equal their second-highest tally at this stage of the season in the 21st century (13 points, W4 D1 in 2012/13), after their 15 points in 2013/14 (W5).

Atlético de Madrid have made a league-high 45 high turnovers in LaLiga this season (11.3 on average per game) this season.

Atlético de Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann has scored nine goals against Athletic in LaLiga, his best tally against any single opponent (alongside Valencia). The Frenchman has been involved in seven goals in 11 home LaLiga appearances against the Basque side in the competition (four goals and three assists).

If he plays in this game, Athletic’s Iñaki Williams will reach 200 consecutive LaLiga appearances, becoming the second player to reach this number in the competition ever after Jon Andoni Larrañaga (202).

Athletic’s Marcelino García Toral has won only one of his 10 away LaLiga games against Atlético de Madrid (D2 L7), 1-0 as Villarreal boss in December 2014.

Elche CF v Levante UD
September 18, 2021

Elche have only lost two of their 10 LaLiga matches against Levante (W4 D4), both coming away from home: 2-0 in April 1965 and 2-1 in December 2013.

Elche have played five home matches in LaLiga against Levante without losing (W3 D2) - against no other current LaLiga team they have played more top-flight games without a home defeat (also five against Mallorca, W3 D2).

Elche have lost only one of their last seven Valencia derbies in LaLiga (W2 D4) - 1-0 against Valencia last January, while Levante have won just one of their last nine league derbies (D2 L6) - 1-0 against Valencia in March.

Elche have won three of their last six LaLiga matches (D2 L1), as many wins as in their previous 31 games in the competition (W3 D11 L17).

Levante are winless in their last 12 LaLiga matches (D6 L6), equalling their second-worst historical run in the competition (P12 D3 L9 between 2005 and 2006) after the 15 they suffered (D6 L9) between 2017 and 2018.

Elche have attempted the fewest shots of any side in LaLiga this season (27), averaging 6.75 per game, also the lowest average by any side in the big five European leagues this campaign.

Elche's Lucas Pérez has been involved in five goals in eight meetings with Levante in LaLiga (two goals and three assists), including two assists in his first meeting against them in the competition, in May 2015 with Deportivo La Coruña.

Levante's Roger Martí has been involved in four goals in his last five LaLiga appearances (three goals and one assist) and he is one goal (70) away from equalling José Paredes as Levante’s all-time leading scorer in all competitions (71).

José Luis Morales, the first player to reach the 50-goal mark for Levante in LaLiga, has scored three of the Granota side's last four away goals in LaLiga, including his team's only away goal of this campaign in a 1-1 draw with Cádiz.

Elche coach Fran Escribá has not lost any of his four LaLiga home matches against Levante, winning three of them (W3 D1), three with Elche and one with Getafe.

Deportivo Alavés v CA Osasuna
September 18, 2021

Alavés have not won in their last five games against Osasuna in LaLiga (D1 L4), since a 1-0 victory in November 2016, their longest winless streak against the Navarrese in the competition.

After winning in their first home match in LaLiga against Osasuna, 2-0 in October 2000, Alavés have not won in any of their last six home matches against them (D1 L5), failing to score in the last three.

Osasuna are unbeaten in their last nine visits to Basque teams in LaLiga (W5 D4), after having lost nine of the previous 13 (W1 D3).

Alavés have lost their first three games of a season in LaLiga for a third time and the first since 2017/18, a campaign in which they suffered their worst start in their top-flight history by losing their first six games.

Osasuna have won just one of their last five LaLiga away games (D1 L3), a 3-2 win over against Cadiz, conceding two goals in each of those five games.

Osasuna have scored four goals in LaLiga in 2021/22 but their Expected Goals (xG) figure is 6.6, indicating they have scored 2.6 goals fewer than expected based on their chances, the highest negative differential in the competition this campaign.

Among all ever-present LaLiga teams in 2021, Osasuna have scored the highest percentage of their goals from headers (26% - 7/27).

Osasuna's Kike García scored his only hat-trick in 157 LaLiga appearances in his last LaLiga game against Alavés in May 2021, at Ipurua with Eibar.

Joselu has been involved in five of Alavés' last eight LaLiga goals (four goals and one assist), including the club's only goal in the competition in the current campaign against Real Madrid.

Alavés goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco has the lowest save percentage in LaLiga this season among all goalkeepers who have played at least two matches (38.5%).

RCD Mallorca v Villarreal CF
September 19, 2021

Mallorca have won two of their last three matches against Villarreal in LaLiga (L1), as many victories as in their previous 22 matches against the Yellows in the competition (W2 D8 L12).

Villarreal have avoided the defeat in just one of their last four visits to Mallorca in LaLiga (D1 L3), after being unbeaten in the previous eight away against the Bermellons in the competition (W5 D3).

Villarreal have not lost any of their last 10 matches against newly-promoted opponents in LaLiga (W4 D6), since a 3-1 defeat in November 2019 against Mallorca at the Visit Mallorca Estadi, a match in which Takefusa Kubo scored his first goal in the competition.

Mallorca have lost just one of their last six home games in LaLiga (W3 D2), a 1-2 reverse against Granada in July 2020, after having lost five of the previous seven (W2).

Villarreal have not won any of their three matches in LaLiga in 2021/22, drawing all three games. Only six teams have drawn their first four matches of the season in the competition, with the last side to do so Celta Vigo in 1998/99.

Only Barcelona (37) have attempted fewer crosses in LaLiga this season than Villarreal (39) and Mallorca (44).

Yeremi Pino has been involved in Villarreal's last three goals in LaLiga, scoring one goal and assisting twice. Against Atletico Madrid, he became the third Villarreal player to provide two assists in an away game in the competition since the start of 2016/17, following Pablo Fornals vs Deportivo in May 2018 and Gerard Moreno vs Eibar in March 2021.

Mallorca have won five of their six LaLiga games in which Dani Rodriguez scored, with the other game a 2-1 defeat in November 2019 against Levante - he scored the winning goal in their last LaLiga win, 1-0 against Espanyol on MD3 of this campaign.

The Visit Mallorca Estadi is the stadium that Villarreal player Dani Parejo has visited the most times in his career in LaLiga without managing neither a win or a goal (five matches).

Villarreal coach Unai Emery has only won two of his 11 matches against Mallorca in LaLiga (D5 L4) although the last of these victories was away from home, 2-1 with Valencia in March 2011.

Real Sociedad v Sevilla FC
September 19, 2021

Real Sociedad are winless in their last seven matches against Sevilla in LaLiga (D2 L5) and have never gone eight games in a row without a victory against the Sevillians in the competition.

Sevilla have only lost in one of their last five visits against Real Sociedad in LaLiga (W2 D2), losing 3-1 in December 2017, a game in which Ben Yedder scored the Nervión side's 3,700th goal in the top-flight.

Sevilla have won in their last three visits to Basque sides in LaLiga, scoring two goals in each of those matches; they had won three of their previous 14 visits to Basque teams prior to this (W3 D4 L7).

Real Sociedad have won their last five home games in LaLiga and could record six straight wins at home in the competition for the first since January 2014 (six) with Jagoba Arrasate as coach.

Sevilla are unbeaten in their three matches in LaLiga in 2021/22 (W2 D1) and could remain unbeaten in their first four matches for a fourth time in the last six seasons (2018/19 and 2020/21 the exceptions).

Sevilla have received one yellow card for every 11 fouls in LaLiga this season (33 fouls committed, three cards), the highest figure for a team in the competition this season.

Sevilla's Youssef En-Nesyri has scored six goals against Real Sociedad in LaLiga, more than against any other opponent in the competition, including four goals in their two meetings against them in the last league campaign.

Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal has failed to score in his six LaLiga home games against Sevilla, his joint-most games at home without scoring against an opponent (also six against Levante).

No player has created more goalscoring chances than Sevilla defender Marcos Acuña in LaLiga this season (12, level with Athletic's Iker Muniain).

Real Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil has managed six LaLiga matches against Sevilla without winning any of them (D1 L5) – only against Barcelona has he managed more without winning in the competition (G7 D1 L6).

Real Betis Balompié v RCD Espanyol
September 19, 2021

Real Betis are unbeaten in their last five matches against Espanyol in LaLiga (W3 D2), after losing each of their previous three beforehand. They have not gone six without defeat against them in the competition since January 2004 (W3 D3).

At home, Real Betis have won four of their last seven games against Espanyol in LaLiga (D1 L2), twice as many as they managed in their previous 17 home games against the Periquitos in the competition (W2 D8 L7).

Real Betis have not lost any of their last 11 matches against newly-promoted opponents in LaLiga (W7 D4) since a 1-0 defeat at Granada in October 2019.

Only once before have Real Betis played a home LaLiga game against Espanyol on Matchday 5, a 1-0 win in September 2012 thanks to Paulao's first goal in the competition.

Real Betis have not won either of their two home games in LaLiga 2021/22 (D1 L1), while they have not started a campaign in the competition without a win in their first three at home since 2008/09 (D1 L2) under Francisco Chaparro.

Espanyol have not won any of their last 14 matches in LaLiga (D4 L10), their second-longest ever winless streak in the top-flight (behind a run of 19 matches between 1988 and 1989 - D9 L10).

Real Betis' Willian José has scored seven goals in 10 LaLiga matches against Espanyol, more than he has against any other opponent in the competition, including two braces as a Real Sociedad player, one in January 2019 and one in September 2019.

No other player has attempted more shots without scoring in LaLiga this season than Espanyol's Adrián Embarba (12, level with Getafe's Mauro Arambarri).

Espanyol's Sergi Darder has scored three goals against Real Betis in LaLiga, his joint-highest tally against an opponent in the division (also three against Villarreal), scoring in two of his last three games against them in the competition.

Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini has only lost two of his 17 managerial matches against Espanyol in LaLiga (W10 D5), but one of those defeats came in his last meeting with the Periquitos in the competition, a 0-2 reverse at home with Malaga in March 2013.

Valencia CF v Real Madrid CF
September 19, 2021

Valencia have conceded at least one goal in each of their last 18 matches against Real Madrid in LaLiga (38 goals conceded overall), their longest streak without keeping a clean sheet against Los Blancos in the competition since 1995 (19).

Real Madrid have only won one of their last seven visits to Mestalla in LaLiga (D2 L4), a 1-4 victory in January 2018, which was also the last time the Valencian side conceded two goals from the penalty spot in a single match in the competition (both scored by Cristiano Ronaldo).

Real Madrid have only won one of their last nine visits to Valencian sides in LaLiga (D5 L3), winning 0-2 against Levante in October 2020.

Valencia are unbeaten after their first four games in LaLiga 2021/22 (W3 D1), equalling their best points tally at this stage of a campaign in the competition in the 21st century (10 points), achieved on eight occasions in this time, most recently in 2014/15.

Real Madrid have gone 22 straight games without defeat in LaLiga (W16 D6), the best ongoing streak of any team in the competition, and their best unbeaten league run since going 28 games under Zinedine Zidane between March 2016 and January 2017 (W24 D4).

Since his LaLiga debut on December 10, 2016, only Luis Suárez and Joselu (six each) have scored more goals against Real Madrid in the competition than Valencia's Carlos Soler (5).

Carlos Soler is one of only two Spanish players to have scored a hat-trick against Real Madrid in LaLiga in the 21st century (November 2020 at Mestalla), alongside Real Sociedad's Xabi Prieto (January 2013 at the Santiago Bernabéu).

Only against Granada (14) and Athletic (13) has Real Madrid's Karim Benzema scored more LaLiga goals than he has against Valencia (10) - the Frenchman has scored at least one goal in each of his last five games against Los Che in the competition (six goals in this period).

No player has had more shots on target without scoring than Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard in LaLiga this season (four, level with Espanyol's Adrián Embarba and Real Betis' Nabil Fekir).

Valencia coach José Bordalás has managed eight LaLiga matches against Real Madrid without a win (D2 L6), his joint-highest tally against a particular opponent that he is yet to beat once in the competition, along with Atlético de Madrid (P8 D1 L7). Indeed, his sides have failed score in his last six league meetings against Los Blancos.

FC Barcelona v Granada CF
September 20, 2021

Barcelona have lost two of their last four matches against Granada in LaLiga (W2), as many defeats as in their previous 27 matches against them in the competition before this (W23 D2 L2).

At home, Barcelona have won 24 of their 25 matches against Granada in LaLiga, with the only exception coming in their loss in their last meeting at Camp Nou in the competition, a 1-2 defeat last April.

Barcelona have won each of the last seven games they have played on a Monday in LaLiga since a 3-4 loss in January 1998 against Valencia, while Granada have won none of the last seven they have played on this day of the week in the competition (D3 L4).

Only once in the 21st century have Barcelona won a league game at Camp Nou in which they have conceded three or more goals, while that came against Granada in their 5-3 win in March 2012 under Pep Guardiola.

Barcelona are unbeaten in their three games in LaLiga 2021/22 (W2 D1), while should they win or draw this fixture they will have their highest point total from their first four games of a league campaign since 2018/19, when they won each of their opening four such matches.

Granada are winless in their last nine LaLiga matches (D3 L6), earning just two points in 2021/22 (D2 L2) which equals their worst total at this stage of the competition in the 21st century (also two points in 2012/13 and 2016/17).

Only Lazio (26.5%) and PSG (25%) have a better shot conversion rate than Barcelona (24.1%) in the big-five European leagues this season so far.

Memphis Depay could become the third Barcelona player to be directly involved in a goal in each of his first four LaLiga appearances for the club in the 21st century (two goals and an assist so far), after Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2009 (four goals, two assists) and Cesc Fabregas in 2011 (four goals, four assists).

Luuk de Jong is the only current Barcelona player to have previously scored a goal against Granada in LaLiga, finding the net in January 2020 at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán as a Sevilla player.

Luis Suárez has scored both of Granada's goals in LaLiga this season - he has scored a total of seven goals in league competition for the club, although he has won just two of the seven such games in which he has scored for them (W2 D2 L3).