What to look out for in LaLiga matchday 7
At home, Osasuna have lost just one of their last five matches against Valencia in LaLiga (W2 D2), the last one, 1-4 in September 2021 – only once have they have lost two consecutive games against the Ches at home in the competition (two in November 1991).
Osasuna are unbeaten in their last six home LaLiga games played on Friday (W2 D4) and Valencia have failed to win in their last three away from home that day in the competition (D1 L2), losing their last two.
Osasuna have gained 13 points after their first seven games in LaLiga 2022/23 (W4 D1 L2), their best tally at this stage of the season in the top-flight since 2005/06 (15) when they finished 4th.
Valencia have avoided defeat in two LaLiga games in a row for the first time this season (W1 D1) after losing three of their previous four matches in the competition (W1).
Only Real Madrid have won more points thanks to goals scored in the second half in LaLiga this season (9) than Osasuna (5, alongside Villarreal).
Only Barcelona (67.1 per cent) have a higher possession rate in LaLiga this season than Valencia (62 per cent), the highest on record for the Valencian side in the top-flight (since 2005-06).
Osasuna’s Ante Budimir has scored three goals against Valencia in LaLiga, his joint-best tally against an opponent in the competition (alongside Celta de Vigo and Cádiz).
Eray Cömert scored the drawing goal for Valencia in their last LaLiga game against Espanyol (2-2) – he is the fourth Switzerland player to score in the competition in the 21st Century after Fabio Celestini (2), Haris Seferovic (1) and Fabian Schär (2).
Osasuna boss Jagoba Arrasate has won five games against Valencia in LaLiga (W5 D2 L2), his joint-highest tally against an opponent in the competition (alongside Alavés and Cádiz).
UD Almería – Rayo Vallecano
Almería have lost their four games in LaLiga against Rayo Vallecano, failing to score in three – they are the only opponent they have lost the 100 per cent of their meetings against in the top-flight.
Rayo Vallecano have won 100 per cent of their games in LaLiga only against three opponents: Almería (4), CP Mérida (2) and Real Burgos (2).
Rayo Vallecano have won six of their nine away games against UD Almería in all competitions (L3), keeping a clean sheet in five of their last seven (L2), including their two wins in LaLiga (2-0 in October 2013 and 1-0 in December 2014).
Almería have lost their last four games in LaLiga, failing to score in all them – they have never lost five in a row without scoring in the top-flight.
Rayo Vallecano have won two of their last three games in LaLiga (L1), after winning only one of their previous nine in the competition (D3 L5).
Only Ousmane Dembélé (15) and Karim Benzema (13) have provided more assists in LaLiga since the beginning of the 2021/22 season than Rayo Vallecano’s Óscar Trejo (11, same as Vinícius Junior).
After scoring two goals in his first three appearances in LaLiga for Almería (with seven shots on target), Largie Ramazani has failed to score in his last four games in the competition (only one shot on target on aggregate).
Rayo Vallecano’s Radamel Falcao will play his first game in LaLiga against Almería. He has scored against 22 of the 26 teams he has faced in the competition, failing to do so only against Levante (4 games), Atlético de Madrid, Alaves and Elche (1).
Almería boss, Joan Frances Ferrer “Rubi” has lost only one of his four games as manager in LaLiga against Rayo Vallecano (W2 D1), winning the two at home and both for the same score (2-1 with Levante in January 2016 and 2-1 with Espanyol in February 2019).
Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola has won only one of his four games as a manager against Almería in all competitions (D1 L2), the last one, 1-0 with his current club in April 2021 in LaLiga SmartBank.
Atlético de Madrid – Girona FC
Atlético de Madrid are unbeaten in their four games against Girona in LaLiga (W1 D3), but they have won only one of them, the last one, 2-0 in April 2019.
Girona have drawn three games against Atlético de Madrid in LaLiga (G4 W0 D3 L1), against no side have they drawn more (alongside v Real Sociedad, G4 W0 D3 L1).
Atlético de Madrid have won only 16.7 per cent of their games in all competitions against Girona (G6 W1 D5 L0), their second lowest win per centage against an opponent under Diego Pablo Simeone (min. three games), after Barcelona (15.6 per cent – G32 W5 D11 L16).
Atlético de Madrid have lost two of their three home games in LaLiga 2022/23 (W1) – only in two complete seasons under Diego Pablo Simeone have they lost more games at home in the competition (three in 2012/13 and 2016/17).
Girona have failed to win in their last eight away games in LaLiga, losing seven of them (D1), their longest winless run away from home in the top-flight.
Only Real Madrid (6) have scored more goals from outside the box than Atlético de Madrid in LaLiga this season (four, alongside Rayo Vallecano) – the Red-And-White team have scored four goals from outside the box this term, already half than in the 2021/22 season (eight goals in 38 games).
Girona attempted eight shots on target in their last game in LaLiga against Real Sociedad, their second highest tally in a game in the top-flight (11 v Espanyol in November 2018).
Atlético de Madrid’s Álvaro Morata has scored four goals in seven appearances in LaLiga 2022/23 but all of them away from home – he scored his last goal at home in the competition in July 2020 with Atlético de Madrid v Mallorca (a brace).
Chisthian Stuani has scored four goals in three games with Girona against Atlético de Madrid in all competitions, including three headed goals. He is the second player who has scored the most headed goals against the Red-And-White team under Diego Pablo Simeone after Cristiano Ronaldo (5).
Girona boss Míchel Sánchez has failed to win in his three games as a manager against Atlético de Madrid in LaLiga (D1 L2), drawing only the last one, 0-0 with Huesca at El Alcoraz in September 2020.
Sevilla FC – Athletic Club
Sevilla have won their last two games against Athletic in LaLiga, keeping a clean sheet in both. Only in January 1944 (3) they won three in a row against the Basque side without conceding a goal in the top-flight.
Athletic Club have collected points in two of their last three away games in LaLiga against Sevilla (W1 D1 L1), same as in their previous nine matches away from home against them in the competition (W1 D1 L7).
Sevilla have won 65 of their 156 games against Athletic in LaLiga (D30 L61), only against Espanyol (72) have the Andalusian side won more matches in the competition.
Sevilla have gained only five points after their first seven LaLiga 2022/23 games (W1 D2 L4), their lowest tally at this stage of the season in the competition since 1996/97 (4 points, W1 D1 L5) when they finished 20th and were relegated.
Athletic have collected 16 points after their first seven LaLiga games this season (W5 D1 L1), their highest tally at this stage of the season in the top-flight since the 1956/57 (17 points, W5 D2), counting three points per win.
Athletic have faced just 1.9 shots on target per game in LaLiga this season, their lowest average on record in a single top-flight campaign (since 2003-04), and the lowest in the big five European leagues this term.
Among the players to have scored 3+ goals in LaLiga 2022/23, Athletic’s Oihan Sancet has the highest shot conversion rate (42.9 per cent).
Sevilla captain Jesús Navas has scored four goals against Athletic in LaLiga, more than against any other opponent. He has played 113 games without a goal in the competition, the third longest current run for a current outfield player in the competition after Dani García (175) and Djené Dakonam (149).
Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui has lost his two games against Athletic boss Ernesto Valverde, his joint-highest 100 per cent loss rate against a manager in the competition (along with Carlo Ancelotti).
Only against Real Madrid (12) has Athletic boss Ernesto Valverde lost more games in LaLiga as a manager than against Sevilla (10).
Getafe CF – Real Madrid CF
Getafe have collected points in two of their last three games against Real Madrid in LaLiga (W1 D1 L1), as many as in their previous 22 matches against the Whites in the competition (W1 D1 L20).
Real Madrid are winless in their last two away games against Getafe in LaLiga (D1 L1), failing to score in both, and they could equal their longest run without a win away from home against them in the competition (3, between 2005 and 2006, D1 L2).
Getafe have conceded 75 goals against Real Madrid in LaLiga, keeping a clean sheet in only five of their 34 matches against them in the competition – against no side have they conceded more in the top-flight (also 75 against Barcelona).
Getafe have won only one of their last 13 games in LaLiga against sides from Comunidad de Madrid (D3 L9), 1-0 v Real Madrid in January 2022, failing to score in 10 of them. Real Madrid have lost only two of their last 17 such matches (W11 D4).
Getafe have won only one of their last eight home games in LaLiga (D4 L3) after winning seven of their previous 10 at Coliseum in the competition (D3) – they lost their last match at home, against Real Valladolid, and only once they have lost two in a row at home under Quique Sánchez Flores (December 2004).
Real Madrid are unbeaten in their seven games played in LaLiga 2022/23 (W6 D1) but they have conceded a goal in each one – this is their longest conceding run in the competition since September 2019 (eight matches).
Real Madrid have gained the most points after conceding the first goal of the game in LaLiga this season (6), at least double that of any other side (Almería, Athletic, Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis, 3).
Getafe’s Damián Suárez scored in his last appearance in LaLiga, v Real Valladolid, after failing to do it in his previous 57 matches in the competition – he has lost more games against Real Madrid in the competition than against any other opponent (13).
Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema has scored nine away goals in LaLiga in the 2022 calendar year, more than any other player, scoring in six of his nine away appearances in the competition this year.
Getafe’s Quique Sánchez Flores has won his last two home games in LaLiga against Real Madrid, both 1-0, after losing his previous five at home against the White team in the competition.
Real Valladolid – Real Betis Balompié
Real Valladolid have won three of their last six meetings with Real Betis in LaLiga (D1 L2), having failed to win in their previous 11 matches against the Béticos in the top-flight (D7 L4).
Real Betis have won points in seven of their last eight away games against Real Valladolid in LaLiga (W3 D4 L1), only losing in July 2020 (0-2).
Following their win in January 2022 in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey (3-0), Real Betis can win two in a row against Real Valladolid in all competitions for the first time since February 2002 (three).
Real Valladolid won their last game in LaLiga, 3-2 against Getafe, and they haven’t won two in a row in the top-flight since November 2020 with Sergio González as coach.
Real Betis have lost two of their last four games in LaLiga (W2) – having gone unbeaten in their previous six (W5 D1) – including a loss in the last one played (0-1 against Celta de Vigo) – they last lost back-to-back games in the top-flight last March (2).
Real Betis (71) and Real Valladolid (75) are two of the three teams that have conceded the fewest fouls in LaLiga this season, along with Real Madrid (64).
Borja Iglesias has won eight points for Real Betis with his six goals in LaLiga 2022/23, more than any other player for his team in the competition this campaign.
Real Valladolid’s Sergio León scored a brace in the last LaLiga game – he’s scored two goals in six league appearances this term, having scored just three goals in 66 games across the previous three campaigns
Real Valladolid coach Pacheta has not won any of his three managerial meetings with Real Betis in all competitions (D1 L2), losing in both with Manuel Pellegrini as Betis coach.
Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini has not lost any of his last seven games against Real Valladolid in LaLiga (W4 D3), since a 0-3 defeat during his spell at Villarreal in November 2008.
Cádiz CF – RCD Espanyol
Cádiz have won just six of their 24 meetings with Espanyol in LaLiga (D9 L9), achieving five of those six wins in their last eight meetings against the Pericos in the competition (D1 L2).
Espanyol have won points in nine of their 12 away games against Cádiz in LaLiga (W2 D7) but haven’t won on Cadiz territory in the top-flight since February 1987 (2-0).
At home, Cádiz have drawn seven of their 12 games against Espanyol in LaLiga (W3 L2), equalling their highest record of draws at home against the same opponent in the competition (Osasuna – G14 V3 D7 L4).
Cádiz have not lost or conceded a goal in their last two LaLiga games (W1 D1), having lost the previous five in the competition without scoring – they have not gone three straights matches without a defeat in the top-flight since last March (W1 D3).
Espanyol have won just one of their last 14 LaLiga games (D5 L8), 1-0 against Athletic, although they have only suffered one defeat in the last four they have played away from home in the competition (W1 D2).
Espanyol are the team that have hit the woodwork the most this season in LaLiga (6) and the team that have hit the most in a single game this league campaign, three against Rayo Vallecano (also three Barcelona v Real Valladolid).
Cádiz player Álvaro Negredo has scored eight goals in 15 games against Espanyol in LaLiga, the same as against four other teams. Only against Valencia (11 goals in 16 games) he has scored more goals in the competition.
Espanyol’s Joselu Mato has scored in each of his three meetings with Cádiz in LaLiga (four goals), including in his two league visits to Nuevo Mirandilla (three goals). Against no opponent has the striker managed to score in four consecutive games in the competition.
Cádiz coach Sergio González has only lost one of his five managerial games against Espanyol in LaLiga (W2 D2) and it was away: 1-3 with Real Valladolid in March 2019.
Espanyol coach Diego Martínez has drawn six of his 13 meetings with Cádiz in all competitions (W3 L4), more than against any other opponent in his managerial career.
Real Sociedad – Villarreal CF
After their victory at La Cerámica in May 2022 (2-1), Real Sociedad can win two games in a row against Villarreal in LaLiga for the second time in history after the two wins achieved in February (2-1) and November (1-0) of 2002.
Villarreal have won 10 of their 19 away games against Real Sociedad in LaLiga (D6 L3), recording more away wins against the San Sebastián side than against any other rival in the top-flight.
Real Sociedad have only won 15.8 per cent of their home games against Villarreal (G19 W3 D6 L10), their lowest per centage of home wins against the same opponent in all top-flight history.
Real Sociedad have won their last two games in LaLiga last winning three on the bounce in the competition in September 2021 (3).
Villarreal have only lost one of the seven games they have played in LaLiga this season (W3 D3 L1) and have kept a clean sheet in five of them – only Barcelona have kept a clean sheet more times in the competition in the current campaign (6).
In the last LaLiga match against Girona, Alexander Sorloth’s goal came following a sequence of 20 uninterrupted passes. Since Opta started recording such data (2005/06), only Kevin Rodrigues (25 passes against Real Madrid in September 2017) has scored a goal for Real Sociedad in LaLiga following a longer passing sequence.
Real Sociedad’s Brais Méndez has been directly involved in five goals in nine games against Villarreal in LaLiga (three goals and two assists), more than against any other opponent in the top-flight.
Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno has scored seven goals in 13 games against Real Sociedad in LaLiga, equalling his best mark against an opponent in the competition, along with Eibar (seven goals in 14 games) and Levante (seven in 13).
Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil has not won any of his four home matches against Villarreal in LaLiga (D1 L3), the last two with Unai Emery on the Villarreal bench (D1 L1).
Villarreal manager Unai Emery has only won one of his last seven games against Real Sociedad in LaLiga (D2 L4) but has won points in three of the last four (W1 D2).
FC Barcelona – RC Celta de Vigo
Barcelona have only won four of their last 10 meetings with Celta de Vigo in LaLiga (D4 L2) but can win two in a row against the Galicians for the first time in the competition since March 2014 (also two).
Celta de Vigo have won points in two of their last five away games against Barcelona in LaLiga (W1 D1), having lost in seven of their previous nine visits to Spotify Camp Nou in the competition (W1 D1).
Barcelona have won their last six LaLiga games, keeping a clean sheet in the last five – they haven’t gone six games without conceding in the competition since May 2015 (W6).
Celta de Vigo have won three of their last five LaLiga games (L2), including a victory on their last visit to Catalonia (1-0 against Girona last August), as many wins as in their previous 13 games in the competition (W3 D3 L7).
Barcelona are the team with the highest conversion rate in LaLiga 2022/23 (14.6 per cent), the highest for the Blaugrana side in a season in the top-flight since 2019/20 (17.4 per cent).
Barcelona are the only team that have not conceded first in LaLiga this season and have won all six games in which they have scored the first goal, while Celta de Vigo have conceded the first goal of the game on three occasions losing all of them.
If he appears, Joseph Aidoo will play his 100th game for Celta de Vigo in all competitions – Barcelona are the opponent he has faced the most in any competition without ever winning (five, D2 L3, same as against Sevilla).
Robert Lewandowski has scored nine goals in his first seven games in LaLiga 2022/23 – he can become the fifth player to score 10 or more goals in the first eight games of a campaign in the competition in the 21st century after Cristiano Ronaldo (two times), Lionel Messi (three times), Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao.
Celta de Vigo captain Iago Aspas has scored 10 goals in 15 games against Barcelona in LaLiga, equalling the best mark by a player against Barça in the competition in the 21st century (Diego Forlán, 10 goals in 11 duels).
Eduardo Coudet has met Barcelona on three occasions as Celta de Vigo manager in LaLiga, all three against a different coach and reaping the three possible results: 2-1 victory with Ronald Koeman as Blaugrana coach, 3-3 draw against Sergi Barjuán and a 1-3 loss against Xavi Hernández.
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Elche CF – RCD Mallorca
Elche have gone five games in a row without losing against Mallorca in LaLiga (W2 D3), their best streak without defeat against the vermilion team in the top-flight.
Mallorca have not won any of their 18 away games against Elche in all competitions (D7 L11) although they have drawn in three of their last five visits (L2).
Only against Racing de Santander (G7 W6 D1) have Elche played more home games without losing in LaLiga than against Mallorca (G6 W4 D2, level with four other teams).
Elche have only won two of their seven home games on a Monday in LaLiga (D3 L2) while Mallorca have never won an away game on that day of the week in the top-flight (G11 D2 L9).
Elche have not won any of their last seven games in LaLiga, losing six of them (D1), including defeat in each of their last five – they have never lost six in a row in their history in the top-flight.
Mallorca have lost just one of their last five away games in LaLiga (W2 D2), the last one played (1-4 against Real Madrid), having lost their previous nine trips in the competition.
Only Cádiz (3.2) have a lower Expected Goals tally than Mallorca (4.7) and Elche (4.8) in LaLiga this season, although the Balearic side have scored twice as many goals (6) as Elche (3) in competition this term.
Since the start of last April, Vedat Muriqi has scored six goals for Mallorca in LaLiga, just four fewer than the rest of his teammates combined (10).
Lucas Boyé has only scored a brace once in his 77 LaLiga games, with that coming against Mallorca in November 2021 as Elche drew 2-2 at the Visit Mallorca Estadi.
Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre has lost two of his three games against Elche in LaLiga (W1), both away: 1-2 with Espanyol in October 2013 and 0-3 with his current club in April 2022.