MADRID, 3 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
With the dispute on Wednesday and Thursday of the matches postponed for the Spanish Super Cup between Betis and FC Barcelona, ??and between Real Madrid and Valencia, the first round of LaLiga Santander was officially completed. We review some of the data from this first section of the championship.
1. A winter champion with an iron fist. FC Barcelona has taken the lead in the fight for the title with a five-point advantage over Real Madrid and after dropping only seven points in this first round, after a defeat, at the Bernabéu, and two draws at the Spotify Camp Nou (Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol).
2. League of two? After the first 19 games, it seems that the title could be a one-on-one between the blaugranas and the madridistas, especially if they keep up their points rhythm and take the fight close to 90 points. Real Sociedad, third, is 11 behind the lead, and Atlético, fourth, already 16.
3. The fight for the Champions League. At the moment, the Gipuzkoan team and the mattress are the occupants of the other two places for the Champions League. Imanol Alguacil’s men have an income of eight points over fifth (Villarreal) and they have it well on track at the moment, while Diego Pablo Simeone’s men, despite their irregular first round, have a three-point advantage.
4. Europe. In addition to Real and Atlético, Villarreal and Betis are immersed in the struggle to reach fifth and sixth place, both with 31 points, with Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna, two theoretical teams with permanence as their objective, with 29. and 28, while Athletic Club has dropped somewhat (26).
5. Descent. One more year is also tense, although Elche, bottom with six points, still without winning and 14 from salvation, seems almost doomed except for a miraculous comeback in the second round. Getafe (17) and Cádiz (19) are the other two current occupants of the ‘burning’ zone, but, except for Mallorca, somewhat ‘relaxed’ at the moment with 25 points, there are seven other teams on alert (Almería -22- , Girona and Seville -21-, and Valencia, Espanyol, Celta and Valladolid -20-).
6. Lewandowski and Ter Stegen, ‘pichichi’ and ‘Zamora’. The Polish striker has confirmed his goalscoring skills and despite missing three games due to suspension, he has scored 14 goals, three more than Joselu (Espanyol). The German goalkeeper is being almost unbeatable and has only conceded seven goals and only Real Madrid has been able to score more than one (3), leaving a clean sheet on 14 occasions.
7. The revelations. Undoubtedly, Real Sociedad is being the leader in this League, thanks to its third place and its commitment to football, while the first round of Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna has also been remarkable.
8. The disappointments. This role is reserved for them above all by Sevilla and Valencia, both closer to relegation than to their respective objectives, although the Seville team seems to be improving in their feelings, quite the opposite of the ‘che’. Atlético, although they are fourth, could be in this group, mainly because they are already 16 points away from the title, while Getafe, Celta and Espanyol, despite their projects, are bordering on below the expected level.
10. The best and worst venues. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have yet to lose in their stadiums, with the first conceding two draws (Rayo and Espanyol) and the second three (Osasuna, Girona and Real Sociedad). On the opposite side, Elche (3 points), Getafe (9) and Espanyol (9).
11. The best and worst visitors. All the teams have lost at least one game away from home in this second round, in which Barça have added 27 out of 30 possible points, with their only mole at the Bernabéu. Real Madrid left Vallecas and La Cerámica empty-handed, and Real Sociedad only fell in Getafe and Valladolid, and tied in the Madrid fiefdom. In addition to Elche, Almería does not yet know what it is to win as a visitor after nine trips.
12. Lazy goal scorer. Of the 20 teams in LaLiga Santander, only FC Barcelona and Real Madrid average, just over two per game, 2.05 for Xavi Hernández and 2.1 for Carlo Ancelotti. Special mention for Osasuna and Mallorca, who with only 18 and 15 scored, respectively, are eighth and tenth. Only five teams (Barça, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Atlético and Girona) have scored more goals than Erling Haaland has in the Premier (25).
13. Dismissed coaches. Five teams have changed coaches in this first round, although in the case of Villarreal forced by the departure of Unai Emery to English Aston Villa and replaced by Quique Setién. Elche is already looking for its third coach, Pablo Machín, after the dismissals of Francisco and Jorge Almirón, while Sevilla (Julen Lopetegui-Jorge Sampaoli), Celta (Eduardo Coudet-Carlos Carvalhal) and Valencia (Gennaro) have also changed Gattuso-Voro).
