SATURDAY – September 11
Levante UD – Rayo Vallecano
Levante has won two of their last four LaLiga games against Rayo Vallecano (L2), as many wins as in their previous eight meetings in the top-flight (D1 L5).
Rayo Vallecano has won only three of their 22 away games against Levante in all competitions (D7 L12), all three coming in LaLiga (5-3 in February 2012, 3-2 in May 2013 and 2-0 in September 2014).
Rayo Vallecano has won 58.3% of their LaLiga games against Levante (P12 W7 D1 L4), scoring 2.2 goals per game on average, their best goals per game ratio against any opponent in the competition (min. 5 games played).
Levante has failed to win any of their last 11 LaLiga games (D5 L6), their second-longest winless run in the competition under a single manager after their last 15 games under Juan Ramón Muñiz between November 2017 and March 2018 (D6 L9).
With their 4-0 win vs Granada last time out, Rayo Vallecano collected their biggest win in LaLiga since April 2012 – 6-0 vs Osasuna under José Ramón Sandoval.
Levante is winless in their three LaLiga 2021/22 games (D2 L1) – they could fail to win any of their opening four games in a LaLiga season for the fifth time, last doing so in 2015/16 (D2 L2) when they were relegated.
Levante’s José Luis Morales has scored three goals in his last seven LaLiga games, after failing to score in his previous 13 appearances in the competition.
Aged 33 years and 125 days against Granada, Óscar Trejo became the oldest Rayo Vallecano player to be involved in three goals in a single LaLiga game in the 21st century (one goal and two assists).
Gonzalo Melero has been involved in five of Levante’s last 10 goals in LaLiga (three goals and two assists), including two assists in the 2021/22 season.
Paco López has lost his two games as Levante manager against Rayo Vallecano, both in LaLiga 2018/19, 1-2 in Vallecas and 4-1 at home.
Athletic Club – RCD Mallorca
Athletic are unbeaten in their last six LaLiga games against Mallorca (W4 D2) after losing three of their previous four matches against them in the competition (W1).
Athletic have won their last four home LaLiga games against Mallorca, since losing 1-3 in May 2010, and could win five in a row at home against them in the competition for the first time since 1961-1987 (7).
Mallorca has won only one of their eight away LaLiga games against Athletic as a newly promoted side (D1 L6) – 2-1 in March 1961.
After winning 1-0 vs Celta de Vigo, Athletic could win two LaLiga games in a row for the first time since July 2020, ending a 45-game run without consecutive wins.
Mallorca has won their last two LaLiga games, keeping a clean sheet in both. The last time they won three in a row in the competition without conceding was in March 2009 (3) under Gregorio Manzano.
Mallorca is unbeaten in their three LaLiga 2021/22 games (W2 D1) and they could equal their best start after four matches – 10 points in 1997/98 (W3 D1 L0).
Four of Athletic’s last seven goals at home in LaLiga have been headed goals, two of them scored by Iñigo Martínez following corners (vs Atlético de Madrid in April and vs FC Barcelona in August).
Mallorca’s Dani Rodríguez has been involved in three goals in his last five LaLiga appearances (one goal and two assists), as many as in his previous 21 games in the competition (two goals and one assist).
At home, Athletic’s Marcelino García Toral is unbeaten in his four LaLiga games as a manager against Mallorca (W3 D1), winning the last three while keeping a clean sheet in the last two.
Mallorca’s Luis García Plaza has only won two of his eight LaLiga games as a manager against Athletic (D3 L3), including a win in his last away league game against them (2-1 as Getafe boss in October 2012).
SUNDAY – September 12
RCD Espanyol – Club Atlético de Madrid
Espanyol has won three of their last six LaLiga games against Atlético de Madrid (D1 L2), after winning one of their previous 11 matches against them in the competition (D2 L8).
Atlético de Madrid has failed to win in their last three away LaLiga games against Espanyol (D1 L2), after winning on three of their previous five visits to them in the top-flight (D1 L1).
Atlético de Madrid has won 81 of their 158 LaLiga games against Espanyol (D30 L47), more than against any other opponent. The Red and Whites could score 300 goals for the first time against a single opponent in the competition (299 goals scored vs Espanyol).
Espanyol has failed to win in their last 13 LaLiga games (D4 L9) and could equal their second-longest winless run in the competition – 14 games between November 2008 and February 2009 (W0 D6 L8).
Espanyol has failed to score in their last eight LaLiga games, equalling the longest run without scoring by a team in the competition’s history (CD Sabadell in 1987 and Castellón in 1990).
Atlético de Madrid has kept only one clean sheet in their last six LaLiga games (W5 D1), 1-0 vs Elche, after doing so in six of their previous nine matches in the competition (W4 D3 L2).
Only Getafe’s Mauro Arambarri (12 shots, 2 shots on target) has attempted more shots without scoring in LaLiga this season than Espanyol’s Raúl Tomas (10 shots, 5 shots on target).
Antoine Griezmann has scored 94 goals in 180 LaLiga appearances for Atlético de Madrid but he has an expected goals (xG) total of 68. That difference (+26) between his goals and his xG is bigger than in his 74 league games for FC Barcelona (+2, 22 goals/20 xG).
Atlético de Madrid’s Luis Suárez has been involved in 15 goals in 11 LaLiga appearances against Espanyol (10 goals and 5 assists), and only against Deportivo de La Coruña (16 – 8 goals and 8 assists) as he had a hand in more (15, alongside Alavés and Eibar).
Espanyol’s Vicente Moreno has lost his two LaLiga games as a manager against Atlético de Madrid under Diego Pablo Simeone, with his Mallorca side failing to score in either game in 2019/20.
CA Osasuna – Valencia CF
Osasuna has won two of their last four LaLiga games against Valencia (D1 L1), as many wins as in their previous 18 matches against them in the competition (D6 L10).
After winning 3-1 last season, Osasuna could win two games in a row against Valencia in LaLiga for the second time ever, previously doing so in 1981 (2-0 in April and 2-1 in October).
Valencia has won only two of their last 13 away LaLiga games against Osasuna (D6 L5), after winning five of their previous 10 away from home against them in the competition (D4 L1).
Osasuna has drawn 0-0 in their last two LaLiga games at El Sadar, and only one time they have had three goalless draws in a row at home in the competition was in March 1994 under Enrique Martín.
Valencia has won only two of their last 31 away LaLiga games (D10 L19), most recently in January 2021 (1-0 vs Real Valladolid). They’ve won none of their last 11 on the road (D4 L7).
Osasuna is unbeaten in their three LaLiga 2021/22 games (W1 D2) and could begin a season in the competition without a defeat in their first four matches for the fourth time (1981/82, 1986/87 & 2019/20).
With their win 3-2 against Cádiz last time out, Osasuna became the sixth side in the 21st century to win a LaLiga game they were losing going into the 90th minute, and the first since Real Valladolid vs Eibar in March 2019 (2-1).
Carlos Soler has scored in his three LaLiga 2021/22 appearances (three goals on aggregate) and could become the second Valencia player to score in each of his first four games in the same season in the competition after Fernando Morientes in 2006/07 (four goals).
Osasuna’s Jagoba Arrasate has failed to win in his four LaLiga games against Valencia’s José Bordalás, with his team failing to score in all four (D3 L1).
José Bordalás is unbeaten in his three LaLiga games as Valencia manager (W2 D1) and could become the third boss to be unbeaten in his first four matches for the club in the competition in the last 10 years, after Nuno Espírito Santo in 2014 (W3 D1) and Marcelino García Toral in 2017 (W1 D3).
Cádiz CF – Real Sociedad
Cádiz has won only one of their last 10 LaLiga games against Real Sociedad (D4 L5), 2-1 in April 1993. They’ve also failed to score in six of their last nine against them.
Cádiz has won six home LaLiga games against Real Sociedad (D6 L1), more than against any other opponent in the competition (alongside Athletic Club, W6 D4 L4).
Real Sociedad have won only one of their 13 away LaLiga games against Cádiz (D6 L6), though it was in their last game at Nuevo Mirandilla in the competition last season (1-0).
Cádiz has scored in each of their last nine LaLiga games (W2 D4 L3) and could equal their best scoring run in the top-flight, 10 games in March 1992 (W1 D5 L4).
Real Sociedad have won their last two LaLiga games, keeping a clean sheet in both. They could keep a clean sheet in three games in a row in the competition for the second time under Imanol Alguacil (3 in February 2019).
Cádiz have had a league-low five 10+ passes sequences in LaLiga this season, 20 fewer than Real Sociedad (25).
Against Osasuna last time out, Álex Fernández became the fifth Cádiz player to score a brace in LaLiga in the 21st Century, after Alexander Medina, Jonathan Sesma (2) and Álvaro Negredo.
Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak has scored three goals in two LaLiga appearances against Cádiz, against no side has he scored more in the competition (also 3 vs Alavés).
Only vs Osasuna (4/4) does Cádiz’s Álvaro Cervera have a higher 100% loss rate in LaLiga than he does against Real Sociedad (3/3).
Real Sociedad’s Imanol Alguacil has won his two LaLiga games against Cádiz’s Álvaro Cervera, his joint-best 100% win rate against another manager in the competition alongside Abelardo Fernández and Vicente Moreno.
Real Madrid CF – RC Celta de Vigo
Real Madrid have not lost any of their last 14 meetings with Celta Vigo in LaLiga (W12 D2), since their 2-0 defeat at Balaídos on the penultimate matchday of the 2013/14 season, with Carlo Ancelotti as coach and Luis Enrique on the Albiceleste bench.
On the road, Celta Vigo have taken just one point from their last 27 against Real Madrid in LaLiga (D1 L8), after having won eight of the previous 15 points on their league visits against Los Blancos (W2 D2 L1).
Celta Vigo have lost 43 of their 55 away matches against Real Madrid in LaLiga (W6 D6), more than against any other opponent in the competition’s history.
Celta Vigo have failed to win in their last four games in LaLiga (D1 L3), failing to score in the last two. The Celeste side could fail to score in three straight games in the competition for the first time under Eduardo Coudet.
Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 21 LaLiga games (W15 D6), the best current streak of any team in the competition and their longest since a run of 28 unbeaten games under Zinedine Zidane between March 2016 and January 2017 (W24 D4).
Real Madrid have scored eight goals in LaLiga this season and have an expected goals tally of five, making them the side with the highest differential between their goals and xG in the competition (+3).
Despite attempting a total of 17 total shots (4 vs Osasuna and 13 vs Athletic Club), Celta Vigo have failed to record a shot on target in their last two LaLiga matches, the first time they failed in consecutive matches in the competition since at least 2003/04.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been directly involved in five goals in his three LaLiga appearances this season (two goals and three assists), the best start in goal involvement after his first three league games of the campaign in his entire career in the competition.
Excluding goals scored from the penalty spot, Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas has scored just three LaLiga goals in all of 2021 (six in total), his lowest tally in a single calendar year in the competition with the Galician side so far.
Carlo Ancelotti has lost three of his eight meetings as coach against Celta Vigo in all competitions (W4 D1). though just one of these was as Real Madrid coach (W3 L1), 2-0 at Balaídos in May 2014.
MONDAY – September 13
Getafe CF – Elche CF
Getafe has lost just one of their six LaLiga games against Elche (W2 D3), with that defeat coming at the Martínez Valero in April 2014 (1-0).
Getafe has played more games without a home win against Elche than against any other opponent in LaLiga, although they have drawn their three meetings at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.
Elche has won only one of their nine away games against Getafe in all competitions (D6 L2), a 2-1 win in LaLiga SmartBank in February 2000, with Jorge D’Alessandro as a coach.
Getafe has lost all three of their matches in LaLiga so far and could start a season in the competition with four straight defeats for the first time in their history.
Getafe hasn’t lost four games in a row in LaLiga since February 2021, which is their worst ever run of consecutive defeats in the competition under their former coach José Bordalás.
Elche has won just one of their last 18 away games in LaLiga (D4 L13), 3-1 against Cádiz in their last league away match of the 2020/21 season.
Only Valencia (56) – managed by former Getafe boss José Bordalás – have committed more fouls than Getafe (55) in LaLiga this season, in what is Míchel’s second spell in charge of the club.
After his goal at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, Sandro Ramírez could score in consecutive games in LaLiga for the first time since May 2017, when he registered his best scoring streak in the competition – four consecutive games for Malaga (managed by Míchel).
Getafe coach Míchel has lost both of his two managerial games against Elche in all competitions, both in LaLiga SmartBank in 2006/07 with Real Madrid Castilla.
Elche coach Fran Escribá has not won any of his four matches away from home at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez in LaLiga, although he has drawn all three matches there in charge of Elche (L1).
Granada CF – Real Betis Balompié
Granada has won their last three home games against Real Betis in LaLiga, their best run against them at home in the top-flight.
Real Betis have won just one of their last six matches against Granada in LaLiga (D2 L3), though it was the most recent clash in May. Betis have not won back-to-back matches against them in the competition since August 2011.
Granada has lost their last three Andalusian derbies in LaLiga and could suffer four straight defeats in the competition for the first time since October 2014 (four also).
Real Betis have lost just one of their last six Andalusian derbies in LaLiga (W3 D2), 1-0 against Sevilla in March 2021, after having lost five of the previous six regional derbies in the competition beforehand (D1).
Granada is winless in their last eight LaLiga matches (D3 L5), their worst winless run since August 2019, when they strung together 15 straight games in the competition without a win, six under Lucas Alcaraz (D1 L5), seven under Toni Adams in the final of 2016/17 (L7) and the first two under Diego Martínez in 2019/20 (D1 L1).
With their defeat against Real Madrid last time out, Real Betis ended a 13-match unbeaten streak in LaLiga (W4 D9), the second-longest in their entire history in the top-flight (14 in April 2002, W4 D10).
Granada striker Carlos Bacca has been directly involved in six goals in his 10 meetings with Real Betis in all competitions (four goals and two assists).
Real Betis’ Juanmi Jiménez has scored four goals in eight meetings with Granada in LaLiga; only against Levante (five in 10) has he scored more goals in the top-flight.
Robert Moreno could become the fourth manager to fail to win any of his first four LaLiga matches with Granada in the 21st century, following Juan Antonio Anquela in 2012 (D2 L2), Paco Jémez in 2016 (D2 L2) and Tony Adams in 2017 (L4).
Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini has faced Granada in LaLiga on six occasions, losing each match away from home (twice with Málaga and once with Betis), whilst winning all three games at home.