Seven number-based stats about Real Madrid/Barcelona

Real/Barca, Saturday 7pm, Sky Sports 2, Free Bets, Best Odds

1 - The number of goalless draws that have occurred in the last 39 league clashes between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

2 - The number of league games Real Madrid have failed to win since Juande Ramos took charge. Their overall Liga record under the former Spurs boss is P19 W17 D1 L1, with the loss coming away to Barca in his first league match.

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3 - The number of wins Real Madrid have claimed from their last four home games against Barcelona.

Posted: May 1st, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Liverpool are unlikely to do the double over Real Madrid

Liverpool/Real Madrid, 7.45pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Juande Ramos has promised that the “famous Anfield roar” holds no fear for his side and who can blame him when it hasn’t intimidated teams like Stoke and Hull this season. The Sun today reported that 91% of teams who win the away leg 1-0 progress, bringing into question ITV’s decision to again give Liverpool prominence over Chelsea, but while the Reds should still qualify, here are five reasons why they won’t win tonight:

1. Liverpool haven’t won consecutive home games since October. They have played twelve times at Anfield since their 1-0 win over Portsmouth over four months ago but have won just five of them.

2. Rafael Benitez’s side have won both the home and away legs of a Champions League knockout tie on just two of their last nine attempts.

3. Real Madrid have won four consecutive away games since facing Barcelona in Juande Ramos’ game. They haven’t conceded a goal throughout that run, have scored eleven times and have managed at least two goals in each game.

Posted: March 10th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Real Madrid are still 4.3 to win La Liga on Betfair

Here are five reasons why Juande Ramos’ side will pip Barcelona

In the space of just three weeks Barcelona’s twelve point advantage at the top of La Liga has cut down to just four. Despite that, Betfair are still offering 4.3 on Real Madrid winning the title. Here are five reasons why you should back them now before it’s too late:

1. Real Madrid have won ten consecutive games since losing to two goals in the last seven minutes away to Barcelona is Ramos’ first game.

2. Barcelona have dropped more points in their last three matches (eight) than they had done throughout the first 22 games of the season (seven).

3. Los Blancos have taken more points than Barcelona from the final thirteen matches of three of the last four seasons. Two years ago the Catalan club were five points clear at this stage but squandered their advantage.

Posted: March 5th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

Real Madrid look to make it ten in a row against Liverpool

Real Madrid/Liverpool, 7.45pm, Sky Sports 2, Offers, Best Odds

Juande Ramos took just two points from his last nine league matches as Tottenham manager but over at Real Madrid he has won each of his last nine. The Spaniard will be hoping to stretch his winning streak to double figures against Liverpool but the Reds are unbeaten in seventeen Champions League games (in 90 minutes). Here’s everything you need to know about this match:

EARLY KNOCKOUTS
Juventus, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Roma. Those are the four sides responsible for the fact that Real Madrid, the the most successful team in the competition’s history, haven’t cleared this hurdle since 2004. Ramos’ La Liga performance might be enough to rebuild his reputation after being sacked by Tottenham but in order to earn a second season at the Bernabeu, he will probably need to come closer to ending the second-longest Champions League drought in Real Madrid’s history than his predecessor managed.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

Posted: February 24th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Why Chelsea should go on to finish above Aston Villa now

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Aston Villa’s chances of finishing above Chelsea were severely damaged by the Blues completing the double over them. Not since 1993-94, when they beat champions Manchester United twice, have they finished below a team they’ve triumphed over home and away.

2. Blackburn may have ended Manchester United’s clean sheet record but after losing 2-1 they remain one of three clubs, alongside West Brom and Bolton, who have lost all their matches against the “Big Five” this season.

Posted: February 23rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Redknapp’s record means he can still evade the blame

Five stats about this weekend’s football

1. Manchester United have won seven of their last eight matches while Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all only managed just three wins each over that period.

2. Luiz Felipe Scolari has lost four consecutive meetings against Chelsea’s Big Four rivals, while Rafael Benitez has won three and drawn one of four this season.

3. Just one of Arsenal’s last five league draws has been followed by a win, which doesn’t bode well for next weekend’s trip to Tottenham.

4. Bottom club West Brom haven’t lost consecutive league games since November, whereas last year Derby only once managed to get through two without a defeat.

5. Despite their recent struggles, Tottenham still have the ninth-best Premier League record from the weekend Harry Redknapp took charge onwards. Over the course of his sixteen games in charge they have taken just five points less than Arsenal and six less than Chelsea. However, if they still fail to deliver now after a month of heavy spending, Redknapp will no longer be able to fall back on Juande Ramos’ shortcomings as an excuse.

Posted: February 3rd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment