FCBARCELONA.CAT

18.04.2010 12:02

17th Clean Sheet

Roger Bogunyà

Barca’s defensive solidity was again on show in the derby – the team’s 17th league game out of 33 this season in which they’ve kept a clean sheet.

Below are some more facts and figures from the derby game.

- Valdés has conceded just 19 goals in 33 league matches, averaging 0.57 a game -well ahead in the list of best La Liga keepers.

- Espanyol have failed to score against Barca in both this season’s league games, Sporting, Valencia and Madrid also failed to beat Valdes over 180 minutes, whilst of the games remaining, Seville, Jerez, Valladolid and Tenerife all failed to score against Barca in the previous game this season.

- Xavi was unable to play his usual dominant role against Espanyol and it was Pique with 98 touches who was the player who had most contact with the ball – 10 more than Xavi.

- Espanyol’s intentions are clear from the stats for completed passes: 608 for Barca and 303 for Espanyol.

- As to fouls, Barca received 21 and committed 16, yet the cards went the opposite way with yellows for Keita and Milito and a double yellow for Alves, whilst only Osvaldo, Luis García and Baena were booked for Espanyol.

- Alves saw Barca’s 5th red of the season, following the sendings off of Busquets (Madrid), Márquez, Piqué (Getafe) and Ibrahimovic (Almeria).

- Alves was shown yellow for 2 of the 3 fouls he committed.

- The last time Barca failed to win, in the 2-2 draw with Almeria, they also finished with 10 men and Pep Guardiola was also shown a red card.

- In the games when the team have had a player sent off they have won twice and drawn twice.

- Maxwell made his 30th appearance of the season.

- The draw means that 100 points are no longer possible –the maximum now is 99.