Athletic has more goals for and against

One of Athletic’s main problems in the first phase of the season, as far as LaLiga is concerned, was its low effectiveness against the opposition. Marcelino then trusted in the ability of his team to reverse the situation facing the rival goal and time has ended up showing that it was a simple circumstantial issue. The lions now see the door more often, but they are also receiving more goals against those who conceded throughout the first round.

The filmmaker trend has changed dramatically. Many goals in favor after the middle of the championship, especially in San Mamés, and many also against, especially when the Bilbao team has to pack its bags.

The rojiblancos, to start with the last, managed to win 3-1 against Levante in their last league match. It was not, in any case, their biggest win at home in this second league round, since Real had won four goals a couple of days before (4-0). To these seven goals we must add the two that served to settle the first home game of the new year against Espanyol (2-1).

Marcelino’s team thus managed to score almost as many goals in their first three home games of the second round (9) as in the ten of the first (13). This full of local triumphs after the league equator leaves only one more than the four from before (2-0 Mallorca, 1-0 Alavés, 2-1 Villarreal and 3-2 Betis). A quartet of successes that was accompanied, by the way, by another one of defeats in San Mamés (1-2 Rayo Vallecano, 0-1 Cádiz, 0-1 Sevilla and 1-2 Real Madrid) and two draws (1-1 Barça and 2-2 Grenade).

The two with Madrid in the ‘first leg’

It should be clarified, of course, that in terms of commitments until the halfway point of the league tournament, the visit of Real Madrid is included in this case, for a simple matter of chronology. This classic should have been played after January, but when the lions and meringues coincided in the Super Cup they chose to advance it to just before the Christmas break

Marcelino’s men, returning to the origin of this analysis, added 14 points out of a possible 30 playing as locals in the first round with a record of 13 goals for and 12 against (+1) and they have 9 of 9 in the second with a balance of 9 goals in favor (an average of 3 per game) and 2 against (+7).

The numbers are not so favorable, however, far from San Mamés. Athletic managed a total of seven goals in their nine outings before the halfway point in the League and has a total of three during their last four trips. The rojiblancos drew in Mendizorrotza (0-0), won in Vallecas (0-1) and lost consecutively against Mallorca (3-2) and Barça (4-0).

That -4 at the player level comparing first and second round increases at the level of many received. The rivals scored five goals in the Athletic goal in the first ten outings of the so-called regularity tournament and they have already scored seven in the four of the second round (the three from Mallorca and the four from Barça), two more than until the equator of the league tournament.

The lions, as far as points are concerned, reached the middle of La Liga with a record of 27 points (6 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses) with 20 goals for and 16 against (+4) and in what so far in the second round, they have 13 (4 wins, 1 table and 2 losses) with 12 goals in favor and 9 against (+3).