Stat, Viz, Quiz is the Opta Analyst soccer e-newsletter. This week’s version contains numbers on tremendous cups, Celtic, and epic season begins.
It’s the time of 12 months once we’re handled to proverbial curtain-raisers.
Most nations have some model of a ‘tremendous cup’, normally between the winners of the earlier season’s league title and home cup competitors. The weekend noticed just a few of those happen round Europe, with some fascinating video games and outcomes. We’ll be wanting again at a number of the extra dramatic.
The season correct is already beneath approach in Scotland, with Celtic already prime of the Premiership. Brendan Rodgers’ males have been spectacular towards Kilmarnock of their opener, and we’ll use considered one of our new graphics to see how dominant they have been.
We’ll additionally take a look at what you keep in mind in regards to the English Neighborhood Defend and reply an Ask Opta query about the most effective and worst begins to a season.
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STAT – Tremendous Cup Surprises
Even when some see them as glorified friendlies, tremendous cups are nonetheless aggressive fixtures, typically between rivals that finish with considered one of them lifting a trophy.
These aggressive juices flowed throughout Europe on the weekend, and we noticed some excellent video games and performances as golf equipment ready for the brand new marketing campaign with a trophy.
Within the Netherlands, PSV have been completely unimaginable final season, taking Feyenoord’s Eredivisie title from them regardless of Arne Slot’s males truly enhancing on their very own efficiency from their title win the season prior by way of factors gained and objectives scored.
Slot has left for Liverpool and been changed by Brian Priske, who’s averaging one trophy per sport already as Feyenoord defeated PSV on penalties following a exceptional 4-4 attract Eindhoven.
It was the primary time each groups scored 4 objectives within the Johan Cruyff Defend, and solely the second match within the competitors that had seen eight objectives scored after PSV’s 5-3 win over Ajax in 2022.
Three of these eight objectives have been penalties, with Santiago Giménez scoring two of them. The Mexican striker grew to become the primary Feyenoord participant to attain twice in a Johan Cruyff Defend match and the fourth participant ever to document three purpose involvements after Jeremain Lens, Cody Gakpo and Guus Til.
It wasn’t the one high-scoring conflict of the weekend, although. On Saturday, Sporting CP discovered themselves 3-0 up after simply 24 minutes within the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira towards Porto. Nevertheless, an unimaginable comeback from Vitor Bruno’s aspect noticed them go on to win 4-3, with Iván Jaime scoring an extra-time winner.
Issues weren’t fairly as shut in Turkey, although. Besiktas thrashed Galatasaray 5-0, with Ciro Motionless scoring twice on his debut after transferring from Lazio in the summertime.
These video games have been mere appetisers for the beginning of the season correct, but when they have been something to go by, we may very well be in for fairly an thrilling 2024-25.
VIZ – Celtic in Place
As we revealed on Opta Analyst final week, Celtic are the favourites to steer from the entrance in Scotland this season. Please, attempt to conceal your shock.
It was an ominous begin to the 2024-25 Scottish Premiership season for everybody else, although, as Celtic eased to a 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock of their opening sport at Parkhead on Sunday.
It means the Hoops are prime of the desk, with St. Mirren and Aberdeen the one different groups to document a win on Matchday 1. Rangers are already two factors behind their Outdated Agency rivals after they may solely draw 0-0 at Hearts on Saturday.
This week’s viz exhibits the typical positions of gamers in a sport, and as you’ll be able to see from the above graphic, Celtic have been aggressive in possession towards Killie.
Taking a look at simply these gamers who began previous to the primary substitution within the 63rd minute, by which period Celtic have been already 3-0 up, you’ll be able to see how excessive up the pitch they have been.
Derek McInnes’ males struggled to maintain the defending champions at bay, with centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers the one Celtic outfield participant whose common place was in his personal half.
It’s fascinating to see how shut collectively Liam Scales, Greg Taylor, Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate have been, displaying how Celtic outnumbered Kilmarnock on that aspect of the midfield, which in flip helped them carve out the variety of possibilities they did.
Brendan Rodgers’ aspect had 32 photographs within the sport, hitting the goal 13 occasions as former Rangers goalkeeper Robby McCrorie was saved busy on his Kilmarnock debut. Celtic had 82% possession, and their anticipated objectives complete was 3.06 to the guests’ 0.20.
To finish the story of dominance, Celtic tried 824 passes within the sport, which was the very best complete by any crew in a single match within the Scottish Premiership because the begin of final season. It was fairly the beginning for the defending champions towards a Kilmarnock crew that completed fourth in 2023-24.
It is only one sport, so there may be loads of work to be executed. The early indicators are that Celtic imply enterprise in 2024-25, although, and maybe even extra so than typical.
QUIZ – Neighborhood Defend Questions
Saturday sees Manchester Metropolis and Manchester United contest the Neighborhood Defend at Wembley, however what are you able to keep in mind about earlier English season curtain-raisers? Solutions on the backside of the web page.
1. What was the rating the final time there was a Manchester derby within the Neighborhood Defend in 2011?
2. Of the final eight events the Neighborhood Defend has been between the earlier season’s champions and FA Cup winners, the crew to have gained the FA Cup has gained the protect seven occasions. What’s the solely exception in that point?
3. Manchester United have gained extra Neighborhood Defend trophies than another membership (17 outright wins, 4 shared). Who has the second most?
4. Who’re the newest crew outdoors of the Premier League’s conventional massive six to look within the Neighborhood Defend?
5. Identify any of the 4 gamers since 2004 to have scored twice in a single Neighborhood Defend sport.
Ask Opta
This week’s question comes from Paul Caffrey, who asks: “Within the historical past of the English Premier League and Championship, which crew has had the longest profitable run from the beginning of the season and which has had the longest shedding run? Did they ultimately win the title/get relegated at finish of the season?”
Do you could have a stat-based query you’d like Opta to reply in a future version of SVQ? E-mail us at editors@theanalyst.com or message us on X @OptaAnalyst with #AskOpta and we’ll choose the most effective one.
Reply:
By way of the Premier League, the longest profitable run to begin a season was by Chelsea in 2005-06 when Jose Mourinho’s defending champions gained their first 9 video games. They have been ultimately halted by Everton in a 1-1 draw, however Chelsea did go on to retain their title with a whopping 91 factors.
The longest shedding run to start a Premier League marketing campaign was the notorious Frank De Boer season at Crystal Palace, once they misplaced their first seven video games in 2017-18. What folks won’t keep in mind is that the Dutchman was solely liable for 4 of these losses earlier than being sacked, however his successor Roy Hodgson ultimately turned issues round and saved Palace up.
As for the Championship, no crew has gained greater than their first 5 video games of a season because the second tier grew to become the Championship in 2004, and just one aspect has gained their first 5. That was Cardiff Metropolis in 2017-18, who did go on to safe promotion however solely in second place after ending 9 factors behind title winners Wolves.
The worst begin within the Championship’s 20-year historical past is a joint document, with each Peterborough United (2012-13) and Wycombe Wanderers (2020-21) shedding their first seven league video games. The Posh did go down, however solely by a single level in the long run as they managed to amass 54 factors from their remaining 39 video games. Wycombe additionally completed twenty second and went down by one single level.
What Are We as much as at Opta Analyst?
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Quiz Solutions
1. Manchester Metropolis 2-3 Manchester United, with United getting back from 2-0 all the way down to win
2. Manchester Metropolis’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in 2018
3. Arsenal (16 wins, 1 shared)
4. Leicester Metropolis (beating Man Metropolis 1-0 in 2021)
5. Didier Drogba (2005), Nani (2011), Robin van Persie (2013) and Sergio Agüero (2018)
Earlier than you go…
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