3 stats from Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Sevilla

Real Madrid maintained their unbeaten start to the season by seeing off Sevilla and condemning them to a 13th defeat from their last 14 visits. Los Blancos ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Luka Modrić, Lucas Vázquez and Fede Valverde.

Here are three key stats from the encounter.

0.67: The combined xG of the 6 goals that Fede Valverde has scored in LaLiga this season

Another game, another wondergoal from Fede Valverde. This effort rated at just 0.04 xG as he smashed the ball into the top left from more than 20 yards out. It’s not the first time one of his goals has come from nowhere, and the sum total of his six LaLiga goals adds up to just 0.67 xG.

What that tells us is that the Uruguayan is scoring some incredible strikes from unexpected angles and distances. He leads the way across Europe’s top five leagues with four league goals from outside the box, and this was perhaps the best of the bunch. In fact, he has already scored as many goals from outside the box this season as attempts which he got on target in the whole of last season and has now scored more goals outside the box than anyone since Cristiano Ronaldo scored five in 2016/17.

Only three men (Robert Lewandowski, Borja Iglesias and Joselu) have scored more goals in LaLiga this season, and his 4.51 overperformance in terms of goals scored compared to xG is second only to Erling Haaland across Europe’s major leagues.

There’s so much more to the Uruguayan’s game than his goals, though. He created four chances, more than any other player in this match, and was third for the total number of successful passes behind only Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos.

21: Vinícus Júnior has more assists than any other LaLiga player since the start of last season

The Brazilian forward may be on a four-match streak without a goal, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t contributing in attack. In fact, he provided the assists for both Luka Modrić and Lucas Vázquez’s goals to take him to 21 assists in all competitions over the last two seasons, more than any other player.

Of those, six have come this season, while in LaLiga specifically his duo of assists on Saturday night place him as joint leader for assists alongside Mikel Merino of Real Sociedad and his compatriot and team-mate Rodrygo Goes.

This was the first game in which he recorded two assists in the same game since a win over Atlético Madrid, also at the Bernabéu, in December 2021. Still being involved and being such an influential figure offensively, even when the goals may have temporarily dried up, is what is giving Vinícius Júnior such a leading role in Real Madrid’s attack.

Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images

2.83: Goals conceded per game against Real Madrid for Jorge Sampaoli

Sevilla’s record against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu is abysmal, having last won in a 4-3 win in December 2008, but few coaches have had a tougher time of the fixture than Jorge Sampaoli. Despite being considered one of the best in the game, he has conceded 2.83 goals per game against Real Madrid, rising to 3.33 goals per game when it takes place in the Spanish capital.

During his previous stint at Sevilla, he faced Real Madrid on five occasions with two league meetings in addition to a two-legged Copa del Rey last 16 tie and a UEFA Super Cup final. He recorded just one win over that period, at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, and lost both visits to the Bernabéu.

The Argentinian looked to have improved until Real Madrid pulled away late on in this game, which is something of an achievement given Sevilla’s defensive record this season, but Carlo Ancelotti may feel that he has the edge over Sampaoli given this record.